Topic, created for the purpose of sharing potential ideas for spreading linux.
Here is one.
Buying cheap (possibly interesting looking) usb-stick’s in bulk and researching the controller first for reliable performance and installing one or more beginner-friendly distros on each one. Even install-on-bulk is possible. There are even packages to help do both. Examples: multibootusb, multisystem, gnome multiwriter.
Then be a good samaritan and share those usb-sticks with family, friends, neighboors, community etc. Possibly sharing them on the streets, markets, shops, schools, libraries, etc.
A example: Oh, i seemed to have dropped something and it’s all shiny-looking and stuff. No one wants to see what’s inside it? *Wink Wink *Hint *HInt
If possible, code or somehow get a self-installing beginner-friendly distro, hiding the fact that it is installing by replacing whats actually installing on the machine, with cool looking-non-scary positive-psychology looking pseudo terminal commands or something.
Stop Recommending Arch Linux
a) As a first distro with excessive documentation, you might think this is a great idea. It’s not. As someone that has been there, it is not. Beginners will get frustrated and turned off by the whole idea of ever using Linux.
b) Think about the benefits of Arch Linux, and apply that to other operating systems. Arch isn’t the only way to learn Linux or the right way. I’ve learned /etc/fstab without Arch. In fact, being familiar with Linux helped me troubleshoot when the Arch Linux wiki page failed me. It is not as good as you would think.
c) The user base is incredibly toxic. You might say that about every distro, but what other distro discourages watching videos or using other means besides the wiki. The response to majority of questions is spamming links to the wiki page.
Volunteer. My wife and I volunteer to teach kids Computer Science, Statistics, and Operations Management. We use Raspberry Pi, Lenovo, Dell, and HP computers with Linux operating systems to teach the kids. Early exposure works wonders. Why do designers prefer Apple? Is it because it’s better? No, it’s because that’s what they used at design school, and they are familiar with it. Teach kids to be productive with Linux at an early age, and they will adopt habits and behaviors that gets them through the later stages.
Be honest. I would love to be part of a Linux community that does not thrive on putting others down. I think I have found that at L1T, but I still see this ridiculous “Windows 10 is spyware”, among other misconceptions, thrown around with little to no factual evidence. Accept that Linux has limitations, especially when it comes to the desktop, and work around or work through those limitations together.
Go to your local library and tell/teach Linux to the Librarians, and see if that is something that they want on their computers. A lot of people still go to our town’s public library.
Get schools involved. What’s happening to the schools I live near, is that the schools are bringing technology into the classroom. Some schools are giving their students iPads, and others are allowing their students to bring in their laptops to school. And those schools that allow their students to bring their laptops to school, let students who don’t have a laptop, or don’t want to bring in their laptops, chromebooks. Realistically, one could just sell schools on the idea of chromebooks that are given out by the school. Because, who would feel comfortable with bringing their <$1000 laptop to school.
Stop insisting that Ubuntu is a distro for n00bs. It’s a friendly distro that actually a lot of veterans end up moving to because they don’t want to have to micro-manage the boring stuff.
Do not trick people into using Linux.
Do not re-skin Linux to look like Windows in order to “help the transition.” This will backfire on you.
Easiest thing to get people asking shit is get a lot of people in one space using some distro that doesn’t look like windows at all. I had a lot of questions in college because I was on base ubuntu and unity stood out.
I’d suggest rather that straight up switching, transition them into Linux by suggesting they use applications that run on Linux like libre Office, gimp, handbrake etc on Windows/Macos. Once they’ve mastered them, switch them to a user friendly distro ie Ubuntu, elementary, Solus that way, they already know how to use everything and only need to learn how to install/update stuff.
Worked for my brother.
While I think your intentions are noble, I don’t think the idea is of any consequence.
Linux adoption isn’t low because people don’t have access to it, it’s low because people don’t haven any interest in it for their needs. If they can do what they want to do with their computer - and for most people that’s browse facebook, watch youtube, and send emails - what they have is working well enough. By virtue of using facebook, they have no interest in privacy or security, because they want to consume media (youtube, netflix, etc) they perceive any technical impediment to be a pointless (and intentional) barrier to getting what they want - which is for it to just work without having to do anything. Hell, even email is too much for people to deal with, which is why they use facebook messenger, snapchat, kik, whatever. My sister goes multiple years without turning on her laptop. She uses the computer at work a little, but she has absolutely zero interest in the technology, and is only interested in the content and social interaction (with a minor side of information or shopping). And she’s the typical user. The Applel commercial of the [girl] riding her bike around and using her iPad and saying “what’s a computer?” is the future. That’s where we are going. And this short period over the last 15 years where technological competence being regarded as valuable is coming to an end.
People don’t pay for Windows. Microsoft have a monopoly on PCs, its installed on almost every PC or laptop you can buy. Its installed on every PC and laptop a normal user might buy. Linux is free as in cost doesn’t help when people aren’t paying in the first place for Windows.
Linux is pretty much a great OS for your every day user, realistically through the every day user is moving away from PC towards “managed” systems for lack of a better work. chromebooks, tablets, Ms surface devices etc.
Realistically… Im not sure theres a single large group you could target. Its probably down to individuals.
Tricking people is generally regarded as a bad move and WILL backfire on you. Don’t do it.
In the end, people have to be given a reason to switch. Most have no real incentive as long as what they are using works most of the time.
Linux had a slight chance when windows was riddled with serious viruses to the point the average user was hit with multiple malware repeatedly. Those days are all but gone under windows 10.
Mac may not be popular here, but they did have an easy to use alternative to windows, and running unix under allowed it to be as simple or as complex as many users want it to be. That said, Apple doesn’t have a clue or apparent interest in keeping Mac going in light of iOS devices sales numbers so Linux will likely get a few disaffected technically savvy Mac users such as myself to switch but our numbers aren’t terribly significant.
Unfortunately, Linux is still too difficult for the average user to administer. Easy to use on a daily basis? Perhaps if the user can find someone to set things up for them. The average user isn’t interested in knowing the history of Linux or how/why packages work and why finding software they want to run can be a nightmare in some cases. Why does some software not automatically update? Why does the package manager have so many out of date packages? Why do so many binary installers for programs not in the package manager require the command line to install and have so many broken dependencies to fix?
Average user doesn’t understand the philosophy, and inherent issues that has resulted in this situation. They will throw their hands up in frustration and walk away.
In the end, in order for Linux to gain any significant traction, it needs to provide a good alternative in user experience to the likes of Windows and MacOS. Unless you offer to be always on call tech support for all your non-tech savy friends, you simply can’t expect them to want to switch.
This makes me ask, why? Why should we try to spread Linux?
It seems to me Linux would have to undergo major changes to be usable by the average user. By the time it became useable by regular people we might as all be using MacBook Pros. They’d at least get better wifi driver support then.
I say keep the average luser and gamers out of Linux and keep it for what it is - an OS for the freaks, ultra computer geeks and hackers of the world.
I’d say save those who want to be saved rather than attempting to convert those who are already lost.
You want more people to use linux its simple give them plug and play for games, and other windows/mac based programs. Then start showing what magical distro you just made off touting its advanced features and offer proof that your new os isn’t beaming all its telemetry directly to big brother.
Hell I’d go complete over to some form of linux if I could get all of my games collection working without a nightmare effort, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
This is what I don’t get. Why?
You don’t have that for Windows. You don’t have it for Mac. Why does Linux need to work for everything that was never made for it?
Apple does perfectly fine not supporting windows programs.
What we need to do is come together more, support core platforms and support core applications and promote the right things.
Apple doesn’t swell Mac by saying IE works here in wine with tweaks. Why do we do the same?
I never try and convince people to use Linux becusee you can probably get something working in wine. I tell them to use it for the programs you can already get in Linux, the flexibility, and the gaming that is available.
It’s easier these days as a lot of people are literally only using their laptops for facebook, youtube and the odd email.
I installed Linux Mint for my mum and she didn’t even notice the difference. I guess firefox is half of the operating system these days and as the start menu functioned more or less the same, no issues at all.
Plus, she has very few issues now with malware and such, which was a big issue before.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that most Linux distros are just not technically good enough to be widely adopted.
They’re not reliable enough, not foolproof enough, buggier, harder to develop for (as evidenced by less software being available for Linux).
I don’t think Linux is in short supply of evangelism, what it needs is more development, more reliable development, more testing and qa, more product focus and more individuals and organizations developing products with “skin in the game”…and then, users will go where users go.
Basicly the average user does not know (or want to know ) the difference between the GUI and the OS , if they can consume their favorite content, use their social apps, than they are happy.
doing work with computers is a job related thing , period.
The spare time they have is filled with consuming content without thought.
You cannot chance that by promoting only a OS, you need to have a allround package that allows them to consume without thinking,
At this moment the people that want to think for them selfs stay away form this kind of package and use their favorite linux (OS) distro and are trying to build community’s instead of joining a herd of consumers.
For me its a matter of choice: because we can, we do
those who can’t are stuck with what is dominating the marketplace.
We can help them “survive” but we cannot change them
Almost all distros are not good enough and just shouldn’t be suggested.
The big problem is the manopoly. Give someone a machine with Linux installed and my experience as well has been that they don’t really have any issues.
There isn’t a one size fits all way to do it, but there are things that can make it easier.
My 8 year old daughter and 10 year old nephew both use Ubuntu MATE. Both run it just fine, no problems and even come home from school and do what they were taught in O365 in Libre Office. There are no complexity problems to bar new users.
Both have on occasion asked if they can switch to Windows. There are some games they want to play via Steam that are not on Linux. This is the same for adult users, sooner or later they will likely want something that is only available on Windows and consider WINE too much trouble…
I’d rather spread ideas about FLOSS than specifically about Linux. You can still be a Windows user and benefit from FLOSS. I know of some people who use Windows and FLOSS exclusively. They have no interest in switching to Linux and past helping them disable annoying W10 features I have little interest in trying to get them to switch.
P.S. In case no one else called it; handing out USB sticks to strangers is IMO a bad idea. Distributing USB sticks loaded with Malware is a known trick. We should avoid encouraging bad security practices.
Truth. I really wish everyone shared this perspective. There are some platforms where I’ve not admitted to having a Windows box or developing on Windows due to the hostility involved.
I know several people that develop open source software and develop for Linux on Windows. If you’re comfortable and effecient, I don’t see the issue.
Hell, Richard Campbell has several Microsoft and .NET centric podcasts, and he’s a valuable contributer to the open source community. Same with Microsoft, they’ve contributed a lot to the Linux kernel.