I’m curious to the answers out there: What is holding back #Linux for desktop? #opensource #ubuntu
@engineerminded Also another problem is that many #Linux distros don't offer the types of software that users want, but some add on a lot of unwanted bloat. For example #LinuxMint is supposed to be a user-friendly distro but they install tons of additional software that you may never use. What they should do is at the time of installation, give you the option to go with the standard package of applications (for "give me all the goodies" types) OR to pick the packages you really want from a list. But then they don't offer some types of packages that people might actually want for security or privacy reasons, such as #OpenSnitch (a Linux application-specific firewall equivalent to the #MacOS #LittleSnitch program) or a good password manager such as #KeePassXC, or a good full-system backup utility similar to the #MacOS #TimeMachine program (most Linux backup utilities only back up a subset of the system, such as user files only or system files only, and none have the equivalent of the #MacOS #MigrationAssistant which lets you restore your applications, settings, and data to a new machine, or if your main storage fails and you have to replace it). The lack of an equivalent to Time Machine/Migration Assistant is one of the major reasons I have not personally gone to Linux on my desktop.
I may be wrong but as far as I know Timeshift can be used to backup the entire drive
@ASP @engineerminded Timeshift can but I do not think that is the default and in fact I believe they recommend against it for some reason, and you need to make some changes in the configuration for it to do that. It is not like Time Machine where everything is pretty seamless, and there is no equivalent to the companion Migration Assistant application.
I would also like to add something to your thoughts about #linuxMint:
You are correct, it has a lot of stuff that most user's do not need. All I can say is that it works for my parents who do not even know how to install an app from an appstore. In their case, having a simple GUI based app for a specific purpose is quite a blessing, for them and for me
@ASP @engineerminded Right, and all I am saying is there should be an option to NOT install software packages you know you will never use. To be fair I have the same problem with #MacOS, it installs several apps that I have never used and that I wish weren't taking up space needlessly.
@Lunatech @ASP @engineerminded
A combination of Linuxmint in an Arch like approach of offering minimal/custom install. Hmmm, what a charming thought 🤤
@Lunatech @engineerminded These are very fair reasons.