Linux needs to grow. Stop telling people it’s ‘tech-y’ or acting like you’re more advanced for using it, you are scaring away people. Linux Mint can be used by a senile person perfectly.
Explain shortly the benefits, ‘faster, more secure, easier to use, main choices of professionals and free’. Ask questions that let you know if they need to dual boot, ‘do you use Adobe, anti-cheat games, or Microsoft Office’, ‘how new is your computer’, ‘do you use a Mac’.
And most importantly, offer to help them install.
They don’t understand the concept of distros, just suggest Linux Mint LTS Cinnamon unless they’re curious.
That’s it, spread Linux to as many people as possible. The larger the marketshare, the better support we ALL get. We can fight enshittification. Take the time to spread it but don’t force it on anyone.
AND STOP SCARING PEOPLE AWAY. Linux has no advertising money, it’s up to us.
Offer family members or friends your help or copy and paste the below
how to install linux: 1) copy down your windows product key 2) backup your files to a harddrive 3) install the linux mint cinnamon iso from the linux mint website 4) use etcher (download from its website) to put the iso on a usb flash drive 5) go into bios 6) boot from the usb 7) erase the storage and install 8) press update all in the update manager 9) celebrate. it takes 15 minutes.
edit: LET ME RE-STATE, DO NOT FORCE IT ON ANYONE.
and if someone is at the level of ignorance (not in a derogatory fashion) that they dont know what a file even is genuinely dont bother unless theyre your parents cause youll be tech support for their ‘how do i install the internet’ questions.
If someone comes to me I’m more than happy to answer questions and help, but I won’t bring it up. People don’t like being told that their tool of choice is “bad” “not optimal” or anything like that. Even if it’s only their choice because they grew up with it or don’t want to learn anything new. And they still need to learn if it’s more than browsing the web.
Also I really don’t want to be the one they come running to once something doesn’t work the way they expected - or not at all. I don’t have the time nor the inclination to be tech support for my family and half of my friends.
No. Mint is fine for my dad who uses a browser and an email program and nothing else. I’m not gonna recommend it to people who do a lot more with their machines. I can tell them I use Linux and they can ask me anything if they are ever curious about making the switch, but that is it. If they don’t make the conscious decision to use Linux, then they won’t stick with it anyways.
I am genuinely curious what “more with their machines” actions you found Mint to be lacking in?
no one in my family or friend group is tech literate enough to follow most of those steps, let alone deal with all the tiny troubleshooting they’re in for at every step.
Why does it need to grow? Seems fine the way it is now.
It needs to grow because monopolies are bad. Linux is the only thing that stands between us and being totally controlled by the tech giants. If you run Windows on your computer, it’s not your computer.
- Telemetry
- Ads
- Forced updates
- Installing and Uninstalling stuff without user consent
- Planned obsolesence
- Trying of licenses to hardware
Just off the top of my head. The enshittification of Windows and the disenfranchisement of users has been going on for decades and it won’t stop any time soon.
Trying to do that
what youre missing here is a windows application that scans a users apps and puts them into a markdown and then auto-installs all of them once back on linux (or adds a checkbox for which you want re-installed).
