Current efforts focus on enhancing Linux for everyday use through improved performance and broader accessibility.
Current efforts focus on enhancing Linux for everyday use through improved performance and broader accessibility.
I understand many people rely on Linux every day. For me, the situation is different because there are simply too many programs that don’t run well. A lot of games—especially those not from Steam—don’t work at all. I’m not using Adobe anymore; I prefer Affinity instead. Tools like Inkscape, Gimp, Libreoffice, and countless others just don’t meet my requirements on Linux. Still, I’m attracted to it for several reasons. I dislike Windows’ strictness and the confusing mix of 16 operating systems. The interface looks poor in many ways compared to alternatives like Mint, Elementary OS, or even macOS. While progress is being made in gaming, I wonder when productivity tools will become reliable and well-developed for Linux beyond programming and tech niches.
You seem comfortable with Linux but face challenges adapting. Experience varies widely—most prefer Windows or MacOS. I don’t have a clear solution for everyone, especially outside the Steam community. For me, LightRoom is essential and can’t be replaced.
LR has existed for a very long time, and it's hard to find a better alternative, which is really disappointing.
It really comes down to what you need. On Windows there wasn’t a lot of specialized tools, but I found it easier to switch to free options like GIMP. The biggest change was moving from Paintshop Pro to GIMP, and I tried to stick with open-source software as much as possible so the transition felt smoother. Now I mostly use Linux for my work, though I still have Windows setups for gaming and AI tasks. My mom still runs Paintshop Pro 7 on Linux using WINE, which works just fine because it’s an older version. It’s frustrating to say all Linux programs are poor quality, but many people on Windows are used to how tailored commercial software is and aren’t ready to adapt. I don’t think Linux will get more mainstream support soon, unless customers actually want it. Vendors need big enough users to justify their efforts, but if people stay stuck with outdated tools because of pressure from companies, it’s hard for developers to improve things. What matters is whether someone is willing to try something new instead of sticking with what they know.
Big companies often decide to back Linux when they see profit potential. In the last decade it has grown threefold (from around 1% to about 3%) and continues to climb. Yet 3% falls short compared to macOS at roughly 15%. Still, the shift toward subscription models and remote access could benefit Linux in some ways. I've tested Gimp several times but it often caused issues. For my needs Krita works well. LibreOffice meets my requirements, though I find complaints about bugs confusing. Many "advanced" users seem to be a thing of the past. I don’t rely on Excel for database tasks or import complex 3D models and animations into presentations. I can’t discuss Inkscape versus AI since I barely use either. I run Linux for all work-related tasks, while Windows handles gaming. This setup gives me a clean divide between professional and leisure activities.
Linux Mint, Cinnamon desktop, I've been using it for about ten years. My partner, who runs a business and handles many tasks, has used it since 2018 after MS wiped her computer. People who struggled with Windows can easily succeed on Linux. How and what to teach? It might take at least five minutes, mainly by comparing actions and showing how to proceed similarly after the initial steps. The "issue" with Linux is that it's dependable, logical, and straightforward to use. There are around 50 people on my list of installations.
I believe hardware support has remained solid for some time, with the exception of GPUs. Since I rarely install out-of-the-box, the initial setup can feel a bit unstable, especially with NVIDIA. However, I've grown accustomed to troubleshooting during major updates, and it seems Windows is now less prone to issues compared to previous versions. The shift from Xorg to Wayland for display management has been challenging, but things look promising now that we might finally resolve those problems. Many obstacles I face stem from everyday users rather than tech enthusiasts. For instance, my mother struggles more with PC use overall—not just with Linux. I think the transition difficulties often arise because many distros default to Gnome, whereas KDE is significantly easier to adopt from Windows. In fact, I find Windows 11 quite frustrating to operate, and MacOS feels completely off the mark for me.