I've never told anyone IRL that I use Linux.
Nor have I actually spoken to anyone for more than a few words since I started using Linux.
this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2026
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I just generally try to avoid letting people know how technically savvy I am. I'd rather not do basic tech support for everyone I know.
The magic words I use are, "Oh! This isn't Linux. I'm not sure how to use these, anymore."
I'm unironically like that with apple things. The last time I used an apple things was 15 years ago. Im comfortable doing just about anything technical on windows, Linux and android, but hand me an iPhone or a MacBook and I instantly realise how those elderly technologically impaired people feel - completely lost.
If anyone irl asks, I'm "trying to learn how to use Linux". Which is technically true, I still learn new things all the time!
Just recently me assisting thru remote desktop:
Windows popup comes up
Me: Cancel
He: Presses OK
Me: WHY did you press Ok, I said cancel
He: I thought we're supposed to continue with this
It's never too late. Don't wait! Go outside, stop the first person you'll see, look them deeply in the eyes and say it. Say it loud and proud!
That’s too casual. You’re going to want to plan a distro reveal party first.
This worked so well that I actually got a date! At the magistrates Court is a weird venue but whatever.
Thank you, because on here people don’t shut the fuck up about it even if the thread doesn’t involve Linux. They’re as bad as Cross-Fitters and Vegans.
Tbf, here it is (mostly?) often a joke, whereas... 🤪😳🙃🙄😞😤
Are young among people a lot?
I haven’t either but I do find myself having to master the urge more and more.
I heard symptoms get worse the longer you don't talk about it.
And yet here you are
this is the same corporate fueled viral joke as “vegans always telling everyone about being vegan”.
maybe if windows wasn’t a vibe coded, microslop, death-by-1,000-papercuts, spycrosoft, torment nexus, then nobody would feel the need to tell people about linux?
People walk around smashing themselves in the dick with a hammer, complain about the dick-smashing hammer, and lament the future dick-smashing hammer update, and the moment someone says, "Hey, have you tried these non-dick-smashing, hammer-free pants?" And they say, "Hahaha, do you also do CrossFit?"
This joke is stolen valor, I only just swapped to Linux like two days ago and I haven't had the opportunity to blurt it out to people yet.
as a long time linux user, nobody wants to try it unless they’re interested in programming or some highly technical thing….
and really that’s where windows wins.
One of my favorite jokes:
Q: A Vegan, a crossfit enthusiast, and a Linux user walk into a bar. How do we know?
A: They told every. Damn. Person. In the bar. Within 5 fucking minutes.
except it’s an unearned stereotype pushed by the corporations that lose money from people quitting meat and windows
i could tell you a lot of jokes based on stereotypes but i don’t want to spread fud.
also, i’ve never heard a single person talk about crossfit ever, but if they do, it’s probably because they enjoy it and want to tell you about things they have benefited from because they want you to be healthy and happier… not to gloat or whatever
The two people I know in real life who do cross fit talking it up constantly, and it's definitely to gloat. I've rarely heard people who are vegan bring it up. As for Linux evangelists I've been one since the late 90s.
If it's all the same person, which do they tell everyone about first?
this line of reasoning seems right to me. Well, if Windows didn't have all these problems, there wouldn't be as much need to migrate to another operating system
Yesterday someone was murdering their dog in public. I almost intervened, but thankfully they told me just in time that they've already squared that decision with their conscience. Phew, haha, that was close. Wouldn't that have been embarrassing, if I pushed my ideology onto somebody who has already squared that decision with their conscience?
i get it but i have a dog and im still mad at you
Arch comments in 3, 2, 1 ...
So you've all heard about rolling in your grave, but have you heard about rolling releases? No? Well it works like ....
I came in here to say “Arch, btw” but now I don’t wanna.
Fine, Hannah Montana it is then.
People are boasting about Arch, but my first open-source OS was FreeBSD 4.2, fitting on a single CD-ROM.
It included a tiny base system and C compiler, and practically every other package had to be compiled from source, using the ports system, which was just a collection of makefiles, one for each package.
And you had to be careful to use gmake instead of make, because the default Make was BSD-specific tool incompatible with most of open-source software, which targeted Linux. And you had to make sure to use GNU versions of grep, sed, and awk, and remove all bashisms from shell scripts, because /bin/sh was of course incompatible with bash.
You had only about 50% chance that a given package would compile. Package manager? What package manager? Just run suand then make install.
And my PC was AMD K6, and it had Turbo button, which did absolutely nothing. And I was very proud of my TEAC CD drive.
and it had Turbo button, which did absolutely nothing
These old 'turbo' buttons actually did do something -- they limited your CPU clock speed.
Because some old games (and perhaps other software) relied on counting CPU cycles for timing the game. The faster your CPU, the faster the game would run, and the faster things in the game would happen. When CPUs got too fast for this, such games became unplayable because everything was happening in such fast-forward speed that the player could never hope to keep up. The counter-intuitively named 'turbo' button would bridge a jumper on the motherboard and change your CPU clock speed to a lower value, slowing it down so these old style games could still run at a reasonable, playable pace.
Ironically enough, the 'turbo' button made your PC slower.
(Personally, I think turbo buttons are due for a comeback, but as fan control options. Use a 'turbo' button to switch between fan control profiles -- turbo off for quiet profile, turbo on for maximum performance profile.)
The PC case with Turbo button was originally 486-DX, but there was no place on the new K6 motherboard to plug it into.
Arch-based, the path you choose, btw? Good.
Big endeavour it is.
Closer to the Force, you'll feel... the more you learn.
The turbo button actually slowed down the pc.
https://www.howtogeek.com/678617/why-did-the-turbo-button-slow-down-your-pc-in-the-90s/
EDIT: Replied to the wrong post, fuck it, it stays as is.
Arch
Emacs
Spaces
Dark mode
Mono space fonts for coding, ligatures for prose
Arch
Emacs
Spaces
Dark mode
Mono space fonts for coding, ligatures for prose
I exchange emacs for vim
I exchange ancient vim for fancy neovim and monospaced fonts upgraded to nerd fonts.
Ew emacs, yuck 🤢🤮. Try Vim and you'll never go back.
/s btw (I use Linux, please don't kill me)
I watched Pew Die Pie's video about self-hosting de-googled services with docker.
I did not expect this. What has happened to the world?
I use Arch btw.
I tell everyone at my part time job that we need Linux on their systems. I know nothing about Linux servers. Lemmy has convinced me most institutions would benefit from the switch.
Lemmy.
That one line probably started a three-hour debate right there at the funeral.
Just going to leave us hanging re the distro guy??
It was the set-up to a joke. Nobody asked who's there so they did not get to finish.:-(
This is sad whatever happened but I use manjaro btw.