Linux is a doomed operating system; here’s how you can save it
While being a proponent of Linux — and open source software in general — there are some things about Linux which make me doubt its future as an operating system.
I have a turbulent relationship with Linux, and while I have switched to Linux many times, I keep coming back to Windows. And no, it’s not because some Windows application that I use is not available, and no it isn’t because I have hardware which isn’t supported. It isn’t because I have to mess around with the command line every once in a while — I actually like that part.
My problem with Linux is, that it makes it very difficult to handle porn.
You might be shocked right now. Why would Linux make it difficult to hide porn, you ask? Well…
First of all, most versions of Linux have very poor multimedia support when it comes to proprietary formats. While distributions such as Linux Mint include common codecs, and VLC is just one repository away, with most others this task is too convoluted, it almost seems contrived. The poor support for hardware acceleration for H.264 playback on Linux means that I am unable to enjoy my 1080p HD porn without suffering through choppy “action” sequences.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, Linux has very poor support for hiding porn from family members. Its insistence on using MIME for determining file formats — instead of the arbitrary characters after a dot in the file name — means that Linux goes on displaying file thumbnails even after the offending extensions have been removed. Even after renaming that “Hot-chicks-getiton.avi” to “system-kernel.sys”. the file insists on opening using my default media player.
Since I avoid watching and storing porn on my Linux system I find myself back using Windows quite often; once there I find it difficult to move back knowing what’s in store. I fear for the future of Linux, and believe that a serious issue such as this can affect Linux adoption even on servers. Which system administrator wouldn’t want to sneak into a server room for a quick dose of his favorite erotica? This problem has gone on long enough that I no longer expect a solution, and only hope than when the end of Linux comes, all the Linux-run porn websites don’t go down with it.
There may be hope yet. Sign this petition to make Linux a more “friendly” OS.