It's the simple things really. I've swapped back to Linux as my primary about a year ago, and still I have issues I don't have with Windows.
6 months now, particularly on Linux Mint (Bazzite to its credit hasn't had this issue much) I just can't fit connect to the internet. Linux is the only thing with this issue. By some arcane lucky magic, it somehow fixes itself when I'm fiddling around trying to fix it myself.
Only for the problem to come back next time I boot up my PC on Mint.
I have it connected to a TP link switch, just like other devices. None have the issue, not even a console (Nintendo Switch). Months, fucking months of going through forum posts, articles, social media, and trying out dozens upon dozens of "solutions", both in gui and the terminal - and the problem persists.
Now, I don't think I'm tech savvy exactly, but I'm not tech illiterate either. I understand some simple lines of code, some very basics of networking, etc. I'm patient enough to deal with issues like these for over half a year.
But how the hell is Linux even going to dream of being anywhere near mainstream when one of the most recommended "beginner" distros can't even run a year long without something as simple as the damned internet working???
And it's not just the internet. It's little things that just pop up one day and now you have to solve a puzzle to figure it out. Oh, suddenly you have to print something? Oh, you decided to get a light up keyboard that was on sale? Try to use Steam Link? Get ready to roll the dice on whether it'll take you a weekend to do / use it.
Microsoft is shit. Windows, is shit. Windows 11 is a privacy goddamn nightmare.
But in the end of the day, it just fucking works, those damn bastards ensure that. And even when something doesn't work, it seems, for some unknown reason, most of the online solutions do fix the issue.
Now imagine someone who's less likely to open up a terminal using Linux. They won't. They'll sacrifice their privacy because they might have full time jobs in something not remotely tech related and just wanted to watch some YouTube and don't want to spend the little free time they have fixing their own computer.
What's hilarious is just as I'm finishing this rant, the internet on Mint just magically decided to work again with no issues.
Maybe next time then I'll try yelling at the Linux fairies in my PC to see if they'll do their magic. At this point it's about a valid solution as any other.
Linux doesn't always work. We know that. But it looks like you're misconstruing your specific issue with some broader argument for Linux being mainstream. The fact that you connected it to a switch tells me that youre already more advanced than the average user. I get you're annoyed, but you can also just ask about your specific issue.
I'll figure it out eventually.
Just wanted to vent, but it's also frustrating because I really do wish Linux could be more widely adopted. But the tech heads here show why it won't be any time soon, even with Microsoft making a nightmare OS in terms of privacy.
Why do the tech heads show why it won't be adopted mainstream any time soon?
Just look at some of the comments.
A lot are still "the OS is great you're the issue" (nvm that clean installs sometimes have these issues) or "git gud scrub" or "just post some error logs" even though that gets a reply maybe half the time (which gets again into expecting something the average person wouldn't know how to do btw, which is a problem if you want better adoption) or "but Windoze does has problems111!".
The reality is that Linux still can't be stably used for a lot of standard things: new(and newish) hardware, printing, lack of good UI design in many programs, and to a degree gaming (it's been massively improved there though thanks to Proton).
Yeah, Windows has problems. But those arise more typically for advanced users (and that's including Windows 11 being more and more broken over time).
If you just want to browse the internet and use some office apps, with no dual booting, it'll just work. That's the reality of it, and it makes sense considering it's supported by a multi billion dollar company.
I know Linux for desktop has come a long way (I remember the Slackware days). But until the more boring stuff gets worked out, it'll still be hard for it to be used more commonly, and thus harder for it to get more funding and usage as well. That's why I think Linux is stuck in the 4% rut - sure it looks pretty now, but there's still a lot of under the hood tinkering required to just do basic things on standard hardware.
Despite the venting it's still a great thing it exists and I love Linux. But I think that's what makes me wish it could work better in some cases.
Idk, maybe it's just Debian based distros these days and I'm behind in the curve. Fedora based ones like Bazzite haven't given me issues so far at least.
You described a problem you have with an OS you use, which I fix every day at work. No Linux, just Windows. It is the most normal thing, that drivers might not work or the Hardware is faulty. We often have to change something, try different things and you don't need Linux to tinker around, the Windows environment offers enough opportunity to do so. And your problem sounds like a driver problem or maybe faulty hardware. It has nothing to do with Linux.
You definitely don't work in IT, otherwise you wouldn't mentioned printing. Printers are evil beings itself and these fuckers don't care wich OS you use, they just don't want to work properly. Hardware supports depends on the kernel. That's normal, Windows 7 also doesn't support newest hardware. There is still nothing specific Linux. Regarding UI: KDE Neon is great, try it.
Would this be true, I probably would need to change my profession.
Because of your ethernet problem? I understand that you are mad for the problems you have now, but I wouldn't use your experience with the ethernet NIC as a basis for the question how good all Linux distributions are usuable for everyday work.
Look, drivers get updated or introduced in newer Linux kernels. You could decide which distribution you want to use depending on the kernel. amdgpu got fucked up since a specific release and my RX580 won't work if it loads, so I am still using an older kernel. In Windows the drivers crashes often sadly. You need to look how well a specific hardware works and then decide which kernel you should use. We always do this on work with Windows and it is really needed, because manufactures sometimes don't really care about there drivers and compatibility with newer Windows 10 versions or Windows 11.
This is probably also the reason why you got downvoted so much, because you describe a generic, OS independent problem and then you blame Linux kernel for it and all Linux distributions, while you are using a specific distribution named Linux Mint. If you replace Linux with Window in your rant, it would be the same way wrong. But I hope that your problem gets fixed. You are free to describe your problem in specific communities, they probably might find a solution with you together.