I see the world of open source as a bit like the Wild West.

You hear this a lot, but it really depends on the piece you’re going to pick up. If you get random GitHub repositories that are someone’s hobby project, then yes. But if you use Linux Kernel, AMD Linux drivers, Modzilla, LibreOffice, GIMP, Krita, Signal messenger, Proton VPN, Python programming language, etc., it will be a different story. Well, Android, which is on many phones, is essentially open source, as is Chromium on which many browsers are built. Such large projects are often more stringent in terms of code quality and compliance with their worldviews than closed software. But the core stuff like GTK, QT, fcitx, systemd, etc. are also well developed, and certainly no worse than Windows components. And more and more government applications are becoming open source, and I’m talking all over Europe. Small projects can also be stable. For example, Corsair software (CKB-Next) has been released since 2018 and is still under maintenance for bugs and new products, and has been running stably for years.

Additionally, it’s not just open source that works on Linux. Open source software is part of the story. Companies like Valve, Modzilla, Jetbrains, and even Google (contemporary Chromebooks run on Linux, and Android also depends on them) and Microsoft (think Intune and .NET CORE for example, both available for Linux), are active in the Linux world. Nowadays, Nvidia also has good drivers, unlike in the past. But also more superficial things like Epson printer drivers (yes, only from the Epson website). Or specific things like Autodesk Maya (which I originally ran on Linux during my training).

I don’t like having to search for software at a flea market. […] The best solutions in this world are being developed, but they are “work in progress.” My problem is that you have to do a lot of searching and try to find the right thing out of the hole.

Well, I’d say the Windows world grabbing .exes from the Internet is as good as a flea market, if not worse. The only difference is that people (or really, people who are good with computers because at Average Joe you often find a lot of bloated machines laden with malware) are aware of “safe” places and companies. With Linux, you sometimes have to communicate with other parties. But enough of that comes from big companies, and enough of the software has been in stable circulation for so long that it can no longer really be called a WIP from the Wild West. You just have to look for it. Well, someone who has not used Windows for a long time should also do so with Windows. This is just what you are used to/acquainted with.

Linux can be very hands on, don’t get me wrong. But you can also set it up so it’s more stable than a Windows machine. There’s a reason why so much runs on Linux and Linux-based systems, from web servers to embedded systems to phones, you name it.