I agree. I am forced to use dockers with Unraid and I really don’t like them. For me, the benefits are very limited compared to the extra hassle. I think they have become so popular on Linux because they sidestep so many issues related to distro fragmentation. This is yet another example of how the “freedom” of Linux prevents long term innovation and general OS improvements. Especially in terms of UX.

You highlight the issue: Linux users like it to be fragmented. So unless Valve forces consolidation, it will stay a mess, and it will continue to repel average users. If that’s what we want, cool. Let’s just stop calling every year the year of Linux, because that will never be the case.

Now all we’re missing is the universal enforcement piece, which I think is non-trivial. It might take off organically but as per my example above, I’m not hopeful.

Especially because most users respond to this with “good.”

good.

Your comedic timing is impeccable.

The way I see it the biggest fragmentation is just users expecting things to work like windows, ie navigating to a website, downloading the software and running it.

Usually Linux users just search their package repo. If you want more bleeding edge software, youre expected to understand Debian/Ubuntu repos probably aren’t the place to go.

Like it or not, most users expect to be able to go to a website, download software, and click it to install. It is objectively more intuitive than using a command line, or having users go somewhere else to install software. I don’t see the sense in fighting against user preferences. Embrace it. Offer it. Give the users what they want. That’s how we grow Linux. There is no reason that “bleeding edge” software needs to be complicated to install and use.

Yeah that’s just radarr devs not actually packaging the thing.

It’s not about blame. From a user’s perspective, it doesn’t matter who is to blame. The bottom line is that Linux is harder to use in a lot of scenarios. Torvalds was right: it’s going to take Valve to statically link everything and force developers to use the same libraries. Then it’s trivially easy for devs to maintain a .elf distribution which can be executed across all Valve-compliant Linux distros.

IMHO, the UX is bad, but the user base is also repellant. It’s further left than Reddit so most people who jump in bounce right off. That’s going to be difficult to change organically. Especially because most users respond to this with “good.” So there’s definitely no appetite to appeal to a wider audience. I predict Lemmy will become increasingly ideologically partisan and isolated.

I agree with Linus Torvalds. Linux is too fragmented. This makes consistent software deployment and support expensive and far too varied. Maintaining documentation alone requires an unlimited number of distros. From a user’s perspective, I really think Linux needs a universal install method like .exe. No user should ever need to use the CLI install software, no matter their distribution. Radarr, for example, is a very popular home media server application. It is one-click install on Windows. It is fucked on Linux.

I had hoped your question would yield some informative responses because as a normie I am struggling to find a more centrist space here. Every community from technology to memes is wall to wall “DEA TRUMP HITLER!?” I get it, I don’t like him, but surely there are other things to discuss besides that? The users are obsessed with American politics and as a non-American it’s exhausting and I think a little pathetic. Do they have nothing else going on in their lives?

The responses confirmed that the users don’t want opposing opinion and instead really, REALLY want an echo chamber. Message received.

I tried it and the owner calls himself “Deimos” (god) and acts like it. He bans people for any and no reason, including disagreeing with him. I ended up being banned for having an opinion about something he disagreed with.