5 Reasons Why Linux Is "Bad"

Today we are going to talk about a thorny subject, let's put our finger on the wound and expose things as they are.

The Cons of Using the Penguin System

I want to address a subject that can even generate controversy but which I find very important to be exposed and debated. Like a recent article where I wrote "3 Things Linux Does Windows Doesn't"generated heated debates in the comments because many people are intolerant of the opinion of others I decided to give it a" reality shock "writing this article here. I would say that one of the best qualities we can have to recognize where the competition is best just to observe the facts Take it easy because of these advantages in certain industries and what can be done to correct it, after all, kicking never works.

For Linux and Windows Users

Windows vs Linux This is an article to try to dialogue with both communities, after all I do not understand why so much hate each other, as if hating solved any problem …

Although the blog name has a direct connotation with Linux, believe me, we like technology, so I will try to be unbiased in my observations from now on.

The points where Linux might fall short

I've heard millions of times platform users criticize Linux for the following points:

– Adobe programs (Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, etc.) do not run on Linux

– Weight games running on Linux

– Microsoft Office runs on Linux

– Support for various device drivers

I now want to sincerely make my remarks on the subject by acknowledging the strengths of the Microsoft system and pondering my experience using Linux. If you do not use Linux for some other reason it may be interesting to post your opinion later in the comment session so that we can discuss it more broadly.

Obviously there may be other reasons why a person may decide that Linux is not the best choice, but these are the main and most recurring factors.

1 – Adobe programs on Linux

Adobe Creative Cloud

An initial consideration

Sometimes I think Linux is seen, even by its users, as something other than a Kernel …, most people think Linux is something like Windows or Mac, a closed package, a final operating system … friends, Linux just the Kernel! When you say "Linux does not run this, Linux does not run that" You are saying that the kernel "does not run Photoshop", and of course, the Windows kernel also does not run Photoshop, at least not just the kernel.

If you want to complain, complain right.

Image editing

I think it's very important to admit the commercial superiority that Photoshop has over GIMP, I repeat, COMMERCIAL, in TCNICA. The name "Photoshop" is extremely popular and has even come into some popular dictionaries where "Photoshop" is synonymous for modifying or altering an image.

There is something we can not forget, who makes the programs to Adobe and if there is no Photoshop or other Creative Cloud applications on Linux because of Adobe, not because Linux is bad and does not run, because the "owner of the program" did not find it viable. make a version for the system.

So stop saying that "Linux is bad because it doesn't have Photoshop" because it's not Linux's fault, but it's perfectly acceptable that you "depend" on Photoshop to say that Windows is a more interesting solution, which is better for you, because it can run Photoshop, thanks to Adobe once again that made a version for it. GIMP vs Adobe

I have always found that in programs of this type, image editor and artwork, the end result is the most important and the way we used to achieve it. Who does the work the artist, however, I have to agree that a proper tool helps in the work.

It's much easier to hammer a nail with a hammer than with a wrench, but that doesn't mean that hitting a hammer is the only way to do the job well (hit the nail), this applies to GIMP and Photoshop. .

There are excellent works that are done using GIMP, and of course there are excellent works done with Photoshop. One does not belittle the other, you can use both to do the same thing, and whoever says the opposite certainly does not know both in the same way. In the end it influences your taste more than the program itself.

There are discussions of images of users defending their use against the use of the other and vice versa, when in fact the only thing they want to prove (I think) is that they are "on the right side", ie "on the It is possible that I made a mistake. " They could use all this time to talk about Design in general showing where they can complement each other, but I think that would be too much to ask.

The Market also influences a lot, you see job openings requesting Photoshop, very often the GIMP mentioned, or you see job openings asking Photoshop instead of asking for "image editing knowledge", that certainly influences the choices of learning a program or other. There are many more Photoshop courses because from GIMP, demand generates demand and demand generates demand, a snowball.

Video editing

Video editing programs are also not lacking, Blender, Kdenlive, Nuke, Natron, Lightworks are programs that run on Linux natively and have the ability to do works as honorable as those done with Adobe, Nuke for example was used to do the same. special effects from the movie "Gravity" with Sandra Bullock (great movie!).

Lightworks
Lightworks

What changes are that probably the accessibility of courses and the content to learn these contents, these programs, much smaller than the presence of courses involving AE and Premiere.

Once again I want to make it clear, undeniable the quality of these software, I would love to be able to use them also on Linux, the much more intuitive After Effects interface. than Natron's for exampleBut the fact that you use Linux will just make you do the same things differently, it means knowing and learning something new and not not being able to do, subtle but different.

It is not a question of better and worse, it is a matter of knowing how to handle the application or not, more work and less work and this can weigh you in choosing one platform or another, this perfectly understandable impasse.

2 – Linux Weight Games

The world of games is undergoing drastic changes, Mobile is invading this segment more and more, because the world is made by many more casual players than gamers. hardcores. And when you talk about Linux (Linux Kernel, just so you shouldn't forget) you make room for anything that runs Linux, including the old PlayStations and Android, so if you complain complains right at least.

I know very well that when they say that "Linux has no games" the reference to the Desktop and that has been drastically changing from virtually no games in two thirds of Steam already in 2015, and this tends to grow, so the complaints became other factors such as specific titles and performance.

Weight Titles

Once again, if you can't play GTA V on Linux, it's not because Linux is "bad" or because it "can't run", because RockStar didn't make the game for the system, simple as that, for reasons that we should trust were very well thought out. GTA V PC

If you really like a specific franchise that does not yet have Linux port and you would like to play it on Penguin the best thing you can do is pressure developers to look at the system and release a native version for Linux.

Nevertheless, most people who say that Linux does not run BF4 can not run the game on their Windows also because of the sturdier hardware that the game requires (of course not everyone) but I've seen one more say that.

Also think that there are people who like one or two games only, if they are available for Linux (Desktop) it becomes a gamer platform without "mimimi".

Performance

Another complaint that eventually occurs is that games running under OpenGL have less graphics performance than games running through DirectX and this is half true.

If the question is, "Is OpenGL better than DirectX?" The answer "depends". Depending on where the API will be used and how it will be used, games that have been optimized with OpenGL can perform as well or sometimes even more than games running under DX. GTX 780 ti

Game developers were not used to making Linux games using OpenGL, so it may take a while for everyone to "get their hands on" to make the games "round" and, if we see, programming flaws that leave the games "lagados" happen in Windows too; s that there are a lot more games optimized for DirectX than OpenGL.

The game "The Witcher 2" that was released for Linux last year made such a bad move that the same version of the game running on Wine could be faster (Wine a program to run Windows applications on Linux) that shows that the development was all optimized for DX and then they thought about portability, the way to think about parallel development now, as was done with Dying Light, making the game from the beginning with Linux compatibility. The witcher

Another part of the fault is the low graphics performance of the hardware manufacturers themselves; Nvidia and mainly AMD simply ignored the possibility of giving decent support to Linux in a short time, fortunately that changed, in 2012 began to come out better drivers and from 2015 we had major improvements in this sector.

Whether or not Linux is still the ideal Desktop gamer platform, there's no point in arguing, just don't, just like Mac doesn't (though few talk about it), who likes PC releases and a true gamer who plays all the new games coming out. You have to use Windows, at least in dual boot, and between us, even if I do not use, I see nothing wrong with that.

3 – Microsoft Office runs on Linux

Whenever I have to broach this subject I recommend that the reader listen to our podcast made with Eliane Domingos about the Libre Office, it will break many myths, click here.

I particularly like Microsoft Office, in the company where I work, I teach it all day long, but for my personal tasks, including class management, I use Libre Office, why? Why, because it works.

The dependency on MS Office is more closely linked to the formats it opens, if you created a super spreadsheet full of Macros in Excel it won't open in Calc for anything in this world, and that's exactly what Microsoft wants you to have to use. their product. MS Office vs Libre Office

You can do the same work using Libre Office Calc, or you can do it using Excel yourself but saving in an open format, in this case it would be ODS, so you ensure compatibility with any platform.

A lot of people talk about the user-friendly interface, but this is extremely user-friendly, I venture to say that 90% of people who use a computer don't really know how to use a full office suite. Free Office Libre runs on Linux, Mac and Windows and can YES replace MS Office in your company.

In cases of migration (I've had the opportunity to work on some) what happens most are doubts about how to do things that were done in a certain way in the old and new different ways (not the hardest, but different) and also problems opening old files, so it is my observation that if a company intends to make this migration do it calmly and not exchanging for each other out of nowhere. This will be a problem.

Start creating your documents in open formats and the migration will be smooth. Again, Microsoft Office is great, but not irreplaceable, after all so many people use other solutions, I think they are not "technological masochists".

4 – Hardware that doesn't work on Linux

I have been using Linux for about 5 years, 3 of them using only Ubuntu as a system, and I have to force a lot of memory to remember any hardware recognition issues in the system, however, I know they can occur.

As I commented, I had no problems, but I had the opportunity to follow some problems of this kind with some friends, in this case especially was a JoyStick of those models with steering wheel, the boy wanted him to play the game "EuroTruck Simulator 2", which has native version for Linux.

Razer keyboard

The brand of the device was a little unfamiliar and the model was quite old, back in 2006, I'm sure this contributed to the case, I tested a newer model and had no problems.

Another small problem that can be found is the lack of a specific program for some hardware, such as the peripherals of the Razer for example, which are much appreciated by the gamer audience.

I've had the opportunity to use company mice and keyboards on Ubuntu, both work without problems, plug in and use, but these products have software provided by the manufacturer that allow some more advanced adjustments, there is a tool to make these adjustments in Linux called "Razer Device Configuration Tool", but she is not official, once again the fault of that who produces the software.

Razer's reason for not producing such Linux-compatible software may be the system's market share, understandable, but the change to it is in her hands.

a "snooker pool", Razer may not make software for Linux because most of its customers don't use it, but neither will Razer increase its Linux customer base if it doesn't make software for the system. Complicated.

I remember on another occasion I had problems with a fingerprint reader, in which I used it but wanted to see if it worked or not, natively Linux Kernel did not recognize it, but it was enough to install the Fingerprint that things worked out smoothly. Notebook with digital reader

Apart from these very specific situations that could be circumvented, I never really had a hardware recognition problem and I speak without fear of making the mistake that "generic" Linux drivers are much more effective than those of Windows itself. I believe that in 95% (kicked statistics) of the cases you have no problems, WebCams work without installing anything, plug one in and open Cheese and you're done, generic driver video cards can even run some lighter games, printers are also every now and then. days easier to install, connect and use, simple as that.

I have heard of some people who had a problem setting up some printer models, judging the case more because of not knowing how to do Aside from recognition problem, there are also two other types of hardware that may not be recognized, Microsoft and Apple Smartphones (why not), but even this can be circumvented by installing a repository driver or using other programs for sync them.

5 – Ease of use

I never understood why people say "Linux is hard", but honestly, I have a suspicion. My suspicion based on two factors, contact with a bad distro (there are several) and a lot of difficulty learning or wanting to learn something new.

Keep in mind that "ease" is a relative thing, after all, which may be easy for me, may be difficult for you. Windows is "easy", but not easy for its organization, easy because you learned how to handle a computer using it.

Learning a new language is similar, speaking English may seem complicated to some people, but it would not be if the person had been raised speaking English follows the same logic.

Ease of Use So complicated and technically messy as Windows is (there are those who disagree and I respect your opinion), it still tends to be "easy" for people who are used to it.

Another "evil" that exists that the name "Linux" associated by many people as something difficult, useless and complicated, the kind that "only nerds move" and sometimes the guy writes it typing from an Android … "know you are not innocent ".

Today's Linux (desktop) distros, especially Ubuntu and Linux Mint allow for smooth user use without typing in any of the "dreaded terminal commands", but if you search the internet you will find several tutorials teaching you how to do things through terminal and that has a reason.

Linux on Desktop at 2010 for me was something undergroundIt is only now that it is being considered accessible to everyone, until then it was only used by enthusiasts and these people usually have an extra skill in computing. Getting things done by the terminal is very practical for WHO YOU KNOW, and most bloggers on Linux understand the subject and most of the time don't think about the lay public, that's something we have to change.

The prejudice against Linux is clear when a person moves from Windows to Mac, the difficulty of adaptation very similar, however, because it is APPLE people tend to accept the news gladly, or at least with less repudiation.

When is Linux not the best option?

The cases are rare but they really do exist, although it is not the fault of Linux itself but this makes it ineffective in the task. For example, if you want to work with Tecnometal, it has to be Windows (dot), you have nothing to do, of course it would be nice if there was a version of the program for Linux (or an alternative), but it doesn't exist. The best way out in this case is dual boot, it's not a crime.

Tecnometal

Suggested Reading and Common Errors

Understand that I'm not clamoring for a system, I'm being factual, Linux is still not the best solution for ALL cases, but it may be the solution in MOST of THEM.

Linux is the foundation for virtually all of the technology we use today, at some point in the process of developing any online service, "Internet of Things", Smartphones, Tablets, chip production, routers, SmartTVs, video game consoles. video game, servers from the big internet sites, space exploration, super computing, chemistry, physics … there is Linux! So don't tell me that Linux is bad, or useless, you don't know the size of the bullshit you're talking about.

Little mistakes

By contrast, the most ardent supporters of Linux will accept and understand when a person comes to a sound conclusion that Linux is not the best option for what they need to do, it will not be saying that the bad Windows you are going to make Linux be. best.

In an ideal world all programs would run on all platforms and it is up to the user to choose their choice for reasons of affection and usability and not for software availability, unfortunately the world is not so, so we will try to be as consistent as possible.

Learn to recognize the good qualities of the "adversary" (this goes both ways) and you will be better and smarter people in the technological realm. And please be able to differentiate play and jokes from a seriously written sentence, this is essential. It would be great to have your participation through the comments below, but remember to always be cordial with people who have a different opinion from you.

See you next time!

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