this post was submitted on 20 Jun 2024
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Linux

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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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[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 47 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

Wait ... is there a perception (or reality?) that most Linux users are programmers?

I'm an introvert, but all programmers I know use Windows (and badly in the sense they aren't power users).

[–] lemmyvore@feddit.nl 20 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

There's some hardcore conflation going on that assumes that people with technical skills will tend to be good at everything, or that they'll gravitate towards the uber-geeky stuff.

In my experience it's a very wide spectrum. Lots of programmers are strictly focused on the language they use and don't care to know anything about the OS, or networking, even computers. They are definitely not jacks of all trades.

There are people who can do programming as well as system administration and build a PC and build some book shelves and so on. But that's a very specific type of person who's a tinkerer and happens to be into programming, it's not because they're a programmer.

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago

Yes, a power tinkerer!

And if something needs to be programmed (or just coded, bcs copypasta), then that's what's gonna happen.

If IT won't accommodate my ticket in the way I want Im just gonna write another ticket for access rights.

[–] Grangle1@lemm.ee 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

In addition to the perception that you have to be "good at computers" (aka a programmer) to use Linux, in my experience a lot of Linux media outlets (websites, YT channels, podcasts, etc) tend to be heavy on advanced features and tools without much explanation in layman's terms and tend to be geared towards an IT professional/hobbyist audience, which can reinforce that stereotype among those (like me) who are not.

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago

Yeah, this explanation makes the most sense to me.

Just a generalisation that "good at computers" is a programmer. So no Apple programmers :P (joking ofc)

[–] zod000@lemmy.ml 6 points 5 months ago

Most of the programmers I know (including myself) use Linux or BSD, but that all depends on who you associate with. A lot of companies are purely Windows shops and others just throw their programmers mac books and call it a day. At my last company I was only briefly allowed to use Linux until they decided it was no good as I couldn't use whatever resource intensive corporate garbage security software of the year they bought.