Honestly the arch wiki is like a black hole, dragging Linux users towards using arch. I got so used to using arch wiki on other distros that it eventually got me to switch to something arch based.
I was thinking on moving to Fedora, since it has more robust support for GUI-based installation through PackageKit and it's got a more stable release cycle. But Arch and its wiki is just my bread and butter at this point that moving to another distro feels foreign and annoying in comparison, even though it's not the distro's fault.
Always heartwarming when people on the internet refer to women as a commodity that only exists for the pleasure of men, putting it on the same level as a bottle of rotten grape and some wrapped dried leafs.
Well, it's talking about a one time service. If they said Russian waiters, would that be different? Not everything has to be about objectification. It's just discussing different things people enjoy, sarcastically and also I'm pretty sure it's a quote from somewhere.
Idk about you but I am so staggeringly beautiful that in order to walk amongst mere mortals without spreading insanity and obsession I must adopt a glamour.
My favoured form is a moderately athletic slightly be-tummied greying spinster.
It's great. As a Gentoo user I still use it quite often. It helps that Arch has a far larger userbase, so its wiki is a lot bigger. (It also helps the Arch wiki didn't lose everything 15-ish years ago due to a server hard drive failure)
Honestly, the arch wiki is hit and miss. Sometimes it has the information you need written in a way that you can understand, and sometimes the examples randomly switch graphics cards mid-sentence.
Or just tell you to configure something (or not mention that the specific config setting actually exists despite it sometimes being quite crucial) but not exactly how and you have to look through a bunch of the info boxes to find the correct link to the manual of the specific program/tool to see how the config file should look before you can continue on the wiki.
I appreciate the Arch wiki much, even as a layman Kubuntu user. It explains some background concepts pretty well which aren't typically coveyed in man pages which dedicate themselves to individual commands and their syntax. For instance I've read about home folder encryption or how signals get converted from keyboard presses to symbols on screen. It's not perfect when it comes to writing style and coverage sure, but it's a valuable compendium to have in addition to everything else.
And this, folks, is why there will be no âyear of the Linux desktopâ. The technical difficulties, and the surrounding gatekeeping.
Donât get me wrong, Iâm a dev, I RTFM, but for most people, their computer is just a simple tool, like a hammer or a screwdriver, that lets them do the actual work they have to do. They arenât any less ârealâ Linux users. Just users that will go back to other OSes cause it doesnât work for them and they keep getting told that itâs their fault for not reading the manual.
Yeah, I see a fair amount of gatekeeping and condescension in Linux communities. I also see a lot of people who truly want to be helpful, but that aspect is there.
I've seen Linux compared to car ownership a number of times, and I think that's an apt comparison. I have the knowledge to use and perform basic maintenance on a car, and I have no interest in learning more. It's a tool made for a purpose. Some people love to tinker with cars, and I can understand that. I love Linux and enjoy tinkering with it, but it generally won't "just work" for most users. Yes, if you're setting it up for your grandparents and they just need a web browser or something like that it's probably fine but most users that aren't Linux savvy are going to run into issues.
Linux is becoming ever more usable, and I think usage will continue to increase alongside that, but I don't see it ever becoming a major personal desktop platform. Wouldn't mind being wrong, but Linux will be fine, regardless.
chromeOS exist, and it's very mainstream, distros anly need tobe more dumped down, not to much, just enough, my bet is in finally atomic systems becoming the norm and flatpak too
I wouldn't call ChromeOS Linux anymore than I would call MacOS FreeBSD (oversimplified comparison, but it works for my point).
It may be based on a Linux kernel but it contains closed source code that's needed for essential functionality, and we don't get to choose hardware independently of the OS, nor a different OS for the hardware.
It's an ecosystem that's hostile to user rights and in my opinion doesn't fit the spirit of what Linux is.
Edit: I suppose that's a bit gatekeeperish? But I don't think Linux adoption should be achieved at the cost of user freedom and choice. It loses what makes it special at that point.
you can install chomeOS flex on your computer tho, i agree wuth you, but my argument is about the OS more pre-made with atomic updates and things like that to be more reliable and stable
And this, folks, is why there will be no âyear of the Linux desktopâ. The technical difficulties, and the surrounding gatekeeping.
Joke's on you, we don't need there to be one. Mine was 2007. Yours was whenever it was. I welcome new users, but my happiness doesn't depend on Linux appealing to everyone, and neither does the survival of Linux as an option.
The types who appreciate what differentiates the Linux experience from Windows or MacOS (in terms of the typical benefits we'd evangelize) will find their way here. It's naturally getting easier over time, and the contrast (especially against the Windows experience) is only increasing in its attractiveness.
You need a willingness to learn, and if you've never installed an OS ever before that will be true even for Windows. Why are we trying to lower the bar further than that? Not everyone has to start with Arch, or should.
This is merely one way to view it. The other is the one I gave. An OS is a tool for most people, they donât even understand nor learned Windows, itâs mostly the gateway between them and their actual work, i.e. the software they use. They want a computer that runs their software, thatâs it.
The âwe donât need them as Linux users if they donât want to RTFMâ line of thinking youâre exhibiting was exactly my point. Why do you interpret making things better for everyone as âlowering the barâ? Unless you genuinely think itâs a good thing the technical barrier is there, I donât know how you rationalize this opinion.
Mine was 2007 too. Almost two decades later, and we still have the people playing gatekeepers.
Who's gatekeeping? Why would a new user be pushed to Arch? There are many options where a user can probably get by without having to read a wiki, and certainly not the Arch wiki. It's no harder than installing Windows to install those distros for a basic install - and no harder than an advanced Windows install for an advanced install. What problem are you trying to solve?
My point is - there's always this underlying "well it's not easy enough for every last untrained child to pick up an iso and install it, so it's failed!"
My point is:
Netiher is Windows
Even Windows has a learning curve, but it's so ingrained that folks don't realize they've already traversed it and
NOTHING appeals to or is suitable for every last person, so why does desktop Linux (edit: Or at least Arch for sure as in OP) need to be?
LMDE on somewhat recent hardware with an iGPU. My wife has not asked me a single question, mostly since she opens the laptop, opens firefox, does whatever, closes laptop. An absolutely typical user.
Yeah, weâve admittedly come a very long way. My Hardy Heron setup took days to get to a usable state on my hardware, back then, and even then, my laptop couldnât hold a charge, sleep didnât work properly, and there were so many crashes lol. Nowadays itâs pretty much smooth sailing on most of my machines without really having to think about it. I still avoid Nvidia like the plague, but Intel/AMD stuff are usually a pretty safe bet.
Those early years were really formative, but Iâm glad of all the progress thatâs been done. I just wish the gatekeeping would stop. Itâs one of the major hurdles to adoption, IMHO. I donât want people to convert necessarily (I still use Windows and/or macOS for things) but to stop being afraid to try, and these people really donât helpâŚ
Nearly every machine with any complexity greater than a light switch comes with a manual. As the number of features of a system grows, it becomes less and less feasible to design user interfaces that expose all of those features so intuitively that most people get them instantly. In fact large software with tons of features in UI have manuals and need books to master. Featurefull software requires documentation. And so the question isn't whether one piece of software requires documentation to use or not, instead it's whether that pieces of software can do more or less, and whether someone bothered to write a doc. In Linux'es case someone typically bothered to do it. There is an M to RTF. On Windows on the other hand, if something obvious doesn't work, or it isn't obvious, you're often stuck with hearsay or worse - banging your head against the wall. It's quite alright for people to prefer to stick with what they know whether it provides the easiest way to do something or not. But let's not get confused that RTFM is a bad thing. RTFM means there's an M, it means the M will help, it means that the software has the capability you need, and likely more than you need. âşď¸
Okay. But did any of these users need to read the manual to use Windows? My point was not that RTFM is a bad thing per se, but that pretending people arenât proper Linux users if they donât is absurd. They have Linux in their machine? Theyâre Linux users.
You'll find that most users don't really use Windows. They use a handful of programs, usually superficially, and that's pretty much it. People tend to have as little knowledge of anything computer related as possible. Whether they actually need it or not. Knowing about computers is seen as "bad".
If you ever have to support users, it's very enlightening in that regard.
Which was exactly my point. Most people see their computer/OS as the thing that lets them log in and launch their programs, thatâs all. Which comes back to expecting most people that launch Linux to do it being an unreasonable ask. We donât ask people to be specialists of their carsâ mechanics to drive it.
I've helped plenty of non-technical folks install Linux on older machines and they have zero problems using it for basic computing stuff, especially since so much of it is just websites.
Iâve also helped plenty of technical folks install Linux on newer hardware, and some had difficulties and I had to provide support more than once. One of my grandparents understood Ubuntu/Unity immediately, the other had trouble. Anecdotes donât say much.
If we want to keep going with car comparisons, Iâll try to make it illustrate my point once again - do those people happen to learn that R doesnât mean âReally fastâ by being snarkily told to RTFM by a car enthusiast or they arenât a real driver?
I was specifically addressing the âLinux users need to RTFM or they arenât Linux usersâ affirmation. Itâs not defending ignorance to point out that itâs gatekeepey as hell.
Honestly I love the Steam Deck for getting Linux into people's hands in a way that's easy and Just Works :tm:. They've not replaced the OS on their Steam Deck at all, which is a win not just for Valve but the Linux ecosystem as a whole.
Though, the only issue my friends has had is transferring files to and from the Steam Deck if their main PC runs Windows or Mac. There are a multitude of varyingly convenient options but all of my friends have literally just plugged an external hard drive through the sole USB-C port lol. Linux has to cater to people who won't even install third-party drivers.
Yup Steam Deck is a great example of Linux falling in end-users hands in the right way to drive adoption. The average person doesnât even have to care that it is indeed running on Linux.
Yeah, but that wasnât my point nor the one made by the person I was answering to. My point is, those users eventually hit the (inevitable) bump in the road, ask for help, get told by people like the person I was answering to that they have to RTFM or else they arenât real Linux users, so they go back to Windows.
I genuinely have a hard time believing you can both have been âusing Linux for a very long timeâ and never had to fix an issue lol. If youâve legitimately been using it for that long, youâre also probably the type to RTFM, so I probably wasnât talking about youâŚ
If what you didnât see were examples of gatekeeping, read this very thread lol. But again, rather anecdotal. Spend some time talking to anyone trying the OS now and see their experience. Read threads made by newbies.
Feel free to point out where I was âoffendedâ. I thought this was merely a discussion, as these communities encourage to have.
As for what was actually said, even re-reading the comment I was answering to, your interpretation of what was said is still not what Iâm reading, at all. Quoting verbatim: âYou arenât a Linux user if you donât like to RTFMâ. How is this not gatekeeping? You use Linux, youâre a Linux user, thatâs all.
The best thing about Linux is that it comes with a manual. Like literally type man and boom there it is. As a C developer it is like easy mode. I hate having to open a browser just to know what a basi command does
On December 15th, 2017, photographer Eugeny Hramenkov uploaded the original image of a woman holding a bottle of milk to another woman's mouth to Instagram.
That's not fair. I'm an arch user and the only time I'd set foot on a forum is to ask a question you won't find an answer to in the wiki, the subreddit, some weird defunct blog nobody has made a post on in 11 years or the source code. And I probably won't be answering any questions with RTFM or anything else for that matter.
On December 15th, 2017, photographer Eugeny Hramenkov uploaded the original image of a woman holding a bottle of milk to another woman's mouth to Instagram.
Arch is the reason I gained the patience to read documentation. I'm glad I did that, cause I can read docs while learning how to do programming without getting bored.
111 Comments
stoicmaverick@lemmy.world · 125 pts · 2y
.......just the weirdest boner right now.......
DacoTaco@lemmy.world · 108 pts · 2y
Its from thinking of arch, isnt it
Steamymoomilk@sh.itjust.works · 22 pts · 2y
Tech boner
cosmicrose@lemmy.world · 82 pts · 2y
Any girls wanna pull my hair and read me the Arch wiki đ
devfuuu@lemmy.world · 28 pts · 2y
Dozens are waiting for this.
cosmicrose@lemmy.world · 62 pts · 2y
If there are dozens of thirsty lesbians using Arch Linux, then I am one of them.
If there is one thirsty lesbian using Arch Linux, itâs me.
If there are no thirsty lesbians using Arch Linux, then I am no longer on Earth.
If the world is against thirsty lesbians using Arch Linux, then I am against the world.
stoicmaverick@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2y
Umm.... Would you like a drink of water?
Vilian@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 2y
bruh
No_Eponym@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 2y
In your local area!
Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz · 72 pts · 2y
Honestly the arch wiki is like a black hole, dragging Linux users towards using arch. I got so used to using arch wiki on other distros that it eventually got me to switch to something arch based.
Edit: btw
Cosmicomical@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 2y
You forgot to say btw :D
PolarisFx@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 9 pts · 2y
He said "arch based" my guess is he didn't want to say "I run manjaro btw"
seaQueue@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y
Endeavor is fine, that's what I point new users at when they're not confident in bootstrapping an install manually.
Edit: remember, friends don't let friends run manjaro
Telodzrum@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
Nilz@sopuli.xyz · 6 pts · 2y
Not using Arch but an Arch derivative automatically excludes you from getting any support from the Arch forums.
Not that it matters since they'll just force you to read the documentation while pulling your hair anyway.
Flaky@iusearchlinux.fyi · 4 pts · 2y
I was thinking on moving to Fedora, since it has more robust support for GUI-based installation through PackageKit and it's got a more stable release cycle. But Arch and its wiki is just my bread and butter at this point that moving to another distro feels foreign and annoying in comparison, even though it's not the distro's fault.
neo2478@sh.itjust.works · 61 pts · 2y
Solely for scientific reasons for my friend, where is the original image from?
tautalas@lemmy.world · 64 pts · 2y
Some russian photographer. It's not one of those movies everyone loves so much.
TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 2y
disappointed sound
SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y
Nothing finer in the world than French wine, Cuban cigars and Russian escorts.
gaael@lemmy.world · -8 pts · 2y
Always heartwarming when people on the internet refer to women as a commodity that only exists for the pleasure of men, putting it on the same level as a bottle of rotten grape and some wrapped dried leafs.
Cethin@lemmy.zip · 12 pts · 2y
Well, it's talking about a one time service. If they said Russian waiters, would that be different? Not everything has to be about objectification. It's just discussing different things people enjoy, sarcastically and also I'm pretty sure it's a quote from somewhere.
DigitalDruid@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 2y
funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works · 30 pts · 2y
original source:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcu0_sagc9j/
EddoWagt@feddit.nl · 6 pts · 2y
I've seen this meme format so many times, but this is the first time I've actually seen the source
exanime@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
I would have sworn that was Dua Lipa feeding milk to Marisa Abela
squid_slime@lemmy.world · 51 pts · 2y
arch user are hot :,)
Diplomjodler@feddit.de · 35 pts · 2y
I'm sure that's what they all look like.
naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 2y
Idk about you but I am so staggeringly beautiful that in order to walk amongst mere mortals without spreading insanity and obsession I must adopt a glamour.
My favoured form is a moderately athletic slightly be-tummied greying spinster.
FilterItOut@thelemmy.club · 2 pts · 2y
That sounds like it might drive me obsessively insane, btw.
naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 2y
if only we all found it as easy to find horny people IRL as on the net XD
Grass@sh.itjust.works · 44 pts · 2y
The arch wiki is generally actually good though. Dumbed down where it needs to be, usable examples, and in a familiar format.
Vilian@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 2y
exactly, i use fedora, and their documentation is good, but archwiki is just faster
gentooer@programming.dev · 4 pts · 2y
It's great. As a Gentoo user I still use it quite often. It helps that Arch has a far larger userbase, so its wiki is a lot bigger. (It also helps the Arch wiki didn't lose everything 15-ish years ago due to a server hard drive failure)
VinnyDaCat@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
Thanks, I was confused for a second, and was wondering if something had happened to make the arch wiki unusable or if it had been replaced.
nxdefiant@startrek.website · 6 pts · 2y
It's all hosted on pornhub now.
NikkiDimes@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y
Unfortunate for our Texan brethren...
Cethin@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 2y
As a Virginian, they finally made me subscribe to a VPN. These stupid conservative fuck wits. Like hell I'm giving PII to every adult website.
pipows@lemmy.today · 24 pts · 2y
ArchWiki is the best documentation out there of operating systems in general. I consult it even if not dealing with Arch
puppy@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
Yep. I use other distros but always come back to the dd command example on Arch Wiki when I make a bootable USB.
vynlwombat@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 2y
I'm a Debian enjoyer and still read the arch wiki
Siegfried@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 2y
I'm a debian fundamentalist, you should repent!
Nah, arch wiki rocks
bleistift2@feddit.de · 19 pts · 2y
Honestly, the arch wiki is hit and miss. Sometimes it has the information you need written in a way that you can understand, and sometimes the examples randomly switch graphics cards mid-sentence.
reinei@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
Or just tell you to configure something (or not mention that the specific config setting actually exists despite it sometimes being quite crucial) but not exactly how and you have to look through a bunch of the info boxes to find the correct link to the manual of the specific program/tool to see how the config file should look before you can continue on the wiki.
cmgvd3lw@discuss.tchncs.de · 19 pts · 2y
I need the whole bottom end of the picture before saying anything.
cmgvd3lw@discuss.tchncs.de · 4 pts · 2y
I did a bit of scientific research and found that this is the full image and this pic was posted on instagram..
LeroyJenkins@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 2y
this is probably the most commented post on Lemmy where that KOLANAK blue letter guy hasn't commented yet
Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee · 4 pts · 2y
lol
therealjcdenton@lemmy.zip · 15 pts · 2y
I don't get it. Women don't exist, this is just a fantasy
Siegfried@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y
AI generated, obviously
takeheart@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 2y
I appreciate the Arch wiki much, even as a layman Kubuntu user. It explains some background concepts pretty well which aren't typically coveyed in man pages which dedicate themselves to individual commands and their syntax. For instance I've read about home folder encryption or how signals get converted from keyboard presses to symbols on screen. It's not perfect when it comes to writing style and coverage sure, but it's a valuable compendium to have in addition to everything else.
Veneroso@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 2y
So where's the Gentoo user? Behind the camera probably. Compiling the scene.
DriftinGrifter@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 2y
I'm still compiling my browser from source :(
Veneroso@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
Have you tried links2?
It works in the terminal and pretty well.
You can add graphics support after recompiling it.
(Yes, I am self aware of this being a meme reply)
DriftinGrifter@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 2y
Cool beans thanks 4 sharing it looks preety cool
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 2y
You aren't a Linux user if you don't like to RTFM.
A lot of the time there's just no way around it.
folkrav@lemmy.ca · 24 pts · 2y
And this, folks, is why there will be no âyear of the Linux desktopâ. The technical difficulties, and the surrounding gatekeeping.
Donât get me wrong, Iâm a dev, I RTFM, but for most people, their computer is just a simple tool, like a hammer or a screwdriver, that lets them do the actual work they have to do. They arenât any less ârealâ Linux users. Just users that will go back to other OSes cause it doesnât work for them and they keep getting told that itâs their fault for not reading the manual.
JovialSodium@lemmy.sdf.org · 17 pts · 2y
Yeah, I see a fair amount of gatekeeping and condescension in Linux communities. I also see a lot of people who truly want to be helpful, but that aspect is there.
I've seen Linux compared to car ownership a number of times, and I think that's an apt comparison. I have the knowledge to use and perform basic maintenance on a car, and I have no interest in learning more. It's a tool made for a purpose. Some people love to tinker with cars, and I can understand that. I love Linux and enjoy tinkering with it, but it generally won't "just work" for most users. Yes, if you're setting it up for your grandparents and they just need a web browser or something like that it's probably fine but most users that aren't Linux savvy are going to run into issues.
Linux is becoming ever more usable, and I think usage will continue to increase alongside that, but I don't see it ever becoming a major personal desktop platform. Wouldn't mind being wrong, but Linux will be fine, regardless.
That was more ranty than I had expected!
Vilian@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 2y
chromeOS exist, and it's very mainstream, distros anly need tobe more dumped down, not to much, just enough, my bet is in finally atomic systems becoming the norm and flatpak too
JovialSodium@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 2y
I wouldn't call ChromeOS Linux anymore than I would call MacOS FreeBSD (oversimplified comparison, but it works for my point).
It may be based on a Linux kernel but it contains closed source code that's needed for essential functionality, and we don't get to choose hardware independently of the OS, nor a different OS for the hardware.
It's an ecosystem that's hostile to user rights and in my opinion doesn't fit the spirit of what Linux is.
Edit: I suppose that's a bit gatekeeperish? But I don't think Linux adoption should be achieved at the cost of user freedom and choice. It loses what makes it special at that point.
Vilian@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2y
you can install chomeOS flex on your computer tho, i agree wuth you, but my argument is about the OS more pre-made with atomic updates and things like that to be more reliable and stable
octopus_ink@lemmy.ml · 11 pts · 2y
Joke's on you, we don't need there to be one. Mine was 2007. Yours was whenever it was. I welcome new users, but my happiness doesn't depend on Linux appealing to everyone, and neither does the survival of Linux as an option.
The types who appreciate what differentiates the Linux experience from Windows or MacOS (in terms of the typical benefits we'd evangelize) will find their way here. It's naturally getting easier over time, and the contrast (especially against the Windows experience) is only increasing in its attractiveness.
You need a willingness to learn, and if you've never installed an OS ever before that will be true even for Windows. Why are we trying to lower the bar further than that? Not everyone has to start with Arch, or should.
folkrav@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2y
This is merely one way to view it. The other is the one I gave. An OS is a tool for most people, they donât even understand nor learned Windows, itâs mostly the gateway between them and their actual work, i.e. the software they use. They want a computer that runs their software, thatâs it.
The âwe donât need them as Linux users if they donât want to RTFMâ line of thinking youâre exhibiting was exactly my point. Why do you interpret making things better for everyone as âlowering the barâ? Unless you genuinely think itâs a good thing the technical barrier is there, I donât know how you rationalize this opinion.
Mine was 2007 too. Almost two decades later, and we still have the people playing gatekeepers.
octopus_ink@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 2y
Who's gatekeeping? Why would a new user be pushed to Arch? There are many options where a user can probably get by without having to read a wiki, and certainly not the Arch wiki. It's no harder than installing Windows to install those distros for a basic install - and no harder than an advanced Windows install for an advanced install. What problem are you trying to solve?
My point is - there's always this underlying "well it's not easy enough for every last untrained child to pick up an iso and install it, so it's failed!"
My point is:
MotoAsh@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y
realbadat@programming.dev · 9 pts · 2y
Gatekeeping aside....
LMDE on somewhat recent hardware with an iGPU. My wife has not asked me a single question, mostly since she opens the laptop, opens firefox, does whatever, closes laptop. An absolutely typical user.
Sometimes she even clicks on the update popup.
folkrav@lemmy.ca · 0 pts · 2y
Yeah, weâve admittedly come a very long way. My Hardy Heron setup took days to get to a usable state on my hardware, back then, and even then, my laptop couldnât hold a charge, sleep didnât work properly, and there were so many crashes lol. Nowadays itâs pretty much smooth sailing on most of my machines without really having to think about it. I still avoid Nvidia like the plague, but Intel/AMD stuff are usually a pretty safe bet.
Those early years were really formative, but Iâm glad of all the progress thatâs been done. I just wish the gatekeeping would stop. Itâs one of the major hurdles to adoption, IMHO. I donât want people to convert necessarily (I still use Windows and/or macOS for things) but to stop being afraid to try, and these people really donât helpâŚ
avidamoeba@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 2y
Nearly every machine with any complexity greater than a light switch comes with a manual. As the number of features of a system grows, it becomes less and less feasible to design user interfaces that expose all of those features so intuitively that most people get them instantly. In fact large software with tons of features in UI have manuals and need books to master. Featurefull software requires documentation. And so the question isn't whether one piece of software requires documentation to use or not, instead it's whether that pieces of software can do more or less, and whether someone bothered to write a doc. In Linux'es case someone typically bothered to do it. There is an M to RTF. On Windows on the other hand, if something obvious doesn't work, or it isn't obvious, you're often stuck with hearsay or worse - banging your head against the wall. It's quite alright for people to prefer to stick with what they know whether it provides the easiest way to do something or not. But let's not get confused that RTFM is a bad thing. RTFM means there's an M, it means the M will help, it means that the software has the capability you need, and likely more than you need. âşď¸
folkrav@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2y
Okay. But did any of these users need to read the manual to use Windows? My point was not that RTFM is a bad thing per se, but that pretending people arenât proper Linux users if they donât is absurd. They have Linux in their machine? Theyâre Linux users.
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y
You'll find that most users don't really use Windows. They use a handful of programs, usually superficially, and that's pretty much it. People tend to have as little knowledge of anything computer related as possible. Whether they actually need it or not. Knowing about computers is seen as "bad".
If you ever have to support users, it's very enlightening in that regard.
folkrav@lemmy.ca · 0 pts · 2y
Which was exactly my point. Most people see their computer/OS as the thing that lets them log in and launch their programs, thatâs all. Which comes back to expecting most people that launch Linux to do it being an unreasonable ask. We donât ask people to be specialists of their carsâ mechanics to drive it.
Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
I've helped plenty of non-technical folks install Linux on older machines and they have zero problems using it for basic computing stuff, especially since so much of it is just websites.
folkrav@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2y
Iâve also helped plenty of technical folks install Linux on newer hardware, and some had difficulties and I had to provide support more than once. One of my grandparents understood Ubuntu/Unity immediately, the other had trouble. Anecdotes donât say much.
MotoAsh@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y
folkrav@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2y
If we want to keep going with car comparisons, Iâll try to make it illustrate my point once again - do those people happen to learn that R doesnât mean âReally fastâ by being snarkily told to RTFM by a car enthusiast or they arenât a real driver?
I was specifically addressing the âLinux users need to RTFM or they arenât Linux usersâ affirmation. Itâs not defending ignorance to point out that itâs gatekeepey as hell.
avidamoeba@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 2y
Yes of course a Linux user is a Linux user whether they RTFM or not.
Flaky@iusearchlinux.fyi · 5 pts · 2y
Honestly I love the Steam Deck for getting Linux into people's hands in a way that's easy and Just Works :tm:. They've not replaced the OS on their Steam Deck at all, which is a win not just for Valve but the Linux ecosystem as a whole.
Though, the only issue my friends has had is transferring files to and from the Steam Deck if their main PC runs Windows or Mac. There are a multitude of varyingly convenient options but all of my friends have literally just plugged an external hard drive through the sole USB-C port lol. Linux has to cater to people who won't even install third-party drivers.
folkrav@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 2y
Yup Steam Deck is a great example of Linux falling in end-users hands in the right way to drive adoption. The average person doesnât even have to care that it is indeed running on Linux.
Diplomjodler@feddit.de · 3 pts · 2y
There are other distros that require a lot less work to set up and maintain.
folkrav@lemmy.ca · -1 pts · 2y
Yeah, but that wasnât my point nor the one made by the person I was answering to. My point is, those users eventually hit the (inevitable) bump in the road, ask for help, get told by people like the person I was answering to that they have to RTFM or else they arenât real Linux users, so they go back to Windows.
Diplomjodler@feddit.de · 6 pts · 2y
I've been using Linux for a very long time and nothing of the sort has ever happened to me.
folkrav@lemmy.ca · -2 pts · 2y
I genuinely have a hard time believing you can both have been âusing Linux for a very long timeâ and never had to fix an issue lol. If youâve legitimately been using it for that long, youâre also probably the type to RTFM, so I probably wasnât talking about youâŚ
Diplomjodler@feddit.de · 3 pts · 2y
I've had to fix many issues but I've never had anyone be an ass about it. I've received plenty of friendly, helpful advice.
folkrav@lemmy.ca · -1 pts · 2y
If what you didnât see were examples of gatekeeping, read this very thread lol. But again, rather anecdotal. Spend some time talking to anyone trying the OS now and see their experience. Read threads made by newbies.
MotoAsh@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
folkrav@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2y
Feel free to point out where I was âoffendedâ. I thought this was merely a discussion, as these communities encourage to have.
As for what was actually said, even re-reading the comment I was answering to, your interpretation of what was said is still not what Iâm reading, at all. Quoting verbatim: âYou arenât a Linux user if you donât like to RTFMâ. How is this not gatekeeping? You use Linux, youâre a Linux user, thatâs all.
Diplomjodler@feddit.de · 4 pts · 2y
Or you could just Google stuff and then paste the commands into the console.
IsoSpandy@lemm.ee · 3 pts · 2y
The best thing about Linux is that it comes with a manual. Like literally type man and boom there it is. As a C developer it is like easy mode. I hate having to open a browser just to know what a basi command does
ryannathans@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 2y
Just wait till you find out about FreeBSD and its manual
zorro@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
The FreeBSD handbook was my first introduction into the world of *nix. Still an incredible resource even if haven't used bsd for a few years.
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
I actually found out and about and had to go through Guardian's manual before I started to poke at unix.
There was a whole wall of it too.
avidamoeba@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2y
It's a feature not a bug.
KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 2y
i like how this is literally just porn.
Strawberry@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 20 pts · 2y
Apparently it's not porn
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/forced-to-drink-milk
KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 0 pts · 2y
how much are we sure it's considered not porn because "haha funny"
robocall@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2y
giving a friend milk isn't pornographic
whereisk@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 2y
It's art (that makes you horny)
KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 2y
it is certainly erotic though.
robocall@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
not always
KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 2y
ah yes, notoriously undefined erotic art.
Cort@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 2y
Oh God, now they're stealing milk too?
KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 2y
listen man, i dont make the rules.
tacosplease@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
Me too, but maybe differently than you.
eatthecake@lemmy.world · -6 pts · 2y
I hate that this is in my supposedly nsfw free feed :(
KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 2y
i mean, it's technically not nsfw...
TheGingerNut@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 2y
That's not fair. I'm an arch user and the only time I'd set foot on a forum is to ask a question you won't find an answer to in the wiki, the subreddit, some weird defunct blog nobody has made a post on in 11 years or the source code. And I probably won't be answering any questions with RTFM or anything else for that matter.
possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 2y
What's the context? Never mind, I don't want to know
Strawberry@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 16 pts · 2y
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/forced-to-drink-milk
robocall@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
Me too, thanks
MonkderZweite@feddit.ch · 4 pts · 2y
Btw, someone wants to write about bluetooth? This area is lacking in Arch Wiki.
pressanykeynow@iusearchlinux.fyi · 1 pts · 2y
How is it lacking? https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Bluetooth
MonkderZweite@feddit.ch · 1 pts · 2y
bluetoothctl on boot, especially for bt-keyboards and Logitec mouse' with randomizing MAC.
randalthor17@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 2y
Arch is the reason I gained the patience to read documentation. I'm glad I did that, cause I can read docs while learning how to do programming without getting bored.
DarkSpectrum@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Not a Linux user but I approve this meme
takeheart@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
EmperorHenry@discuss.tchncs.de · 0 pts · 2y
amzd@kbin.social · 8 pts · 2y
Itâs not a video, the post was just this photo on Instagram. A friend of mine looked for it, sicko.
robocall@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
does your sicko friend know the IG account?
edit never mind I found it
Mandy@sh.itjust.works · -10 pts · 2y