Normal people can definitely install an OS. Last weekend I set aside time help a friend install CachyOS. They'd never used a terminal before and wanted some help.

When I called them, they had already set it up and was playing Risk of Rain 2. They started streaming for me on the Discord Flatpak they installed from the app store.

▲

hungryhobbit 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Define normal. I would argue at least 75% of the US population has zero interest in learning how to install a new OS, let alone actually do so themselves.

I say this as a decades-long Linux user (who has tried to evangelize it many times).

▲

com2kid 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Gamers are one of the few demographics still buying new Windows PCs. There are now so many discord servers and subreddits filled with people discussing which Linux distro to use.

Honestly for your average home consumer, there isn't much need for a Windows PC now days.

▲

999900000999 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I can't drive stick.

This doesn't mean if someone gave me a manual car I wouldn't try to learn.

If your around a bunch of car people then it's much easier to over estimate how many people will want to drive stick.

▲

sankalpnarula 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I would argue its close to 99% of the population. Technical people like us usually live in a bubble.

	▲	booi 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		No we don't... right guys?!

▲

bigyabai 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> has zero interest in learning

Well I can agree with that, but that's not the same thing as being incapable of doing it. Both of my parents could easily install Linux, it's infantilizing to argue that they can't fill out a user wizard and select a drive to wipe.

▲

bakugo 5 hours ago | parent [-]

> and select a drive to wipe

You are vastly overestimating the percentage of the population that knows what a "drive" is. Not saying that's a good thing, but it's the reality.

	▲	bigyabai 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		You don't have to know. The Calamares installer annotates your partitions and explains what will happen in natural language. If you can order a pizza online, you can install Linux.

▲

lp0_on_fire 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I don’t disagree that installing windows/macos and certain Linux distros can be stupid easy but to a layman it’s daunting.

In my experience most people who use a computing device may be able to tell me “this is window” or “this is Mac” by virtue of the branding being all over the stuff but for all intents and purposes these things are appliances.

In the same way most people except ambitious DIYers don’t rip apart their 500-1000 dollar washing machine to replace a worn belt the call a repair guy. Or in your case, have a buddy who knows how to do it.