Heyho, recently someone asked for the silliest reasons, but as someone who has suggested linux to many people, I often encounter people having valid reasons for staying with Windows or switching back.
The most boring but valid one is “I have to use Windows for work. It is a requirement (of some software I have to use)”. But there are also other answers that fit. My sister for example tried Linux, but while installing software constantly encountered issues that I helped her solve and eventually switched back because she felt like she had less control than over windows. While I am aware that this is fundamentally wrong, it is valid that some amateur users do not want to invest enough time to get over the initial hurdles of relearning how to install software.
What are the best reasons people have given you for not wanting to try Linux?
“It’s not compatible with all games”
“VR on Linux is trash”
“I can’t play XYZ game because Linux isn’t compatible with anticheat”
“Program XYZ doesn’t have a Linux version, I don’t want to learn a new program”
“Windows bloat never bothered me, I just ignore the AI/advertisements”
“I’m forced to use Windows because of my job”
“Linux is to complicated/troublesome. I just want something that works”
last one is not a good reason
Is it? For most users, windows takes care of absolutely everything and if something lacks, just google, download and done, especially because most software is written for windows. With Defender they even removed need of antivirus for a normal user.
If something lacks on Linux, half the time you need to say hello to console. You also need to learn about software alternatives, because there’s high probability that the default, well known option won’t work.
To both of which most people will say no to from the very start.
Honestly software management on Windows is trash. Oh missing a feature? Go fuck yourself, maybe tweet them, they might listen (lmao). Oh you want to tweak something? You can with this 27 step process and it will revert back in the next update.
Honestly, there is something to experience on a given OS, but every time I’m stuck doing stuff on Windows I get slapped in the face with how fucking tedious it is do anything simple. Like to be update to date for games takes seriously 3 different installers, two of which you have to research and find yourself (game store and drivers app). That’s what it is good at…
Hey, what you descibe is a power user. And that’s valid, but power users also don’t tend to have problems with linux, and they ain’t anywhere close to majority of computer users. Also, to even download a game nowadays you need to have store installed so that’s crossed out, and then game drivers are installed by the store so (or added to cd installer in ye olde times) so wtf you on about.
But again. You are power user. Linux is, IMO, better than Windows for power users because you can do whatever with it. Windows is, however, better for granny, weird office lady and that quite dense kid who, while wanting to use computers, cannot be bothered to learn anything more than where the web browser icon sits.
I don’t ask. I just point at Microsofts shit and ask why they haven’t switched already.
You don’t ask, you ask?
They didn’t want to constantly rely on me to fix every little thing they break instead of learning how to do it themselves.
No wait, that was my reason for not switching them. 😆
This except I convinced my parents they didn’t actually need a computer in their lives anymore. It is win-win.
… Do you not have to deal with that already?
Thats why I switched them. And didnt give admin rights.
(I manage updates remotely)
I feel like we shouldn’t call them “admin rights”, it implies you should automatically get them.
My mum used to say “it’s a privilege, not a right” when I was young and I reflect on that when she calls me up because she can’t install some virus on her laptop without my password and I explain that the system is performing as expected.
I’m referring to certain people. I’ve transitioned people over and help them out with it, like my dad for instance who I have no expectations that he’d learn what a dotfile even is much less troubleshoot a problem.
“I don’t want to”
I did an update or something and it corrupted the bootloading for Fedora Silverblue. Had to just reinstall everything. Also was a time when the update url or something was broken and I couldn’t update. That remains the biggest issue. But it might not be an issue for a professionally maintained distro like Ubuntu that has a company backing it. I feel like it’s safe to recommend Ubuntu but not any other distros.
And it’s definitely true that the average user has more control on Windows. You can download installers and random zip files with executables and they’ll just work. Linux has such a messed up model for executables and libraries that they usually have to be recompiled for every Linux distro unless you use flatpak.
But I think it’s mostly the learning curve of getting used to how linux desktops work and their idiosyncrasies that makes it hard for people. And tons of bad advice online telling you to run commands.
Linux actually has lots of GUI apps that can help fix issues and do things in Linux but people keep offering outdated advice about using command line tools and editing brittle config files.
And some things are distro-specific.
For one of my friends its just cause she has a shitload going on and enough problems to deal with without trying to figure out a new way for her computer to work and whatnot
Plus I think art stuff she uses doesn’t support linux and she found krita unsuitable for how she likes to work
The last Windows machine in my house is because of one program: Embrilliance. It’s embroidery software that lets you make designs and send them directly to the embroidery machine. It technically works in WINE, but for some reason one of the cursors is missing, so when you try to draw freehand, you have no idea where the mouse is. Was thinking about trying Winboat for this eventually, but I haven’t gotten around to it.
TFT and office, mostly. Libreoffice isn’t valid, mostly because Microsoft intentionally breaks their own formats, but yeah.
They are not ready. They took several years to master Windows to just a minimum of use. They don’t have the money to pay for help if problems occur. They don’t have someone in their network that can help them. They need a specific app to work flawlessly for either job or hobby. There’s a lot of good reasons. But there are getting less of them, while Linux is evolving.
“The file system layout is dumb. What the fuck is /etc? Also I hate using terminal”
But… what actually is etc, opt, var, dev, bin, usr, local?
especially coming from windows…
there is no “Getting started” guide from the OS, you got to read a book or something to learn this…
during my early day i thought:
- etc = etcetra? I put random my own stuff here?
- opt = options? Do i put my configuration here?
- dev = develop? Is this where debugging symbol or devtool live?
- local = this must be where my local profile is located?
- usr = user? Or is this where my local profile is located?
- var = huh?
- lib = library? huh why?
- media = my media folder where i put my images and video?
lol
Counterpoint
Does your average windows user know what any of Windows top level folders mean?
Some might think they do. But then very few programs respect the Windows standards, so…
The people who gave me their reasons for not using Linux do indeed know, and since this is a thread about best reasons not to use Linux, there isn’t much need to argue the point of “no, it’s the users that are wrong”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard
Also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_filesystem
Has a breakdown of what each has referred to, historically
I’ve been using Linux for a long time and I don’t know any of this really.
Basically, home directory is for everything, unless some instructions say some other path.
They use nothing but an iPhone. Not even a tablet. Just the phone.
The best reason is the simplest one. People have job where they rely on a piece of software. If you took years to master something like Adobe Photoshop and later switched to linux only for all that to go away and you being forced to use something different like Gimp, you would 100% be pissed off
My school requires the installation of office apps like Microsoft access. I can’t get Microsoft office apps to run with wine.
I also can’t get games from Ubisoft connect to run with wine. I usually try lutris but the games always crash. So I have a virtual windows machine for school work and I have to play all of my games only on steam.
Sounds like I don’t know how to use wine or wine hates me
I mostly run Linux though.
I’ve only tried Trackmania, but was able to get it to work with Proton. I remember having one or two slight issues at first, dealing with Ubisoft connect, but I got it running pretty easily.
Don’t play games with wine, use Proton
I did try proton but it was the same results. I don’t know why my Ubisoft connect games won’t work, somethings missing
They have to work with Adobe. Or any of the big musical instrument sample libraries.
First my problem was fractional UI resizing making everything stutter and only supporting 60hz. I fixed that by going to KDE (Kubuntu).
Now my problem is that my battery doesn’t last for a whole day of lectures - while it does with windows. Also, sleep is ass.
Will still probably fully switch in 2026.
