I’m visiting my parents for the holidays and convinced them to let me switch them to Linux.

They use their computer for the typical basic stuff; email, YouTube, Word, Facebook, and occasionally printing/scanning.

I promised my mom that everything would look the same and work the same. I used Linux Mint and customized the theme to look like Windows 10. I even replaced the Mint “Start” button with the Windows logo.

So far they like it and everything runs great. Plus it’s snappier now that Windows isn’t hogging all the system resources.

  • cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    4·
    9 months ago

    I did that about 10 years ago because I got tired of removing malware for them. They haven’t had any malware since then.

    • d3Xt3r@lemmy.nzM
      2·
      9 months ago

      Same here. Not just my parents, but also some of my aunts and uncles. None of them are particularly tech savvy and none of them have had any major issues.

      People who claim that Linux is difficult to use, or not suitable for newbies, have no idea what they’re talking about.

    • onlinepersona@programming.devEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      Same. And also because it kept getting slower for no reason. The only support requests at the beginning were “how do I install this” --> app store, and “it won’t boot” --> that took longer because they had turned off the computer during a system update - by holding down the power button. The last one warranted a sticky note on the screen “NEVER turn off the computer during an update”.

  • 1984@lemmy.today
    3·
    9 months ago

    It’s so funny that having a different theme makes the computer hard to use for some parents. :)

    Those people drive cars on the road!

    • Swarfega@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      9 months ago

      My wife changed her Windows work laptop last week. Her Desktop is synced to OneDrive so really she just needs to login. Despite that she was panicking that her PDF’s were gone. They weren’t, it’s just that the new laptop has a newer version of Adobe Reader which uses an updated icon.

      Some people are just tech illiterate and the slightest difference can be upsetting. My mum’s the same with her phone. Using Google Maps to navigate is an achievement for her and I’ve been telling her to use it for years. The first time she did she reached her destination literally shaking. She was also amazed with herself that she had done it.

    • vsis@feddit.cl
      2·
      9 months ago

      UI/UX 101, my friend.

      If people are used to see specific symbols for years is hard for them to use different ones.

      There’s a reason why floppy disk is still the icon for “save”.

      Those people drive cars on the road!

      Imagine if they change all road signs designs suddenly before you go for a ride.

  • Steve@lemmy.todayEnglish
    3·
    9 months ago

    An excellent choice to use Linux Mint! If my parents allowed me to switch their computers to Linux, I would’ve chosen Linux Mint as well for them. But, I probably wouldn’t give them the Windows 10 look.

    • Lettuce eat lettuce@lemmy.mlOP
      2·
      9 months ago

      My mom insisted that it look the same lol. I figured it was a small price to pay to get them off Windows. I still might change it secretly before I leave haha.

  • the_weez@midwest.social
    2·
    9 months ago

    I did this about a decade ago for my parents. Upgraded their computer last year and they told me they wanted to keep Linux on the new machine.

    My dad wasn’t convinced until his hoyle card games ran with wine though.

  • KE0VVT@midwest.social
    1·
    9 months ago

    I don’t believe in making GNU/Linux look exactly like Windows. It’s a different OS, and any attempt to fool users will be in vain.

    I tell family members: “I don’t know anything about Windows/macOS.” (Because I don’t, at this point.) “I can only help you if you use what I use.” Usually, they stop asking me for help, and that’s great for me. If they say yes, I install Fedora with GNOME and whatever applications they expect to use. After a brief explanation of how GNOME works, people generally get used to it and are satisfied.

    I share my laptop with Mom. It runs GNU Guix System with GNOME. She uses it to run Chrome for stuff she can’t get on her tablet. She’s used to it at this point.

    • TimeSquirrel@kbin.social
      2·
      9 months ago

      And that’s the thing. It’s great for casual users who do simple computing tasks, and it’s great for the programmers, hackers, and IT professionals. But there’s no middle ground for power users who know a bit more than the average users but can’t be bothered to learn shell scripting.

        • Semperverus@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          9 months ago

          I play AAA titles all the time on linux. Just not ones that come bundled with viruses and rootkitskernel-level invasive anticheat.

  • Grass@sh.itjust.works
    1·
    9 months ago

    Welcome to the club. It’s the don’t need to remove malware from the parents computers every week club.

  • Yerbouti@lemmy.ml
    1·
    9 months ago

    My dad has a Surface Go. I’ve installed Fedora on one of those and it works really well. Dad is still unsure about this but I will try to convince him during the holydays.

    • Clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      Any trouble spots on the Surface? I have a 2017 model that could use a refresh, but I was worried about the touch screen, digitizer pen, and detachable keyboard.

      • dutchkimble@lemy.lol
        1·
        9 months ago

        I put ubuntu on a surface Pro 4, around 2016, and everything worked perfectly without fiddling with drivers back then except autorotate. I’m guessing by now even that works.