Over the years, I’ve often thought that, despite how fast-moving the desktop Linux ecosystem is, there’s not much left that could truly surprise me. Yet I keep being proven wrong, and that’s a good thing. Winux, one of the newest additions to the scene, is a clear example.
Whether I like it or not, this distribution brings back memories of about 20 years ago, when Lindows, later renamed Linspire under legal (and fully justified) pressure from Microsoft, first tried to take the path of a Linux distribution built entirely to be as close as possible to the Windows experience.
Today, several Linux distributions aim to position themselves as an easy starting point, and even a replacement for Windows users looking to switch without friction. Zorin OS is a well-known example. Even so, these projects keep their own Linux identity, with similarities to Windows being more indirect than literal.
Honestly, if someone wants the ease of Windows but isn’t tech savvy enough to figure out “typical” Linux, I’d just point them to Aurora. Fedora atomic, easy system upgrades, easy rollbacks, nearly no downtime due to backup images.
Atomic distros have a set-back of having to deal with Package Layering in the case of those that aren’t found on Flathub. That’s a bit outside of the wheelhouse of a non-tech savvy person. You or I could easily deal with package layering, as it’s important to remove them before a major system update…We’d remember to do that before applying such an upgrade. They might not, leading to frustration. I think Linux Mint, ZorinOS, or even just Ubuntu would be better.
Still, I do use Bazzite, as I am comfortable with the package layering and understand mostly how atomic distros work.
Today’s non-tech savvy persons usually want Chrome, VLC, and Steam. Yes, there are exceptions but I set up Linux PCs for a few people with unsupported Windows versions recently and they are just fine with that because all they do is to access web services from Chrome, playing back the occasional downloaded media file, and some games.
Yeah, it does depend on the user, like I replied to another person. You have to figure out the needs of the user and adapt accordingly. For some, their needs are far less complex and all of their software would be on Flathub. So package layering is a situation problem, I just got unlucky with 3 out of the several programs that I use. Which is why I’d mention it, as edge cases are always a thing.
Don’t need to layer packages, that’s like number 3 or 4 on a list of options to try before resorting to layering.
You can do most things on distrobox with almost zero overhead
Eh, could, but I like the layering. Realistically, it’s just three apps and everything else has a Flatpak version. I might experiment with using DistroShelf for the apps that don’t actually need to be layered. Mullvad VPN is the only app I use that needs to be layered.
Edit: I did it, installed Ubuntu into a box in DistroShelf, and installed Bibisco and Filen in that Ubuntu Box. It was easy, and I removed those layered apps from Bazzite. Eh, I might still be a lazy bastard, at least I can do that little amount of work. LMAO
That’s a good point. You’d have to know your intended user. Somebody who only uses flatpak probably doesn’t need to worry about anything, but if they want to start layering, they’d run into problems on a major version change.
Yeah, it is understanding the user and trying to give them recommends that would suit their technical ability and desire to learn. As using Linux (any distro) requires varying degrees of knowledge, I often ask people what they do with their computer and if they are fairly comfortable with technical things before making a recommend. I also firmly remind them they need to learn the basics, as it will often save them a lot of trouble!