Linux for the masses - is it feasible?

[Brian_G]

Why would you fail? Unless you have a 2009 netbook with an Atom processor or a 32bit processor, you will find something that will work for you.

If you have hardware older than 10 years, throw it away or mount on a shelf as retro collection.

Not talking about me in large part. The topic is mass use, like in Africa. Many can't afford anything modern. Isn't that what Ubuntu was made for?...

 

[C4Cat]

Most of the time a modern Linux dist like Ubuntu is painless and easy to install. Things go smoothly and all is well. I very seldom have had issues. However, I agree that if something does go wrong it can be super difficult to figure out how to fix it.

 

[KleinBoontjie]

Not talking about me in large part. The topic is mass use, like in Africa. Many can't afford anything modern. Isn't that what Ubuntu was made for?...

I still won't blame any OS for it. Everything got really complex and huge the last few years and old hardware just isn't cut out for the complexity. Everything from websites to video encoding has got huge and complex.
Example, I can install quite a few OS's on my Lenovo S10 netbook, they run fine....as long as I don't do anything. Run Plex, the movies stutter. Opens a website, but too slow to process (you know everything need to load one webpage, cookies, trackers, pictures, videos, etc) and not viable. Take it back a few years, this laptop could do a lot.

 

[Brian_G]

Most of the time a modern Linux dist like Ubuntu is painless and easy to install. Things go smoothly and all is well. I very seldom have had issues. However, I agree that if something does go wrong it can be super difficult to figure out how to fix it.

That probably sums it up best.

I would think that older s/w causing issues, when it does, is the chief concern for a "cheap-solution user" so am now wondering why more attention to older fixes don't appear in modern upgrades.

I still won't blame any OS for it. Everything got really complex and huge the last few years and old hardware just isn't cut out for the complexity. Everything from websites to video encoding has got huge and complex.
Example, I can install quite a few OS's on my Lenovo S10 netbook, they run fine....as long as I don't do anything. Run Plex, the movies stutter. Opens a website, but too slow to process (you know everything need to load one webpage, cookies, trackers, pictures, videos, etc) and not viable. Take it back a few years, this laptop could do a lot.

Agreed. However, my experience is with a very basic PC setup - not much demand and so far little 3rd party s/w needed.

 

[backstreetboy]

Not sure how you can go wrong with Ubuntu. Its really simple to setup, use and update. I havent got any errors updating since I did my install.

I was pretty impressed with my pi`s version of debian. I have an install that I had not updated in a year (device was not used in that time), updated it, expecting something to break.... and it didnt. Well done to that team.

Running mine as a general desktop and media centre and sometimes there're updates that can break things like last year an update broke video playback and an update that broke bluetooth as well. Overall it's a great experience though.

 

[HavocXphere]

I personally find it a little tedious on desktop too.

For servers it's the other way round. Can't imagine ever running a windows server (even though I have licenses). Linux just seems plain superior in that regard.

Solution for me is vscode SSH remote extension. Work on windows PC but all the programming, thinking & dev'ing happens in a *nix VM on the homeserver. And thankfully that extension makes that process transparent

I also don't feel motivated to attempt a switch to Desktop *nix thanks to the 720p netflix restriction on *nix.

 

[netstrider]

Only read the initial post.

Linux is not for everyone. Not sure where the OP got the idea that it is.

Brilliant OS for people than can make use of it. Useless for people expecting it to behave like Windows.

 

[Brian_G]

Only read the initial post.

Linux is not for everyone. Not sure where the OP got the idea that it is.

Brilliant OS for people than can make use of it. Useless for people expecting it to behave like Windows.

Ubuntu was said by Safrica's Mark Shuttleworth to be made to help the masses. Here's a few quotes via googling (ignore the first one);

Google Search

 

[InvisibleJim]

Ubuntu was said by Safrica's Mark Shuttleworth to be made to help the masses. Here's a few quotes via googling (ignore the first one);

Google Search

To be fair, that was quite a few years ago and Canonical have made a couple of strategy changes since then (Ubuntu on the server, the desktop and the phone anyone?) In recent years, they have had most success on the server side and in the cloud and also have some pretty cool projects in that respect(MAAS, Microk8s, Juju, Multipass etc.) and they've collaborated a lot with the new fluffy Linux loving Microsoft on WSL and a lot of stuff in Azure.

I have to say that over the years I haven't had many difficulties adjusting to Linux desktops including Ubuntu. Occasional driver issues back in the day but not for a long time. Is it really that much different from moving from Windows 7 to 10 or from Windows to Mac?

That said, if you have very old hardware maybe Xubuntu or another lightweight distro would be more geared to that use case than the main Ubuntu release?

 

[Brian_G]

To be fair, that was quite a few years ago and Canonical have made a couple of strategy changes since then (Ubuntu on the server, the desktop and the phone anyone?) In recent years...

/snip

Thanks, that's what I started the thread to find out.
I'm surprised, they should have at least kept some sort of very-basic version going for their original goal. Unless there was little success in getting Africa to use it?

Thanks all, some great advice here as well

/done (?)

 

[Johnatan56]

/snip

Thanks, that's what I started the thread to find out.
I'm surprised, they should have at least kept some sort of very-basic version going for their original goal. Unless there was little success in getting Africa to use it?

Thanks all, some great advice here as well

/done (?)

Originally when it came out there wasn't any distro that really targeted common users, now there are tons for different use cases.

I'm happy they dropped the super low end devices as there is certain polish you'd want from modern OS that they would not be able to do, and a vast majority of devices from the last 10 years would be able to run Ubuntu.

That 2013 statement you have of Ubuntu was originally made pre smartphones, before you could use phones to access the internet and learn that way, so it does kind of impact their mission statement.

And nowadays if I need/want to introduce someone to Linux, a majority of the time I get them to run Linux Mint.

 

[Brian_G]

Originally when it came out there wasn't any distro that really targeted common users, now there are tons for different use cases.

I'm happy they dropped the super low end devices as there is certain polish you'd want from modern OS that they would not be able to do, and a vast majority of devices from the last 10 years would be able to run Ubuntu.

That 2013 statement you have of Ubuntu was originally made pre smartphones, before you could use phones to access the internet and learn that way, so it does kind of impact their mission statement.

And nowadays if I need/want to introduce someone to Linux, a majority of the time I get them to run Linux Mint.

Right, getting the picture now. So my timing with an older PC and the ancient (buggy?) Zorin distro for starters is really all my negative surprise was about in the end. I guess with the price of cheap smartphones now it really isn't an issue anymore.

 

[rambo919]

The speed is what has me hooked now, it's fantastic!
Personally I'm really not unhappy, now anyway, only going to redo when it looks worthwhile as my 18 LTS is stable and great.

This unit will handle XP, maybe Win 7, but not going back to that

Installed LM 19.3 on a similar machine fro my parents to use as a media pc. It could barely handle the win7 that was on it but now it flies.

For the masses linux desktop is a disaster but if you stick to use cases where you don't do much.... it's fine. One of the main problems is that the devs try to do WAY too much without completely polishing everything and idiot proofing anything. And then there's arch where no matter what you do eventually the OS seems to spontaneously fall apart..... unless you are a genius of some sort apparently only super heroes use arch.

EDIT: full disclosure running LM 20.1 on main PC for now as chief OS..... later in the year I will probably switch back to windows again when it just becomes WAY too much work to get stuff done and I have to focus on real life again.

 

[TonySS]

I have been using Mint for years now - it's quite a friendly build if you're new to the Linux ecosystem. Ubuntu is full of security holes so that's definetly a no-go.

 

[Brian_G]

I have been using Mint for years now - it's quite a friendly build if you're new to the Linux ecosystem. Ubuntu is full of security holes so that's definetly a no-go.

Based on the thread if I need to change it will probably be to Bodhi, else Xubuntu.

Thought security is too small a concern generally with Linux, not enough target for blackhats. Has that changed too??

 

[Brian_G]

Installed LM 19.3 on a similar machine fro my parents to use as a media pc. It could barely handle the win7 that was on it but now it flies.

I didn't try go for Ubuntu's 19 as it's temporary, think I read it was just meant as a bridge until 20 was ready (which then goes beyond X86 processors).

EDIT: If it is going to receive support long term I might try find it, but it isn't automatically offered.

 

[Brian_G]

EDIT: If it is going to receive support long term I might try find it, but it isn't automatically offered.

Ubuntu 19.04 Has Reached End of Life! Existing Users Must Upgrade to Ubuntu 19.10

Brief: Ubuntu 19.04 has reached the end of life on 23rd January 2020. This means that systems running Ubuntu 19.04 won’t receive security and maintenance updates anymore and thus leaving them vulnerable. Ubuntu 19.04 was released on 18th April, 2019. Since it was not a long

itsfoss.com

 

[Johnatan56]

I didn't try go for Ubuntu's 19 as it's temporary, think I read it was just meant as a bridge until 20 was ready (which then goes beyond X86 processors).

EDIT: If it is going to receive support long term I might try find it, but it isn't automatically offered.

You need to stop using the term X86, for most that includes X86-64, just say 32bit.

 

[rambo919]

I didn't try go for Ubuntu's 19 as it's temporary, think I read it was just meant as a bridge until 20 was ready (which then goes beyond X86 processors).

EDIT: If it is going to receive support long term I might try find it, but it isn't automatically offered.

LM 19.3 is still supported till 2023 at least. MX Linux still does 32 bit distros but I just don't think they are quite there yet all things considered, lots of polishing in pulling everything together to still be done but they probably will get that done in a few years.

 

[ponder]

Manjaro (another awesome version of Linux), is not that forgiving.

Most distros based on Arch are not that forgiving but I reckon it gets worse with Manjaro that uses their own repos. I have no hate towards manjaro, I was a alpha/beta tester back in the day with direct feedback to roland singer, awesome community and used the distro for a few years. I still think pure arch is more stable & it's still my favourite distro after 16 odd years of using linux.