It’s kind of ironic to me that Linux is all for free and open source, but still uses a proprietary platform, and a horrible one at that. Before the fediverse, I’d understand, but now, there is no excuse whatsoever.
I understand that we can’t just get up and leave everything proprietary behind all at once, since we have iPhones and Android phones. We all use proprietary software of some form, but I am of the mindset of using the least amount of proprietary possible.
I will ALWAYS look for FOSS first. I also want to make it as hard as possible for any corporation to track me. They’ll probably still be able to track me, but I’m not going without a fight.
I could say the same about the Linux kernel using GitHub, but I understand how massive of an undertaking it would be to move the whole kernel to another platform. I’m sure there are other factors, too. Anyway, I just wanted to start a discussion and hear people’s thoughts.
Thank you
- Not everyone that uses Linux is against proprietary software or only uses FOSS.
- There are people that just heard of Linux, are just trying it out, or have an issue, and already use Reddit, or is what the search engine points them to go for help, or to ask questions.
- Reddit has a lot more reach for the common people than any other platform at the moment, there are still people that prefer to ask on Reddit, than go to a specific forum or another platform to ask (If I remember right, it still happens with some apps like Jellyfin that moved out of Reddit, but people still ask there)
These are just a few of the reasons that come to my mind.
Also institutional inertia is difficult to overcome in general.
This is so weird to me. Maybe it’s about who you are, or who you run with, but when I saw that Discord was about to go that way, I messaged my Pathfinder group and every single person there immediately hit me back with, “so where to next?”
That’s what, five people?
It’s a lot different when it’s thousands and thousands
Reddit has a big community. It’s about networking effect. That’s why so hard to leave big platforms, because you can migrate to FOSS alternatives, but maybe most of things/people you follow don’t have accounts there.
The kernel on GitHub is just a mirror - the primary source is on kernel.org
Torvalds wrote git for the Linux kernel, and then GitHub popped up because most other projects couldn’t handle the decentralization. Interestingly to OP’s frustration, they were using a proprietary VCS before that, and people were just as frustrated about that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git#History
If no one discussed the value of software freedom on proprietary platforms then (hopefully) we’d be preaching to the choir here.
Linux has proprietary binary blobs in it. If any part of a software is proprietary then even if most of it is free why wouldn’t people call “Linux” proprietary? Libre Linux removes those blobs.
It would definitely be nicer to see the Linux community grow here.
But hey. I’m on Linux and I’m here with y’all. :)
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This kind of answers my question. lol. I didn’t think about it that way. I thought they can just bring it all here and that one gets
closerclosed or something. I forgot how reddit works.It’s how they kept everything from dying when they killed third party apps. They openly banned and replaced mods that were keeping their subreddits locked. It was a shitshow, but unfortunately reddit still exists.
How should we know? Ask them, not us.
But Lemmy users are obviously smarter, so it’s better to ask them.
Linux isnt only for Foss enjoyers. Plus its good to have the linux community on reddit to help people bring attention to linux. If they move it here it will be even harder to join the community.
Think of /r/linux as a gateway to the world of Foss
You are not wrong. But there are things you can do to make a point. Make Reddit as a 2nd class citizen and drive people to lemmy, mastodon and the others. Like add posts with no comments, just relay bot, … Make it clear.
Same with GitHub, it’s mirror to my Gitea instance. You can see stuff but you have to move somewhere else to contribute and report issues. Not a terrible thing to use these proprietary services and yet make them 2nd class citizens.
You’re talking as if “The linux community” was one single bunch of people.
Reddit isn’t Linux HQ and nor is Lemmy, nor is Facebook. #linux still active on IRC too, but not there either.
100%. I’m relatively new to Linux and to the western world as a whole. 😅
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