Fact of the matter is the most successful Linux devices are the ones that you don’t need to know Linux to use. Chromebooks and steam decks are popular because they don’t need tinkered with. You can if you want, but the average person can just use it.
savvywolf@pawb.social 7 months ago
People will do anything to avoid installing “linux”…
vanderbilt@beehaw.org 7 months ago
averyminya@beehaw.org 7 months ago
The Steam Deck is the first Linux machine that hasn’t killed itself on me or given me hiccups during basic installations of things.
The only thing the Steam Deck hasn’t “just worked” for me for is Rocksmith.
Again, the Steam Deck is the only Linux machine that I’ve had that just works and does not make me want to tear my hair out.
When Linux accomplishes that it will be more popular. Until then, it feels like trying to play whackamole with fixes and solutions to things that should just work in the first place.
savvywolf@pawb.social 7 months ago
Yeah, the fact that it just works and comes with the hardware is good.
However I think the article is suggesting a world where gamers go and install SteamOS as a regular distro. I think that’s going to be a lot harder and more error prone than just installing Mint and putting Steam on it.
Railcar8095@lemm.ee 7 months ago
The thing is valve is doing a ton of extra stuff. Game mode by default, for example. Mint won’t do that, or at least not to the same extend/speed. If your primary use is gaming, there’s value in a gaming focused distro. You can still do many other things with it anyway.
gnuplusmatt@reddthat.com 7 months ago
I’d argue it hasn’t imploded on you because it’s immutable. You’d have a similar rock solid experience on any of the immutable Fedora releases (Silverblue, Kinoite etc) or some of the other immutable distros
averyminya@beehaw.org 7 months ago
That’s fair, although it could go further with how an immutable distro isn’t as effective for some of the desired uses - in the case of the Steam Deck it’s designed to do what it does and it does it. Other Linux installs are retroactively configured by the user, where whether it’s a regular computer for grandma or a server for a homelab will net you wildly different results of what distro you choose.
While it’s nice having options, it doesn’t make things easier for new users when searching. Having a hundred ways to solve a problem just makes the problem more annoying to solve (inb4 rtfm)
Also, I just remembered I lied. There’s one other Linux install I’ve never had issues with which was Tails, though to your point can be operated as immutable though mine wasn’t.
pineapplelover@lemm.ee 7 months ago
Yeah as much as I love Linux, it’s much more tuned for tinkerers, developers, and techies because everything is rtfm and troubleshooting yourself. After the initial setup process though, you would have gained enough knowledge to fix a lot of things if it ever is broken.
averyminya@beehaw.org 7 months ago
I agree to an extent regarding the last sentence, things like networking make that a whole can of worms to itself!
Zoboomafoo@lemmy.world 7 months ago
I just spent 2 hours trying and failing to get a Hello, World! in Eclipse, I’m not brave enough for Linux
neeeeDanke@feddit.de 7 months ago
Depending on what you want to do the one does not imply the other. (And some times coding actually is easier on Linux, I had a way better experience compiling my c++ projects there then my friend had on windows)
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 7 months ago
It’s easy to compile things in Windows! First, set up WSL …
woelkchen@lemmy.world 7 months ago
It’s easy to compile things in Windows! First, set up WSL …
Yep,
echo “Hello World!”works just as well in WSL as under native Linux.
netchami@sh.itjust.works 7 months ago
That’s why they called it “SteamOS”, not “Steam Linux”