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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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My wife uses Arch (actually). She calls it the internet, when she really means Facebook. She knows it isn't Apple but it gets a bit vague after that!
The last time I had to fire up the Mesh Central client to sort something out on her desktop from work was around three months ago. Every couple of weeks I ssh into it, update it and schedule a reboot for 03:00.
why arch and not something with more stable updates like debian?
I've spent over 25 years with Linux. With multiple distros and a lot of that with Gentoo and Arch. At work I specify Ubuntu or Debian, for simplicity and stability. I always used to use the minimal Ubuntu, because it was tiny with no frills. For quite a few years I managed a fleet of Gentoo systems across multiple customers - with Puppet. Those have quietly gone away. I've dallied with SuSE (all varieties), Mandrake, Mandriva, RedHat, Slackware, Yggdrassil and more.
Arch is surprisingly stable and being a rolling job there are no big jumps. When I replace one of our laptops, I simply clone the old one to it and crack on. I used to do the same with Gentoo - my Gentoo laptops went from an OpenRC job with dual Nokia N95 ppp connections around 2007 to through to around 2018 with systemd and decent wifi when I switched to Arch to allow the burns on my lap to heal. I still have a Gentoo VM running (amongst friends) on the esxi in my attic.
It was installed in 2006 according to some of the kernel config files. I left it for way too long and had to use git to make Portage advance forwards in time and fix around a decade of neglect. It would have been too easy to wipe and start again. It took about a fortnight to sort out. At one point I even fixed an issue following a forum post I made myself years ago.
Anyway, Arch is pretty stable.
At one point I even fixed an issue following a forum post I made myself years ago.
I love when that happens lmao, it's the best. Thank you past me.
Debian is sometimes frustratingly out of date for daily apps like the web browser. I'd rather recommend something with a bit more updates like Mint.
frustratingly out of date for daily apps like the web browser
Use flatpack for those then?
After many years of using multiple devices and even servers with Archlinux installed it never broke because of an update (spoiler: I use systemd-boot instead of grub). If a system is to be used by a less experienced user, just install linux-lts Kernel instead.
Unstable does not mean it crashes/breaks often, it just means it does not guarantee to not bump to the newest upstream version and that it does not do backports. This can be a problem when using unmaintaned software that does not like using a recent python/php.
This is also great because if you find a bug in a software you can report it to upstream directly. Debian maintainers only backport severe bugs, not every one of them. It can take over a year for new features to arrive - especially painful with applications like gimp, krita, blender, etc. You can use debian-unstable of course, which is close to upstream as well.
That's torture and is outlawed by the geneva convention (btw)
If she only does basic web browsing, why not something more stable like Ubuntu or Debian?
Personally, if you can't tell me if you are running Windows or MacOS, I don't really want you downloading my software
Does anyone really not know if they have an apple or windows device...?
I'm sure my grandma does not give a shit
I do Linux research for a living and I barely give a shit.
Sometimes they can afford to not know because they have a relative who can manage the device for them. In which case they really wouldn't be installing software on their own really.
You would be surprised at how many people cannot even change the volume on their tablet.
You would be surprised at how many people cannot even change the volume on their tablet.
If that number is more than 0 then I would be very surprised. There are buttons on the side for volume and volume buttons have been standard on devices since at least the early 80's.
My aunt in her late 70s probably is only distantly aware. I wouldn't be surprised if she turned her tablet around to check.
Yes. I have helped people install software over discord and they don't know what a OS is.
If the client is blocking OS fingerprinting by returning generic navigator.appVersion and userAgent values you should probably just assume Linux in the first place.
You mean, there are still websites that don't auto-detect what OS you're running and make you actually choose?
I actually hate it when a website does that, especially when it doesn't let you download the application you want because your OS is not compatible. For example you wanna download some windows software to run it with Wine/Proton and the website detects you are running linux and does not let you download. I always need to spoof my User-Agent string to get access.
The correct solution (as with languages on websites) is to auto-detect but then make it super easy and obvious how to change if the auto detected version is not what the user wants.
Also if any web developers out there are reading - don't use the user's location to determine the language/region they want, and especially don't force it. I have no idea why so many websites do this but those responsible deserve to permanently have small amounts of sand in all their socks.
The kind of website that distributes linux stuff is going to know most linux distros ship with Firefox set up to not report OS
Penguin People
Penguin People
I’ll have you know I’m and Arch Oligarch tyvm.
Penguin people for sure know theirs
And they'll tell you about it every time.
On the other hand if you have a device you don't know what OS is on there it is likely some kind of Penguin (TV, SmartFridge, Hearing system display)
Direct link for the lazy: https://srgrafo.com/series/Chloevely
For the confused: it seems to be a Visual Novel (possibly nsfw?) by the person who makes the comics with this character you’ve probably seen 
If you don't know what OS you're using, how likely are you to know or understand what this app is?
There are some tech illiterate people, who use Linux without knowing it, because their child set it up for them.
Arch btw ;)
