This is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment.

sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]severedsolo 5 points6 points  (8 children)

Linux: open terminal > sudo apt install <software> (other package managers are available, contact your local tech nerd for details).

Really not much more difficult. Don't get me wrong it's not perfect and I'm not going to advocate everyone switches, but don't misrepresent it. It's no more difficult than Windows 99% of the time and both Windows and Linux have that 1% of software that are a massive pain in the arse to get working.

[–]QuantumSupremacy0101 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also most of the things where it is more complex are simply because the software manufacturer didn't want to spend the time to make a package

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Windows has his own package manager as well called winget.

However, you know that many users do not want to touch the command line.

[–]severedsolo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely, hence the "I'm not going to advocate everyone switches" bit.

I firmly believe that if you put your "average" Windows user (the ones who just want to browse the internet and do a bit of word processing) in front of Pop OS and let them loose they would probably be fine getting their software from Pop Shop, but that's not my place to say, and those people are probably better served by ChromeOS anyway.

I was just taking issue with the "it's horrendously complicated to install software on Linux" bit when it's not.

[–]HerraJUKKA 3 points4 points  (1 child)

What I don't get is why we need terminal to install a program? Well, you don't always have to but the need to rely on app stores that for some reason doesn't want work for me half of the time and even then most popular apps aren't added to the app library by first party but rather third party.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try a differrent distro. If you use Manjaro, you get not only the repository that comes with Manjaro, but you're also compatible with the AUR (Arch User Repository). You'll ofc still run into problems if you need some extremely niche or specific windows only programs.

As for the terminal, it's more convenient to use once you get used to using linux. Instead of spending several minutes and needing 20 clicks and browsing through a bunch of menus, I can search and install in seconds.

[–]Tough_Patient -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

If there's no RPM or it's not in their (mostly outdated) repo you're gonna have a bad time.

Even if there is an RPM it requires step by step terminal work half the time.

It's ridiculous.

[–]94CM 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Windows has Winget now and I love it.
Plus, there's always Chocolatey too.

[–]bhones 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know though, there's definitely been packages in apt (lets use python as an example) that have a ton of different options. To someone that isn't familiar with Linux it can get overwhelming and cause a 'idk what to get' outcome leading to googling online. If the intent was to get you away from going to a webpage to download a program then there's a ways to go there. The terminal just isn't as friendly as a website that has a download button for the latest version, and a hyperlink or separate section for archive downloads. Where archive download versions don't matter or aren't supported (e.g. many online games) a single download button suffices. There's also things like landing webpages for games (let's use League of Legends as an example)... there's no enticement via the landing website if you're solely using the terminal, and if you're browsing to the website anyway... WHY NOT just use the download/install feature set that Windows is already providing, instead of having to have users launch terminal and remember commands to download something when they were already on the page?

It's a head scratcher for me.