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1. Embed this notice
   Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 01:17:25 JST Rich Felker

   One thing I wish folks knew better about "Linux" that the annoying evangelists never seem to care to mention.

   One of the most important differences from other platforms if *how you get your software*.

   You don't download it from the author/publisher who might be (these days, is) bundling malware.

   You don't get it from a walled garden with commercial incentives to let publishers hurt you.

   You don't have to fumble around Google trying to find if the site offering it is reputable.

   You get it from a party, usually made up of dedicated volunteers, who believe in the platform and who are vetting all the software they build and package for you. Usually the same one you got your base system from.

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 01:39:19 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • Robert Thau

     @rst You can, but my point is that it's not the normal/default way of doing things.

   • Embed this notice
     Robert Thau (rst@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 01:39:20 JST Robert Thau

     in reply to

     @dalias Well, that's a choice you have available, for some things -- but I'm getting my web browsers built as .debs straight from the distributors directly; likewise my `rustc` build is from the people who produced that.

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:11:22 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • nycki

     @nycki "apk add foo" vs trying to figure out where to download foo and whether it's compatible with my system and whether it's safe?? Former is so much easier.

   • Embed this notice
     nycki (nycki@bark.lgbt)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:11:24 JST nycki

     in reply to

     @dalias I will say that when I first picked up linux this was actually NOT a selling point. "Can't I just download an executable and run it? Why do I have to do all this fussing with a package manager? Where is it even installing stuff? I can't find my Program Files folder"

     Like yes from a security standpoint it's better to have software be vetted by maintainers, and the Discover store helps a lot in terms of replacing that graphical "download and run" experience

     but even ten years later it feels "kinda clunky" to hear about some software online and then find out that I can't just download it right then and there, I have to go deal with packages

     it's not a selling point for new users.

   • Embed this notice
     cynical melomaniac :tux: (cynical_melomaniac@freeradical.zone)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:16:13 JST cynical melomaniac :tux:

     in reply to

     @dalias which is why we should fund them!

     If you are capable and willing, please donate to your distro of choice (and the mirror you use the most if they take donations).
     They can use those funds for quite a whole lot of things, including maintainance and new features.

     PSA over :ablobcatbongo:

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:22:08 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • nycki

     @nycki I mean most of the distros not made for people who want a command line UI have interactive frontends to package installation.. 🤷

   • Embed this notice
     nycki (nycki@bark.lgbt)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:22:10 JST nycki

     in reply to

     @dalias yes, it's easier in the long run, but the learning curve is steeper than you're giving it credit for. The thing about text interfaces is that they're opaque; it's hard for a new user to find out what options they have. Graphical "app stores" are an excellent compromise and I'm glad more distros are shipping with one.

   • Embed this notice
     James Widman (jameswidman@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:39:40 JST James Widman

     in reply to

     • maco

     @maco @dalias The innovative part that they take 30% of every sale—y'know, like a credit card company, but more so. The innovation is in the "more so".

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:39:40 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • maco
     • James Widman

     @JamesWidman @maco The 30% is compensation for all that vetting they're doing. 🤣

   • Embed this notice
     maco (maco@wandering.shop)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:39:41 JST maco

     in reply to

     @dalias when Apple’s App Store came out, I was like “that’s a repository! When we did repositories users complained that they couldn’t just grab random .exes from shady webpages, but now Apple does a repository and it’s a great innovation???”

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:43:45 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • Kristian
     • nycki

     @nycki @kly I don't even buy that. "Search Google and try to find the download link on the website" is NOT easy for non-experts. There's all kinds of scary scams/ads thrown in front of you every step of the way. And the Microsoft store didn't make that any easier. You search for what you want and come up with 2 or 3 versions of it, or a placed-ad for some scam pretending to be what you wanted, and when you get it from the store, you find out you can't even use your existing account but you got the nerfed version that only works with a Microsoft account...

     Using your distro's package manager on a decent Linux distro is so much less scary, and so much easier feeling.

   • Embed this notice
     nycki (nycki@bark.lgbt)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:43:47 JST nycki

     in reply to

     • Kristian

     @kly @dalias I'm not saying it is easier, I'm saying it *feels* easier, same as you. I'm saying it's hard to sell people on something that "feels harder."

   • Embed this notice
     Kristian (kly@fosstodon.org)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:43:48 JST Kristian

     in reply to

     • nycki

     @nycki @dalias I strongly disagree on this.

     Yes, it might _feel_ easier to "just download something and install it" but it really isn't, because the risks you run are MUCH MUCH higher, and this is even more true for novice users!

     And most users don't CARE about the newest or most "talked about" software, they just want a browser and an email client or whatever.

     By using a proper distro you can just tell them "you can safely install anything from here". The vetting is already done.

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:46:36 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • Clutha🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇩🇺🇦

     @Clutha I don't think I'm the best source of answers to that, but I'll boost your question.

   • Embed this notice
     Clutha🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇩🇺🇦 (clutha@mastodon.scot)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 02:46:38 JST Clutha🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇩🇺🇦

     in reply to

     @dalias

     Where does an old timer go to learn how to download/use Linux on a 20+ year old MacBook Pro?

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 03:16:37 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • derptron

     @crazyeddie Flatpak basically eliminates the vetting and assurance of compatibilty/policy that was the whole point... 🤦

   • Embed this notice
     derptron (crazyeddie@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 03:16:38 JST derptron

     in reply to

     @dalias That part has its pluses and minuses actually. A lot of people just really prefer the download an installer and run it approach. They know nothing of DLL hell.

     So the fact that the app has to be packaged for your specific distribution is a real draw back that you don't bring attention to when evangelizing until you got them hooked already. Oh, BTW...there's this bullshit...but it's OK because....

     Things have improved a lot. A lot more works together. There's flatpacks...

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 03:23:28 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • derptron

     RE: https://hachyderm.io/@dalias/115693684866669147

     @crazyeddie Some distros actually take this responsibility seriously:

   • Embed this notice
     derptron (crazyeddie@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 03:23:29 JST derptron

     in reply to

     @dalias You don't really want to trust that too much anyway. There's some, sure, but for the wide array of apps in the database the involvement of the distro in "vetting" is minimal. It also really depends on the distro, again. Some are just a bunch of rehashed packages thrown together without much testing at all.

   • Embed this notice
     Josh Simmons (dotstdy@mastodon.social)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 03:26:03 JST Josh Simmons

     in reply to

     @dalias that's just because nobody makes commercial desktop software for Linux tho

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 21-Dec-2025 03:26:03 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • Josh Simmons

     @dotstdy There isn't "commercial desktop software" you can buy anymore. It's all junk you rent.