[sf-lug] Linux Distros and a Disappointing EOY Reflection of Same

[Bobbie Sellers]

On 12/30/20 11:04 AM, aaronco36 wrote:
> Quoting Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever at dslextreme.com> from [1]: 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> ... I have been putting a lot of energy into the PCLinux Forum an 
> excellent place to deal with multiple problems and to try to help
> solve them.
>
> manjaro-kde-20.2-201203-linux59.iso
> very annoyingly I have not been able to get the checksums on this file.
> I confirmed that they are well hidden this AM.
>
> The following files have been check-summed.
>
> MX-19.3_x64.iso
> MX-19.3_KDE_x64.iso
>
> GeckoLinux_NEXT_Plasma.x86_64-152.201210.0.iso
>
> rescuezilla-2.1-64bit.groovy.iso
>
> NuTyX_x86_64-20.12.0-KDE.iso
>
> gparted-live-1.1.0-8-amd64.iso
>
> 4MLinux-35.0-64bit.iso
>
> q4os-3.12-x64.r5.iso
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Somewhat related to newly-available distro downloads such as the 
> above, the prolific "Linux geek by profession" Igor Ljubuncic's 
> website 'Dedoimedo'[2] has a more general section covering "everything 
> Linux" with "extensive, step-by-step tutorials on how to install and 
> setup Linux distributions in multi-boot environments, as well as 
> reviews of said distributions tested on real, physical hardware" at 
> [3]. Unfortunately, Dedoimedo hasn't covered at all Bobbie S's 
> favorite distribution, PCLinuxOS, during the last year, and PCLinuxOS 
> has barely reached the Top 20 in DistroWatch-measured popularity over 
> the same time-period (see [4]) :-(
>
>
> OTOH, it seems that Dedoimedo hasn't been very much satisfied at all 
> with *most* things Linux over this past year 2020 as well, as his 
> article from 2 1/2 months ago 'The Year of the Linux dissatisfaction' 
> [5] poignantly reveals.


He is not using PCLinuxOS 64 wth KDE's Plasma 5.
Thus unhappiness arises,

>
> Fully quoting Dedoimedo's quite-revealing Conclusion from [5]:
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> My approach to software has always been product-driven, which in turn 
> is needs-driven. I have had expectations and hope for the Linux 
> desktop for many years, and so far, they remain unrealized. 
> Alarmingly, the gap between reality and dream is getting bigger, hence 
> my growing disappointment and negativity. If only things stayed like 
> they were in 2015. But things are worse now actually, because the 
> competition is moving forward.
>
> You could say I'm just ranting. Well, the market share numbers prove 
> me right. The Linux desktop has not dented the Windows share in any 
> meaningful way - and what it did is 90% all because of just one 
> distro, you know which one. Well, physics tell us - if you don't 
> invest energy into a stable system, it will not change. The distros 
> have not done enough to address the glaring functionality issues that 
> prevent wider adoption among Windows folks. There is no reason then 
> why Linux desktop ought to flourish.
>
> There's great fatigue in the Linux desktop world. It's not just me. 
> Check the existing publications, check the online magazines (those 
> that still survive). Check the popularity, the engagement, whatever 
> you like. Even nerds are finding new areas to be excited about. I 
> guess I should blame myself for being naive and idealistic and 
> believing (not too zealously of course, just pragmatically enough), 
> but hey. I learned.
>
> Just like distro developers want to have fun, I want to have fun. And 
> that means not reviewing software that does not make me happy. I will 
> still keep testing Linux distros - so don't misquote me on that - but 
> I will do it not just by focusing on average user needs, stability and 
> consistency, I will also focus on my own fun. A brand new parameter in 
> the equation! Maybe one day, the Linux desktop will rise again. Till 
> then, I will conserve my happy mana. And curtain.
>
> Cheers.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> -Aaron
>
>
> ========================
> REFERENCES
> ========================
> [1]http://linuxmafia.com/pipermail/sf-lug/2020q4/015110.html
> [2]https://www.dedoimedo.com/about.html
> [3]https://www.dedoimedo.com/linux.html
> [4]https://distrowatch.com/index.php?dataspan=52
> [5]https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-year-of-dissatisfaction.html
> ========================
>
>
> aaronco36 at sdf.org
>

I buy digital copies of Linux Pro magazine and everyone seems content 
with Linux.
For every dying online publication a new one arises much like Hydra when 
one head
was removed another grew

If GNU/Linux/KDE/Mate/et all bothered to buy large advertisements to 
push product
he might have a different viewpoint.

As for myself my fatigue is related to age and condition and has little 
to do with Linux
or its multiple associated developements.   He might know too much and 
thus has no
need for the sort of conversations we have on PCLinux forums.  On the 
other hand
the need to update frequently must be a chore for someone feeling Linux 
fatigue.
It does not bother me at all though I must say I have fallen behind on 
my third
machine.

I have never claimed to expertise with Linux except in certain limited 
areas thus I
do not know "too much" and am satisfied with my system since it does what I
need it to do.  By the way presently at Linux kernel 5.9.16.  5.10.x is 
being
worked on since it gave the developers problems on their test machines.

later
Bobbie Sellers - “Nearly any fool can use a computer. Many do.” After 
all here I am again...