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
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
- 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
That’s why I said it might have something to do with who you’re around.
As an example I’m on Linux for a decade now but I also use proprietary services. I use Jellyfin and Netflix, Vim and Jetbrains IDEs, Chess.com instead of Lichess, WhatsApp instead of Matrix.
Sometimes the value proposition does it for me, sometimes it’s the network effect. I’ve ditched reddit because I like Lemmy more but I can see how someone wants to stay in touch with their niche communities that don’t really exist on Lemmy. Probably some people use both.
How comes that Vim is proprietary? Jetbrain offers community versions which are afaik open source too, so you can look at the source code, you do not need to pay or agree to an EULA.
It’s not, Vim is GNU. I listed some of them as “I use open source and proprietary” things. Jellyfin is open source also.
There’s two reasons why r/linux is popular on Reddit:
- Reddit is popular
- r/linux is popular
Some of us did leave, that’s why you see us here
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. 😅
Even if they did… Reddit would just find new mods and reopen it. They wouldn’t let it remain abandoned.
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.
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. :)
Tell me what distro you are using and I tell you if you have to go back to reddit or not.
Well they’re clearly not using Arch. Btw.
How should we know? Ask them, not us.
But Lemmy users are obviously smarter, so it’s better to ask them.
Linux is ubiquitous, it’s everywhere, even on Reddit, even under your bed
If you have a Smart BedTM, Linux might even be in your bed.
Also it was on the Mars with the Ingenuity.
Bet the Facebook Linux community is bigger than ours.
It is actually.
I hear the Linux community on Microsoft GitHub is pretty big too these days.
The mods there were crap back in the day. Keep them on reddit.
Honestly man, of all the communities we have here on lemmy, linux community getting bigger is not what we need. We need all the rest, stuff like tf2, csgo, gaming specific stuff, all the other niche communities.
Because this here is for support. That there is for evangelism.
As someone who needed to use the jellyfin discord for assistance setting it up, moving from a larger, community readable platform to a platform that is non searchable externally, and more importantly. If someone wants to learn how to linux. Making them learn how to Lemmy ADDITIONALLY is gonna HURT. this is ofc ignoring the reality of the fact that communities can exist in multiple places, and assuming they’d just go read only or smth like that. Jellyfin support was ONLY able to be provided because they’re matrix interconnects with discord, a software i can use! (I’ve since made a element account while watching media on my jellyfin server XD)
You mean Lemmy threads aren’t indexed by search engines ? So if we move everything to lemmy there goes the only way to find good info online which is adding “reddit” to the search bar ?
That is incorrect on my part, I’ve since learned that lemmy IS searchable, but because of much lower density just doesn’t show up hence the initial poster I referred tos confusion. Search link for reference
Look at corporate members at https://www.linuxfoundation.org/about/members
There is a difference between Linux, the kernel, as a tool and free software the ideology. A lot of contributors to Linux are there for the money. They contribute resources, including money but also usually staff, without caring for abstract concepts like “freedom”, or they might even actively (arguably) work against it when they are strategically establishing walled gardens and exclusive stores.
So… I’m not saying that’s OK but I believe by confusing the ideology with the tool used for profit by gigantic corporations we are being unrealistic.
I’m having trouble following, you’re suggesting that the Linux subreddit continues to exist because of some corporate conspiracy to keep users on commercial media platforms?
I’m not sure where you get the “corporate conspiracy” part. Is anybody in 2025 still not understanding that platforms do everything they can for their users to consume any content available there constantly in order to sell more advertising because that’s one of the most profitable business model? Isn’t that public knowledge? If it’s not public knowledge are you implying it is “secret” despite those very corporations precisely publicly (at least during shareholders meetings) claiming that their strategy is simultaneously user base growth AND user engagement? If so wouldn’t that be more ignorance that conspiracy?
Anyway, that’s not even my point, rather I was trying to say that it seems OP is interested in Linux for the ethical aspect whereas the corporations listed there are, by definition and by their legal mandate of being for-profit companies, participating in order to improve their bottom line.
Please let me know if I misunderstood your point and/or if I’m still unclear.
op asked about the r/linux community which was not mentioned in either of your comments
Reddit, which hosts the r/linux subreddit, is a for-profit company driven by growth and engagement, like other numerous other platforms in the corporate members. I imagine this is precisely the kind of tension that prompted OP to ask the question (but I’d happily let them clarify).
I’m arguing that discussion on r/linux if you are working for one of those corporations and want to discuss technical questions is not incoherent.
If you are though interested in Linux for the moral and ethical aspect then it is in direct conflict with the moral and ethical decisions that such platform took and keep to this day. Consequently using r/linux is a problem in one case, not in the other.
Does it make sense?
