Me, a new Linux convert, watching all the infighting over minutiae:
Be careful:
And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
It’s almost humanlike
It beats the alternative of Microsoft’s support forums where thousands comment for weeks straight INCLUDING paid Indian “representatives” who ask for user diagnostic tool output, copy/pasting the same reply eleventeen thousand times a day, on a post from 8 years ago BUT not a single person has ever posted their solution EXCEPT “I reinstalled Windows.”
have you tried running sfc /scannow ?
oh, it succeeded? uh, run dism /online anway, that should work
This was such a frustrating experience. I could probably count on one hand how many times I found a useful solution that wasn’t just copy paste
I love the drama :3… gives me a great sense of schadenfreude. Unless the devs whose side im on are losing the debate
Then it gives me a great sense of rage. Either way, dopamine
What’s great about the drama is you can just ignore it and everything still works.
More like:
That why linux is great, it open-sources its drama so everyone can enjoy it
We ❤️ drama 🐧
This is the way. “I just use Linux” is what I always say.
I’m considered tech support for my team at work, their always saying things like “well you’re the Linux guy so you know how this stuff works”. And then I have to explain “I just use Linux, I don’t write the code, plus these are windows machines so it’s completely different issues, and lastly I just type the problem into Google read the results and then tell you what I read”
Them: well you are still tech support because I don’t know how to do that.
Me: wait you don’t know how to type into Google…no you know what fine, I’m tech support, tell management so I can get a raise.
Hi, former tech support (now cybersecurity) here. You /are/ tier one tech support. You handle it pretty much how they do, knowledge base documents and searching for solutions online. If things get really bad they might poke around directly and see if they can find a root cause before they escalate.
That doesn’t mean they can demand you do anything, but it does mean you shouldn’t underestimate yourself :)
Hey thanks. I had always heard the joke that the majority of tech support was knowing how to phrase Google searches, but thought it was a joke…I get the sense it’s more a funny fact.
Funny enough, I’ve done the poking around bit too, both in person and more commonly now remotely. And yeah nobody has demanded anything… so far, lol. If I’m busy, or just have no clue what they’re talking about, I just say that to them and tell them to call our outsourced help desk. So far everyone just drops their head and accepts my answer then makes the call and spends the next 2 to 3 hours deciding if they really need this job.
What, with all those non-Linux users asking questions and all.
The thing is, one of the big root causes behind those fights is also a root cause of what makes Linux and FOSS so great: The devs care about the software and its users. Their priority is making the right decision for the application and its users. That’s a pretty stark contrast to certain other mainstream operating systems where the primary stakeholders are not the devs or the users – it’s some third party a thousand miles away who only cares whether the dev teams’ decisions sprinkle a few more dollar bills on top of their cash mountain.
I’m not part of those fights and defending them, btw. I just use Mint and appreciate their efforts!
Fighting means that you care.
I love it when old crusty maintainers obstruct the progress of memory safe (read: Rust) code in the Linux Kernel!!!
Then venting your frustrations about that on Mastodon gets you labeled a brigading “maybe you are the problem” by Linus ((:
I think it’s mostly the other way around. The developers are chill while the user base frothing with tribalism
I think the tribalism is mostly in jest. I’ve never actually seen two Linux users seriously fighting over their preferred distro or init system or whatever.
Agreed also most of that i think comes from people thinking X is my preference but it comes out X is the best period with the “for me” being implied but not heard by the other party.
Distro? No. Wayland? Yes…
I dunno. As a supporter of Asahi from the week the Patreon was launched, I’m pretty bummed that the lead dev got disheartened and dropped off. Kernel devs protecting fiefdoms (by blocking Rust adoption) do not a happy user make (for me).
I’m sure there’s drama within any sort of closed source software company too. Although most of that drama will instead be project managers (the evil of this world) forcing their bullshit into the face of developers, until those developers burn out and start a potato farm.
Ok what is it this time? What did I miss
You’ve made an enemy for life!
It’s like going to a restaurant for a particular atmosphere. Just another Tuesday here. Eat your meal and move along.
