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this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2023
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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It won't get more normie than SteamOS, it is literally console kind of simplicity with the option to switch to a full blown DE.
Is it really really easy to install? Several distros are extremely smooth experiences if you don't have completely weird hardware to support, but their installation is still an actual OS install procedure. As easy as Windows to install, but almost no one HAS to install their Windows like with Linux.
If steam OS is coming with Wine et. al. already set up (and it'd be silly if it didn't) that definitely gives it a leg up on most distros for normies, at least.
Normies don't install any OS, they buy devices with it pre-installed and if they fuck their installation up, they search someone who does it for them. Which is (almost) impossible for them to do when the OS has it's root partition as read-only, like the SteamOS
You'd have to check one of the side-distros. SteamOS itself has no official installer yet, only available pre-installed on steamdeck.
There are distros that are organized to recreate it for normal installation though.
Though to be fair, that's pretty "normie" to not have to experience the installation process at all. Most people will just use what shipped with their PC.
Yea, install availability and upgrades gone wrong are areas Linux needs a bit more progress, though I stand by that Linux is plenty good for daily driving once you're staring at a GUI you're comfortable with on the friendlier OS's
I guess also app availability... Snap packs fucking suck and even normal package repos aren't the simplest thing to deal with if something is only available in EPEL or some similar situation.
Though is that really unique to Linux? As soon as you do something outside of any normal program, it's all wizardry to normies.
I'd say Executables (for all their risks) make it pretty easy for less savy users to get apps not immediately made available to them, given there are definite security issues.
But I will be fair that I think Linux's flatpaks are helping a bit with making apps more available without worrying about the distro. Plus proton/wine lets users grab some of the useful exe's from windows.
It's improving I do agree, but it's something that will hopefully keep improving.