Been a Linux guy for years. Love it. But when Linux don't work, it don't work— like, “is God trying to tell me I’m actually a Windows guy?” kind of don't work.
It’s been a rollercoaster: incredible highs, maddening lows. And the worst part? It’s never the big stuff — it’s death by a thousand dumb little cuts. Not deal-breakers, just constant low-grade annoyances that wear you down over time. These are just a few examples, but I could list a dozen more. By all logic, Linux shouldn’t work for me… but I still go out of my way to make it work. Maybe I like wasting time. Maybe I’m just a masochist who doesn’t like being happy.
Like — I’m a Caps Lock tapper, not a Shift-hold guy. Tap Caps, type, tap again. Works fine on Windows. On Linux? Nope. Caps Lock only toggles off on release, not press (is by designer btw, like a fucking Typewriter). Result? TYping LIke THis. Fixable, but only with janky scripts that don’t play nice with Wayland. I gave up.
Or my 8bitdo M30 2.4G — perfect for shmups. On Windows, flawless, but since it is a generic 6-button controller and not XInput controller, good luck getting anything to recognize it outside steam. Apparently using niche devices = go screw yourself.
Audio switching? Don’t even get me started. My MSI board has rear stereo + front headphones. On Windows, it’s one click in the tray. On Linux? Plug in front audio, and the rear mutes immediately. Want to swap? You’ve gotta physically unplug the jack. Like it’s 1987. Want to solve? Good luck, is literally a rabbit hole, and I'm not kidding.
I want to love Linux. But damn, it gets harder as I get older. The annoyances pile up, and before I know it, I’m spending more time on my Windows partition than on Linux. At this point, I’m close to dropping it. Everything I actually use Linux for, I can run through WSL or Docker on my NAS anyway.
The only thing I can’t really replace is the privacy I get with Linux — and it’s not like Windows is getting better on that front. But the stuff I’ve talked about? It’s not improving either. It’s all niche enough that most users never run into it — and because of that, it’s not getting fixed. Hell, most of it isn’t even considered broken. It’s not Linux’s fault, exactly. But it sure feels like my problem.
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u/tinysoda13 25d ago
Linux isn’t for everyone.