this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2026
240 points (96.9% liked)

Linux

11278 readers
251 users here now

A community for everything relating to the GNU/Linux operating system (except the memes!)

Also, check out:

Original icon base courtesy of lewing@isc.tamu.edu and The GIMP

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

If you were asked to pick the most annoying of the various Microsoft Windows interfaces that have appeared over the years, there’s a reasonable chance that Windows 8’s Metro start screen and interface design language would make it your choice. In 2012 the software company abandoned their tried-and-tested desktop whose roots extended back to Windows 95 in favor of the colorful blocks it had created for its line of music players and mobile phones.

Consumers weren’t impressed and it was quickly shelved in subsequent versions, but should you wish to revisit Metro you can now get the experience on Linux. [er-bharat] has created Win8DE, a shell for Wayland window managers that brings the Metro interface — or something very like it — to the open source operating system.

The most beautiful horror to ever exist lmao

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] AbsolutelyClawless@piefed.social 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The main thing I encountered has been gatekeeping the OS itself. I.e. you have to be a Linux nerd/expert to be allowed to use Linux. I personally haven't seen that type of gatekeeping for other OSes. It's literally just an OS. There are dozens of distros one can choose from. There's something for everyone. I'm sure it's just a vocal minority, but they do exist.

I've pretty much seen the opposite. Windows fanboys love to come up with excuses for why they COULDNT POSSIBLY switch to Linux but most of the Linux users I've seen are constantly trying to convince people that it's NOT that intimidating and that you DON'T need to be a super genius or nerd to use it.