5 ms·

I've tried to love Linux since the early 90s, but things like... https://youtu.be/daadsaHhXB8 https://youtu.be/daadsaHhXB8 ...the ten step process to simply a

by 13of40 5y ago

I've tried to love Linux since the early 90s, but things like... https://youtu.be/daadsaHhXB8 https://youtu.be/daadsaHhXB8 ...the ten step process to simply add an icon to the Ubuntu desktop to run a shell script are a bit of a buzz kill. Maybe it's better now, but in Windows it's been a drag and drop or a right-click since 1995.

StillBored 5y ago
This has been a lot better with KDE for a while. I don't really understand all the love for the javascript laden, touch UI oriented gnome vs plasma. I suspect though the lack of attention though is partially why KDE has remained fairly stable. People working on it are focusing on fixing things rather than rewriting it.
- simion314 5y ago
  >I don't really understand all the love for the javascript laden, touch UI oriented gnome GNOME and Apple is form over function design.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
Mikeb85 5y ago
Why would you add an sh file to the desktop? Honestly the mess of shit on the desktop is one of the things I hate most about Windows. Usually sh files you download are installers... And even then it's not the standard way of installing things (.deb/.rpm or flatpak files are). You download, open your downloads folder, right click to make it executable, and double click it. Literally exact same workflow as Windows (because who on earth would download things to the desktop instead of downloads folder...). But honestly, last time I downloaded an sh script that wasn't for a programming thing was years ago. Chrome, Steam, any game or consumer-type software is basically always a single click install or in the software centre. Edit - also, there's always going to be non-standard Linux workflows. But if you just download Fedora or Ubuntu and keep things default, it's a very easy, straightforward experience.
- smarx007 5y ago
  Just had to do this a week ago to get a launch icon for Spring Tool Suite that is Eclipse based (not an sh file). This is a real pain, especially for people who are not familiar with a terminal. On Windows, you right click on any exe and create a shortcut. Why: hit the Win key, type Spri and hit enter. I hope that is enough of a motivation.
  - Mikeb85 5y ago
    > I hope that is enough of a motivation. Definitely motivation to avoid Windows... (and maybe Java too). The fact that that's the workflow is absurd to me.
    - smarx007 5y ago
      ?! It’s common on many Linux distros as well as Windows to hit the Win key and type to filter apps to launch. Same on Mac, Win+Space allows you to type the app name.
      - Mikeb85 5y ago
        My bad. GP was about desktop icons, not start menu launchers. Yes, that's a nice feature, but it's not a regular thing consumers need to do. Most Linux software is packaged much more nicely. For example, VSCode, Steam, Chrome are available as debs/rpms and when you install them, they all create their own launchers. Heck, VSCode and Steam are in Ubuntu's snap repo (that you can access from the Software store) by default. Chrome and Steam are in Fedora's 3rd party repos standard. Needing to go through an extra step or two for a non-standard Java tool doesn't say much about Linux, especially for the average person. Last time I used Java, all the Eclipse add-ons were installable through the IDE.
- lostmsu 5y ago
  I have a .CMD file on my desktop.
- mattowen_uk 5y ago
5- 5y ago
> better now it has always been good -- if you agree not to consider whatever weird choices ubuntu makes the 'standard linux desktop experience' looking at https://www.xmodulo.com/create-desktop-shortcut-launcher-linux.html https://www.xmodulo.com/create-desktop-shortcut-launcher-lin... , gnome is the only environment out of those surveyed that doesn't have the obvious right-click way of adding launchers to the desktop. i tend to pick xfce when setting up boxes for casual users, it does a good job of maintaining an early-2000s desktop look and feel.
- marcosdumay 5y ago
  > if you agree not to consider whatever weird choices ubuntu makes the 'standard linux desktop experience' For some reason, every large distro installs Gnome by default and throws its users into their hostile and clean (of functionality) philosophy. It would be better if this was different.
bxparks 5y ago
With one of the recent versions of GNOME (4.0? on Ubuntu 20.04 or so), you can't even create icons on the desktop. They broke a GUI paradigm that has existed since the dawn of Unix time, WTF. I blew away GNOME on all my Linux computers, and installed Ubuntu MATE or Linux Mint. I love Linux as a development environment. But the desktop experience has so many rough edges, it will be "The Year of Linux on the Desktop" for the next 100 years.
- vetinari 5y ago
  > hey broke a GUI paradigm that has existed since the dawn of Unix time, WTF. Did you feel similarly, when serial and parallel ports were removed from computers? Or floppy drives? Seriously, desktop icons are a wart (and so is systray); removing them is a step forward.
- Mikeb85 5y ago
  Thank god. Icons on the desktop are an abomination, the current (default) Gnome Shell workflow is way better. And BTW, Ubuntu still allows icons on the desktop as default (unfortunately). So not sure what you did.
0134340 5y ago
>but in Windows it's been a drag and drop or a right-click since 1995. Until Windows 11, now you can't do that. Supposedly they're going to enable it later, I hope so.

by 13of40 5y ago

StillBored 5y ago

This has been a lot better with KDE for a while. I don't really understand all the love for the javascript laden, touch UI oriented gnome vs plasma. I suspect though the lack of attention though is partially why KDE has remained fairly stable. People working on it are focusing on fixing things rather than rewriting it.

simion314 5y ago
>I don't really understand all the love for the javascript laden, touch UI oriented gnome GNOME and Apple is form over function design.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

Mikeb85 5y ago

Why would you add an sh file to the desktop? Honestly the mess of shit on the desktop is one of the things I hate most about Windows. Usually sh files you download are installers... And even then it's not the standard way of installing things (.deb/.rpm or flatpak files are). You download, open your downloads folder, right click to make it executable, and double click it. Literally exact same workflow as Windows (because who on earth would download things to the desktop instead of downloads folder...). But honestly, last time I downloaded an sh script that wasn't for a programming thing was years ago. Chrome, Steam, any game or consumer-type software is basically always a single click install or in the software centre. Edit - also, there's always going to be non-standard Linux workflows. But if you just download Fedora or Ubuntu and keep things default, it's a very easy, straightforward experience.

smarx007 5y ago
Just had to do this a week ago to get a launch icon for Spring Tool Suite that is Eclipse based (not an sh file). This is a real pain, especially for people who are not familiar with a terminal. On Windows, you right click on any exe and create a shortcut. Why: hit the Win key, type Spri and hit enter. I hope that is enough of a motivation.
- Mikeb85 5y ago
  > I hope that is enough of a motivation. Definitely motivation to avoid Windows... (and maybe Java too). The fact that that's the workflow is absurd to me.
  - smarx007 5y ago
    ?! It’s common on many Linux distros as well as Windows to hit the Win key and type to filter apps to launch. Same on Mac, Win+Space allows you to type the app name.
    - Mikeb85 5y ago
      My bad. GP was about desktop icons, not start menu launchers. Yes, that's a nice feature, but it's not a regular thing consumers need to do. Most Linux software is packaged much more nicely. For example, VSCode, Steam, Chrome are available as debs/rpms and when you install them, they all create their own launchers. Heck, VSCode and Steam are in Ubuntu's snap repo (that you can access from the Software store) by default. Chrome and Steam are in Fedora's 3rd party repos standard. Needing to go through an extra step or two for a non-standard Java tool doesn't say much about Linux, especially for the average person. Last time I used Java, all the Eclipse add-ons were installable through the IDE.
lostmsu 5y ago
I have a .CMD file on my desktop.
mattowen_uk 5y ago

5- 5y ago

> better now it has always been good -- if you agree not to consider whatever weird choices ubuntu makes the 'standard linux desktop experience' looking at https://www.xmodulo.com/create-desktop-shortcut-launcher-linux.html https://www.xmodulo.com/create-desktop-shortcut-launcher-lin... , gnome is the only environment out of those surveyed that doesn't have the obvious right-click way of adding launchers to the desktop. i tend to pick xfce when setting up boxes for casual users, it does a good job of maintaining an early-2000s desktop look and feel.

marcosdumay 5y ago
> if you agree not to consider whatever weird choices ubuntu makes the 'standard linux desktop experience' For some reason, every large distro installs Gnome by default and throws its users into their hostile and clean (of functionality) philosophy. It would be better if this was different.

bxparks 5y ago

With one of the recent versions of GNOME (4.0? on Ubuntu 20.04 or so), you can't even create icons on the desktop. They broke a GUI paradigm that has existed since the dawn of Unix time, WTF. I blew away GNOME on all my Linux computers, and installed Ubuntu MATE or Linux Mint. I love Linux as a development environment. But the desktop experience has so many rough edges, it will be "The Year of Linux on the Desktop" for the next 100 years.

vetinari 5y ago
> hey broke a GUI paradigm that has existed since the dawn of Unix time, WTF. Did you feel similarly, when serial and parallel ports were removed from computers? Or floppy drives? Seriously, desktop icons are a wart (and so is systray); removing them is a step forward.
Mikeb85 5y ago
Thank god. Icons on the desktop are an abomination, the current (default) Gnome Shell workflow is way better. And BTW, Ubuntu still allows icons on the desktop as default (unfortunately). So not sure what you did.

0134340 5y ago

>but in Windows it's been a drag and drop or a right-click since 1995. Until Windows 11, now you can't do that. Supposedly they're going to enable it later, I hope so.