Why You're Too Weak To Run Desktop Linux

Linux is quite amazing. It's Free, Open Source, and it's extremely powerful. However, Linux has suffered in one area over the years, and that's the Desktop. Sadly, it's been hard to pull people away from the clutches of Windows or MacOS due to software compatibility. With the advent of amazing compatibility tools such as Wine, or Proton, Linux is now more accessible than ever, making more gamers give the ol' Penguin a try. Yet despite these quality of life enhancements, I'm here to tell you that you don't possess the required resolve to run it full time.

That's right- I said it. You're too weak to main Linux. I mean sure, you've become more frustrated at Microsoft over the years. You've heard that Linux was pretty great now, and you wanted to get your feet wet on a new shiny platform. You've heard that there are lots of easy to learn versions of Linux out there that are almost as easy as Windows, and you may even be a gamer who wants to take advantage of all the work companies like Valve have put in, making Linux more gamer friendly. Even with all that, I'm sorry to say it little bro- you still don't have what it takes.

You may have a friend who says otherwise. "Bro it's easy. You just 'apt get' this, 'sudo' that- easy peasy." They may even run Arch, btw. But the fact is, you're not them. You've been on Windows for a billion years, and you're a creature of habit. You're scared of new things even if you won't admit it, and when you run into issues on your computer, you throw your hands up. "I work 24 hour work days, and when I get home I don't have time for this shit" you tell yourself. Maybe you take it to a friend to fix it. Maybe you call tech support, or go to BestBuy. Hell, maybe you even buy a new PC when your current one isn't working right. But one things for certain, that one time you Google'd that one issue and landed on a Github page, you broke out in a cold sweat. "Where the hell is the download button?" you thought. Alas, you still wonder about it to this day.

The truth is, running Linux is like driving your OS with a manual transmission. You're not used to doing something as analogue as using a "terminal"- whatever that neanderthal technology is. "What do I look like, a hackerman?" Ohh sure, you installed Linux Mint and thought you'd be above that. "Look, there's an app store!" where you can get apps like it's iOS. Hell, the only reason you're not using a Mac right now is because you can't game on them- that, or you're still running that 5 year old laptop that's falling apart. You thought you had that Penguin in you, yet here you are, wondering why you can't install Battlefield 6 in one click- or any amount of clicks. Maybe Linux can't always game either.

To use Linux means accepting the benefits and compromises that comes with it. Any game that isn't specifically designed with Linux support in mind isn't guaranteed to work. Sure, lots of games work, and you can check to see if your games will have issues with community tools like ProtonDB. That being said, you're going to find a game that doesn't work, and you're going to have to make a choice at that point. Do you fold and go back to Windows? Do you move onto another game? Or do you lock in, crack your knuckles, and figure it out yourself?

Let's be honest- you may think yourself pretty technically savvy. You may know how to login to your router's web interface at 192.168.1.1. Maybe you know how to change your DNS. You know how to run de-bloat tools for Windows- hell, maybe you even know the difference between NTFS and Fat32. But I'm here to tell you that you're going to run into something you don't know on Linux, and you're going to have to ask yourself if you have the time, patience, and willingness to work out any issues you run into on your Linux journey. If you're not interested in the journey to enlightenment, you're better off sticking to a de-bloated Windows for your computing needs.

The type of person who can main Linux on the desktop is a specific breed of person. You'll almost always see a tricked out, riced desktop, fully customized. You'll see them using the Terminal to do crazy things, and you'll see them laugh at the inferior Windows users like plebeians they are- because that's exactly what they are. Sheep. Cattle. Lambs to the slaughter of these big tech companies who will milk them for all their worth. The Linux users will have the technical high-ground, while the conforming consumers will remain complacent and happy, drinking their verification can while big tech sucks on their data and serves them ads.

Is there a compromise? Sure, some migrate to MacOS- just don't ask them if they can play games. They'll tell you "Cyberpunk is on MacOS- I can game too!" but they'll be crying inside knowing that you'll be off playing literally any other game without them. At least MacOS is a beautiful place to be, and is far less nasty compared to Windows. Ultimately, would I recommend Linux? Not for your main PC unless you were the type to accept the hidden "terms and conditions" that Linux doesn't tell you about- you'll sacrifice much to free yourself from the clutches of big tech, and that journey will probably break you. But for those with the strength to press on and dive into the deep end, you'll emerge more powerful than you can possibly imagine.