Apparently my love language is installing @linux on the laptops of people I really care about.

    • NateSwift@lemmy.world
      321·
      9 months ago

      It really depends on who is being helped and the motive for you “helping” them. I’ve had both really good and pretty bad experiences helping and trying to help people with various computer things. As with providing any kind of support, it’s important to get out of your own head and understand what the person your helping wants and needs

      • Vilian@lemmy.ca
        221·
        9 months ago

        also don’t help to gain approval, help who already cares about you

      • TCB13@lemmy.worldEnglish
        61·
        9 months ago

        As with providing any kind of support, it’s important to get out of your own head and understand what the person your helping wants and needs

        Yes because someone that uses MS Word 6-8 hours a day certainly doesn’t want to use Linux and have compatibility issues while sharing documents with others who do the same.

        • NateSwift@lemmy.world
          7·
          9 months ago

          Both of my parents heavily use O365 and I have to fight the urge to suggest linux every time they complain about automatic updates or weird microsoft integrations.

          Part of me really wants to try Fedora or Mint for them instead of the incoming windows 11 update, but it’s such a bad fit

    • TCB13@lemmy.worldEnglish
      41·
      9 months ago

      I used to think that helping my other dumb grad mates with installing Linux made me look cool and I would be accepted. On the contrary, I looked like an idiot, now that I think of it. i became that weirdo support tech kid for the idiot professors, who could not tell the difference between Java and Javascript.

      I guess the worst part is that people will eventually take advantage of you… and demand for more and more hours of your free support, hold whatever you installed against you like “after you did X… Y stopped working” etc. At the end of the day if you’re proving free support it must be easy, quick why wouldn’t they ask for more.

      In their heads your efforts / help doesn’t provide any value and if by any chance one day they are in a situation where you could bill them or someone for tech support they would rather call any other random tech support guy or company instead of calling you - after all they’re looking for a “professional” now :)

  • lemmyreader@lemmy.mlEnglish
    202·
    9 months ago

    These days installing Linux and upgrading it is easier than it was years ago. Installing Linux can be a good deed indeed :)

  • stormio@lemmy.caEnglish
    14·
    9 months ago

    I love Linux and I think a lot of my non-technical family members would benefit from it, but I am not as brave as you. The danger with messing around with someone’s computer is that you are basically taking ownership of all tech problems the person may run into. It’s like the “You break it, you buy it” rule. The person may seek help from another tech geek, but as soon as that geek finds out they’re dealing with a “weird” Linux system, they’re going to run away from it. You are effectively volunteering to be 24x7 on-call tech support for the people whose laptops you’ve installed Linux on.

    • Stefano Volpe@social.edu.nlOP
      62·
      9 months ago

      @stormio
      (not even a) hot take: if they think a Linux system is weird, they are not a real tech geek.

      But yeah, that is why I only install extremely stable stuff. So that I am basically never asked for shit

      • Joelk111@lemmy.world
        2·
        9 months ago

        That’s a gatekeeper-y take. I tried Linux a few years back, so I guess I became a “real” tech geek a few years ago. Never mind the fact that I was 3/4 the way through a CS degree, I’d built my own computer, and was the go-to tech guy in my family. But nope, not yet a tech geek.

    • wuphysics87@lemmy.ml
      3·
      9 months ago

      If you are gonna have to be anyway, it may as well be one you can run bash scripts on over ssh

    • Joelk111@lemmy.world
      2·
      9 months ago

      Yeah, I’m not sure what OP is on about or how they get away with it. I’d get phone calls for how to use outlook and MS word. I’m fortunate to have a fairly tech literate grandma, but she is old, which means set in her ways. She probably could use Linux, but she would not see the point in putting in the effort to switch habits.

    • Possibly linux@lemmy.zipEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      I usually just mention it. I don’t give to many details and before you know it they will need tech support.

  • bremen15@feddit.de
    5·
    9 months ago

    It is really important that those loved ones understand your language, or else they would get annoyed.