Recommend Solus To First-Time Linux Users?

Staudey

chillyfairy Though it seems running "up" instead of "update" in eopkg is strangely more stable...
I guess that's the placebo effect ^^

Justin

chillyfairy It's in the USA. update isn't a command, update-repo is. Up/upgrade are the same.

        update-repo (ur) - Update repository databases
            upgrade (up) - Upgrade eopkg packages

dlalinsp

Justin He faced some issues with the icons in the taskbar not working after the window is minimized (in Budgie). There was another issue where Viber (from the third party repository) stopped working properly. He also did not like the terminal-like boot we have. He had some issues with LibreOffice. (I am not blaming the Solus devs for that.) Solus has a small window management issue, where some windows are really large and you would have to move the window around to see the rest. Some applications had an issue where some controls were not visible or obfuscated. This was some time ago and the forum was not very active. When we posted on the forum, it usually took about a week or two to get a reply. I appreciate the Solus team for having fixed that now. 😃 The Software Centre had a few bugs as well. He said that he liked Solus a bit but it had too many annoying little issues like that. (Now, he zones out whenever I try to encourage him to use Linux. 😆 ) I understand the effort that the team puts in to create Solus. However, I feel that too many people will pushed away by minor issues like that. The best thing would be to introduce new users to mature distros, where most minor issues have been ironed out. Once Solus becomes very stable, we can recommend it to new users. Until then, keeping doing what you do and keep making Solus great! 👍️

Justin

dlalinsp It's already very stable in my opinion. Some people have really strange definitions of stable.

chillyfairy

Justin It's stable aside from a few bugs that might put newer Linux users off like the software centre being a bit slow sometimes other than that it's really good for home use

dlalinsp

Justin Hey, man! I guess it is kind of a strange definition. 😂

kyrios I totally understand what you mean, bro! However, most people that I know expect it to be bug free as far as possible. That is why I say that we should wait it out instead of getting more people disillusioned with Linux. Introduce them to something mature and they can be introduced to Solus at the right time.

elfprince I get you. That is the entire reason I stuck with Solus and why I am still here. 😄 However, not everyone wants to do that. We should take it step by step for new users. That way they can slowly get accustomed to how Linux works. I agree with @Boggle247. Introducing them to a young distro now can push them away. Those are just my two cents. I hope there are no hard feelings! 😃

kyrios

Stable actually doesn't mean bug free, it just means it doesn't crash.

elfprince

Holy crap. Compared to Windows quirks, viruses, and crashes Solus is heaven. A breeze of fresh and stable air. Just need to give yourself some time to get used to Linux.

catfishsushi

elfprince 3-Thumbs-Up !!!

Boggle247

I still advise Ubuntu because people coming from Windows are already going to dislike giving up some software, and Solus will just make that hurt even more since it's repo isn't as vast as Ubuntu. Plus afaik there is no way to add PPAs or something similar like you can in Ubuntu.

elfprince

dlalinsp Yes, Solus is a young distro. However, it performs like a mature, well polished one! I've been running it all day, every day since last August and I haven't experienced a glitch yet. What do I do? Browsing, emails, code development, Netflix, etc. What an average Joe/Jane might do. Works amazing. From what I've heard, other 'mature' Linux distros have regular quirks. How long can one wait for a 'perfectly' functioning os? Forever, me thinks ....
:-)

Justin

dlalinsp most people that I know expect it to be bug free as far as possible

Have you used Windows lately? 😀

dlalinsp

elfprince I agree. We can't be waiting for the perfect distro and Solus is definitely a bit more polished than most distros. However, I feel that it still has too many minor bugs and annoyances (for a novice) to be recommended right now compared to something like Linux Mint or Pop!_OS. I love this distro but it needs a bit more refinement. We are also having a couple of transistions going on right now, like the upcoming software center and Budgie 11. They will also likely have a lot of minor bugs when they are introduced. It is better to introduce new users to something else first.

mdiemer Most users who are transitioning will only have very basic use cases. They could find alternate methods to install extra software. However, we are talking about complete novices and even talented ones need some time to adjust. Hence, we need to recommend something that has a lot of official support from software devs. 😄

Juankz Manjaro is definitely not recommended for new users. It has a lot more issues because of its base (Archlinux). The best distros to recommend to completely new users, in my opinion, would be elementary OS, Linux Mint and Pop!_OS. No hard feelings, guys! I have had much better response from people for these distros than Solus. That is why I recommend them. 😅

mdiemer

I think the size of the software repo isn't that big a deal. Most Widows refugees will have their hands full for quite a while just becoming fluent with Linux, and anyone who wants stuff outside the repo can find other ways to install it, especially the talented ones. Which is not me, but I am very persistent.

Juankz

mdiemer I will recommend it to total beginners once the new software center is ready and migrations to fastly are done, this is a big pain point for new users.

Also if people have optimus laptops I believe they are better with Pop OS or Manjaro

dlalinsp

Justin I have. 😆 It is the worst but it is also familiar. New users are not used to Linux. Hence, we should be careful when recommending a distro and we should always recommend something that will closely resemble what they are used to. Windows users expect to have official support from the software devs, they expect to be able to just search about the issue on the net and get the answer on some forum or discussion without involving themselves, they are used to just downloading binaries from the internet to install software, they are used to having a nice logo when booting, etc.... No offence intended, man! I have always run into these problems when recommending new users to Linux. That is why we should recommend something else till we solve most of these issues.

Justin That is not always true! There are many average users who use specific tools, due to work or some other matter. Their needs do change and life is quite unpredictable. It would be quite uncomfortable for them not to be able to access something they need or want. Also, most people who are coming to Linux are going to have a decent level of computer literacy. They are not casual users. They are most likely already dependant on some very specific tools. 🏋️

Justin

I think some people are overexaggerating what average home users do with their devices, I find they mostly use a browser and an email client (most often not this these days).

Justin

dlalinsp work

And in a workplace you are usually given the PC with OS and not able to change it. So that's not really an issue.

dlalinsp

Justin Yes. However, most employees also have their own laptops and tend to work from home as well. Furthermore, not everyone has the privilege of being given a computer. Many employees in smaller businesses will most likely have to supply themselves with one. You are also forgetting people who own a business. We have to make Linux an attractive option for them as well. Hence, ensuring compatibility with specific software and tools are a top priority. 😁

kyrios

dlalinsp Very first sentence on the Solus homepage

Solus is an operating system that is designed for home computing.

This of course doesn't mean that Solus couldn't or shouldn't be used for other purposes but the statement cannot be more clear, can it ?

dlalinsp

kyrios People don't really seperate home computing and computing at work. Often, they are intermingled. Like I said earlier, a lot of people do work from home. We really can't expect them to use two different operating systems to do some work. With all due respect, you will have a tough time explaining that to people coming from Windows if they can't do what they need to do. You will end up scaring them away from Linux. That is why it is better to recommend a distro that is officially supported by third party software devs.

OmegaSupreme

I don't get this whole "Linux Mint is the most polished Linux" argument. In my experience, it's absolutely the worst. And no, this isn't from just using it once or twice, I've used it extensively both for work and personal use, and I've had nothing but issues with it. The biggest problems with it, though, have been with their preferred DEs. I can't stand Cinnamon and I simply can't understand how people can deal with Mate. Solus Budgie has been by far the most polished experience I've ever had with Linux. The few pain points I've had to deal with have been more general Linux issues rather than anything specific to Solus (other than the Software Center, but that's another topic). As I said before, other than those with advanced needs who can't find what they need in the Software Center, Solus is the one and only Linux distro I'd recommend to newbies.

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