Re:How Not to Support Desktop GNU+Linux, Zoom Edition
by acomjean on Friday January 21, 2022 @04:33PM
(#30030280)
I'll agree that your argument that making linux apps easier to write deploy is a good goal. Its not an easy thing when you have a bunch of different windowing libraries (GTK, QT..) a whole host of desktops, multiple distribution channels (flatpack, snap, apt-get...) ususally computing platforms converge on something common, but I haven't seen it in linux. I wonder if I was writing a application for linux, where would I start?
It is a little of chicken and egg problem. Not a lot of users on linux, so not worth writing software for it. Users see there is not a lot of software and might go somewhere else. But there is enough. And most of it is a little buggy and free. Some of the applications are just great (blender, kritta). The core OS is rock solid though.
I've been using it as my home desktop and honestly linux on the desktop is pretty great.
My argument was about how hard it's to develop and support software for Linux. Not about the users. You have to admit that Linux (due to its fragmentation) is a nightmare to support. And it has a very small users base to justify putting the effort to support all Linux distros and all desktop environments and hardware configurations and Wayland and Xorg ...etc.
I like Linux, and I wish I could use it all the time. But to be honest, it's more work than what I'm willing to do.