Linux needs to grow. Stop telling people it's 'tech-y' or acting like you're more advanced for using it, you are scaring away people. Linux Mint can be used by a senile person perfectly.
Explain shortly the benefits, 'faster, more secure, easier to use, main choices of professionals and free'. Ask questions that let you know if they need to dual boot, 'do you use Adobe, anti-cheat games, or Microsoft Office', 'how new is your computer', 'do you use a Mac'.
And most importantly, offer to help them install.
They don't understand the concept of distros, just suggest Linux Mint LTS Cinnamon unless they're curious.
That's it, spread Linux to as many people as possible. The larger the marketshare, the better support we ALL get. We can fight enshittification. Take the time to spread it but don't force it on anyone.
AND STOP SCARING PEOPLE AWAY. Linux has no advertising money, it's up to us.
Offer family members or friends your help or copy and paste the below
how to install linux: 1) copy down your windows product key 2) backup your files to a harddrive 3) install the linux mint cinnamon iso from the linux mint website 4) use etcher (download from its website) to put the iso on a usb flash drive 5) go into bios 6) boot from the usb 7) erase the storage and install 8) press update all in the update manager 9) celebrate. it takes 15 minutes.
edit: LET ME RE-STATE, DO NOT FORCE IT ON ANYONE.
and if someone is at the level of ignorance (not in a derogatory fashion) that they dont know what a file even is genuinely dont bother unless theyre your parents cause youll be tech support for their 'how do i install the internet' questions.
I think GNU/Linux (What you're refering to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux.) is a great fit for non-technical people when they don’t have an established workflow on another OS. If their needs can’t easily be translated over, though, I think it’d turn users away.
Well, one of the benefits of Linux is that it's extreme customizability allows you to emulate whatever workflow you want. I think that Zorin OS has the right idea of asking what workflow you want to use. This way, even a noobie use can feel at home
I want to open the internet but its not on my desktop. How do I get it back? Also, what happened to my C drive? All the files are gone now, and there's all these other ones I don't need called like "lib" and "home." I tried using that app store you showed me, but I couldn't find microsoft word; it tried to install something else instead, I think I might have a virus. It's probably that "wine" virus I tried installing, some guide on the internet said it would give me word, but it didn't bring word back. I don't think it did anything, but you should still do a virus scan. I tried to, but I couldn't find the Norton button.
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check the Downloads folder, OfficeInstaller(1).exe through OfficeInstaller(12).exe
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It worked before you messed with it. Why did you do that? What do you mean you were "installing word" it's just a program you click, why'd you need that black window with text in it?
try to teach them about the terminal
I shouldn't have to learn all this hacker shit to install a simple program.
TL;DR: you overestimate what "noobie" means