Happy wife, happy life
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This is an often overlooked liability. Last time I checked (summer 2023) the distribution charts listed around 300 choices. But realistically, who is going to evaluate more than 3 or 4 distributions? As for hardware companies bundling, I know of only four PC makers that sell PCs with Linux installed, and those 4 support only what they bundle: Red Hat (1), Pop!_OS (1), or Ubuntu (2).
After 46 years of business experience and 16 years in the Linux trenches, I am convinced that three distros can meet 85% - 95% of the PC OS needs of businesses.
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MINT This Ubuntu derivative offers the easiest and fastest installation and configuration. Mint provides a relatively easy transition from the Windows world, is rock solid, and includes three desktop environments. Mint is generally the best choice for a new Linux user and for non-technical users (professional, sales/marketing, clerical, and so on).
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OPENSUSE TUMBLEWEED This is the open source spin of Germany’s favorite Linux distro. As a rolling release, it offers automatically updated functionality and bug fixes. In addition to the main 3 desktop environments (DE),Tumbleweed include 6 secondary choices for other DE preferences. This distro can install software from DEB, RPM, and TGZ packages as well as its YAST installer or DISCOVER installer (both GUI). Tumbleweed is best suited for technical users: engineers, analysts, IT consulting, in-house support / training, etc.)
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ARCH Arch is at once the most powerful, customizable, and challenging. Someone once described Arch as best suited for IT pros who dream in binary and speak in hex. High levels of patience and persistence are pluses in the Arch world. There are about 2-1/2 dozen spins of Arch Linux, of which BigLinux and Manjaro are least likely to provide unpleasant surprises to the users.
So how do we get the word out? First, let’s start with a don’t. Don’t ever VOLUNTEER that, “There are hundreds of Linux distros and one will be a perfect fit for you.” Instead, arrange a free 40 minute demo and Q&A session for a trade or professional association such as Project Managers Association, Restaurant Owners Association, Sales and Marketing Executives, Chamber of Commerce, Jaycees, Real Estate or Insurance offices, Tourism office, etc.
- You can find out about these groups from your local business newspaper or library
- The groups’ officers seek speakers for their group breakfasts, dinners, or meetings
- At the event have a 5-minute intro: who you are, what you do, why you’re there
- Explain you’re NOT selling them anything; just to demo Linux & answer questions
- Prepare 30 questions (and answers!) well in advance (7 days?) of your presentation.
- Be able to answer every one of those questions from Windows users . . .off the cuff
- Demo Linux from a laptop you know to a screen large enough for all to see (20 mins.)
- Emphasize the Linux benefits: faster, easier, more stable, more secure, more intuitive, etc.
- The last 15 minutes is for Q & A and to let them know how to reach you after the meeting if they have additional questions or want more information about Windows–Linux comparisons
That’s how to get the word out…a few dozen at a time.
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It can be a strength, but not in the scene you are addressing.
Your 3 distros choice is interesting. Especially that 2 of the 3 are rolling release.
Given that new users have difficulty with installs, rolling release is not a bad idea.
I think there would be other sets of 3 distros that would meet your criteria.
Live demos. I used to do them in the scientific world. They come with unexpected
gliches… we used to combat that with redundant extra support.
I do think what you are suggesting has a better chance of success than trying to get the stores to plug linux computers. Your groups will generate demand. Demand will drive the suppliers.
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I think I have found the solution:
Desktop Linux is lacking a “why”. Why are the maintainers of the various desktop Linux distributions creating those distributions? What are they trying to achieve?
Answering this question will give us the key to who we should market which distributions.
Microsoft got so big because their “why” was “enable everyone to use computers”. This resulted in them aiming for the desktop with (then) cheap, affordable software specifically tailored for the end-user desktop which ran on basically any computer. The result was what Microsoft wanted: a computer on every desktop. This is also why they are a dominating player on the desktop: they know who they want to reach: the desktop user. In the past every single of their actions was geared towards that.
Linux’ (the kernel) why is also obvious: “to conquer the world.” Well, it has pretty much done so. It’s the dominating player in pretty much every computer market, except for desktop.
If we want desktop Linux to be successful, the various distributions need a “why”. The “how” we already know, the “what” is also known.
Desktop Linux distributions mostly consist of a bunch of core maintainers with more package maintainers and a community. In general, when you look on the website of the various desktop Linux distributions, you’ll notice they all focus on what the users can achieve with those distributions. All those actions can be achieved with Windows, and Windows comes, 9 times out of 10, preinstalled on people’s computers, so WHY would they switch to Linux?
If, however, the Linux distributions start acting from a “why”, then the “how” follows shortly afterwards, resulting in a “what”.
Desktop Linux could, for example adapt the following:
- Why: Because we care about our freedom and privacy.
- How: Enable users to check as much software in the distribution as possible, to see what it does.
- What: Package as much open source software as possible. But also package software which helps with freedom and privacy, load the browser with freedom and privacy respecting links, etc.
An ad for Linux Mint could, for example, read (with the appropriate amount of art to make it jump out):
Because we care about your freedom and privacy (why), we have made an operating system of which you can check every component yourself (how), and made sure to provide you with as much programs we could find which respect your values (what).
This will result in the crowd you want to adopt it, adopting it. The crowd who will adopt it early are those in the “why” part of our ad. They’ll warm their friends to the idea of using Linux Mint, telling them it respects their freedom and privacy. They will also stick around, because they have been warmed to an idea, not a product.
However, for the distributions it’s important to implement their whys in their organization as well. A leader is usually the one carrying the “why.” If he manages to convince those directly around him of the importance of the “why”, they’ll do everything in their power to implement it (the “how”). If people are excited enough about the “why”, more people will come to maintain software, with the “why” in the back of their head. After all, they weren’t attracted to the “what” but the “why.”
Don’t believe me? Compare the websites of the various desktop Linux distributions with the one of Windows. The desktop distributions all concentrate on the “what”. The “what” part is logical, not emotional. The web-page about Windows is all about emotion. Windows 11 “helps” you, make your daily life “easier”. By putting that on their website, they’re implying Windows 11 is your friend, and there’s the emotional connection.
The ad should not focus on saying why the competition is bad, the ad should focus on WHY people should want desktop Linux and the hordes will come.
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Can we get a list of “Linux why emotions”?
Do they vary between distros?
Before starting a new thread, it may be worth noting on this one that ‘normal’ support for Windows 10 will almost certainly cease on 14 October 2025. If an advertising campaign for Linux doesn’t succeed, hundreds of millions of computers made before 2019 will be wantonly destroyed, in some cases with peripherals such as printers.
Many paid-for applications are available (often only) online, so that in principle any OS can be used. We might ask in that context of forced obsolescence why printer and scanner drivers for Linux tend to be unavailable, difficult to install, or crippled with respect to the Windows and Mac equivalents.
Those of us on the non-commercial redistribution circuit are delivering renovated computers dating from 2009 (when Windows 7 was introduced) or earlier. Most of those that were sold with Win 7 happily run Win 10.
Lets assume some people do move to Linux.
There will still be millions of unwanted computers. Is there not some organisation that can refurbish them with Linux
and donate them to third world countries?
That would effectively lock many new users into Linux.
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No one wants them, not even third world countries!!!
What, has the whole world been conditioned to want only
the latest hardware, even when 10-15 year old computers will do everything they need?
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No, the world is taught to want and use and throw away!!! You and I were taught to fix and keep!!!
Sad but true.
But I am reaching the end of my patience with the Honda mower. I think it might have a stuck valve… doesnt seem to
suck fuel from carby into cylinder.
Maybe relent and get a newer trouble free edition. Maybe consider electric .
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Could just be trash in the fuel filter or carb, there is sometimes a fuel filter inside the gas tank
That is scary!!!
“…and donate them to third world countries?”
There are plenty of organisations, but many of them distribute only or also in their self-styled first world countries, where huge numbers of people can’t afford the means to lead a life where every contact one has with officialdom is online only. I only know about France, but here are some links:
https://emmabuntus.org/ ; multilingual site, has its own Debian distro
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/societe/education/numerique-a-l-ecole/dans-le-var-des-ordinateurs-recycles-par-des-eleves-pour-reduire-la-fracture-numerique_5417173.html ; report on television of big intiative started by schoolteacher and pupils
https://collectik.fr/?page_id=17 ; small local initiative in Paris region
But we need to worry about obstacles (like absent printer drivers) appearing apparently from nowhere, together with design deficiencies and slow development of some FOSS software, though software running o Linux doesn’t need to be FOSS.
And if one cannot afford a PC then one cannot afford the internet connection or cable internet. We have cable and the Hughes Network, neither are cheap, and there are no freebee.
I pulled the carby off and cleaned it. It gets fuel to the float bowl and the main jet is clear. But no fuel on the plug?
Got a new plug. It has spark. Just turns over and doesnt fire.
Am going to pull the valve cover off.
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I recently had an experience with and old printer losing support. I had the drivers, but one necessary library went missing between Debian 11 and Debian 12.
Linux tends to drop support for old versions of libraries.
Why cant they archive all the versions of packages properly?
They only archive the source code, not the binary packages.
If they were serious about supporting old hardware, they would archive their packages properly.
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Pull your spark plug and hold your thumb over the spark plug hole and see if you have compression, while turning over the engine.
It has compression. I can feel quite a good pressure.
Re-tested the spark… cant see it now… sure I could see it when tested before.
So that settles it… my misdiagnosis… has to be coil or electronics or wires.
Thanks.
You just may be right, can you get parts?
I will check the spark again tonight in the dark, just to be sure.
Yes parts are available.
Probably need to test the the coil… how do I do that … its easy when there are points… just break the points and see if it sparks. I probably need to emulate that.