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[SOLVED] is LTT a good channel?
(lemdro.id)
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this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2026
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Linux
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Also, their attitude towards Linux has always been unncecessarily hostile; with Linus refusing to respect that he has to learn how to use a different operating system and just treating it like Windows which will naturally lead to instability and crashes.
If you were to treat macOS like Windows the same would happen too.
To be fair the last time I saw Linus try linux, he tried to install steam and the package manager removed the entire desktop environment. This was PopOS, and PopOS clarified in the comments that Linus just so happened to be making the video when there was a big bug in their system. So I don't fault Linus for being a bit put off
It gave him a very visible warning that this will break his system and only to proceed if you know what you're doing. He pressed yes I know what I'm doing and purged all of the desktop environment packages. You would get the same result on any operating system by disregarding a warning like that.
But that should've never happened. He did say very clearly that he isn't going into the challenge as a tech savvy dude but as a naive enter smashing user. That was completely on pop os for even suggesting the option.
As I recall, it was a transient packaging bug that was fixed within an hour of it occurring, well before the video even aired.
The bug should have never made it to production. Pretty unlucky that one of the biggest tech youtubers caught it on video, but still, not the best look for Linux
I've been told a thousand times that linux and linux gaming were finally easy before getting in, not in a thousand years would I have thought installing steam would kill my whole linux installation.
Just my two cents. Also I've learned that linux people tend to lie through their teeth so I never take them too seriously, the same people that get angry when you criticize linux for difficulty or weirdness will crucify you for installing steam in the exact moment a once in a lifetime bug you couldn't predict (as a newcomer) kills your os.
If you gave a scrolling wall of terminal text to the average PC user and then asked "yes or no", they will just say "yes". The point of Linus's video was "is Linux ready for mainstream", so his actions were fair imo. Linux users forget how simple using a PC is (or at least was) on Windows and Mac.
When does Windows or MacOS allow you to purge your desktop environment? They would simply not install the software. They wouldn't give you the option to break your PC in the first place
As much as Linus tries to claim it whenever he fucks up in Linux, he is NOT the average PC User. Yes he is a Windows power user foremost but a lot of knowledge and concepts translate broadly. For example: if you get a warning you have to read it before pressing yes like a monkey.
I agree what happened to Linus should not have happened, but the fact that Linux distros just let you shoot yourself in the foot like that is part of the freedom Linux offers.
"You wanna remove THAT? Sure go ahaead" in this case they even put in a "You sure you wann do that? This will break things"
And with this attitude you are already far out of "average pc user" territory.
Which is my point exactly:
I think you understood the opposite of what I was trying to say.
Average PC users sadly do just click "yes" on everything without reading to make it go away.
Sorry I still feel like we have a misunderstanding here.
I was saying that Linus is not an Average PC user so he would not simply click yes. I feel like you're reasoning the other way round? I.e. an Average PC user would just click yes so Linus I not an averge PC user but that doesn't make sense to me since he did simply click yes?
I'm sorry I keep on about this and if I'm completely misunderstanding you I just wanna figure out what you mean
I'm saying he was deliberately trying to act like an average user to show the average user experience to his viewers. The same reason he refused to ask experts he knows via work for help and attempted to do research available to an average user.
OK. Finally got your point. That's a fair argument and I guess one strategy to approach it that way.
Though I do feel like the takeaway most people had from Linus's failure is "If Linus can't figure it out how can I ever?" So I would argue in that way the challenges sort of falsified the truth?
But yeah got your point now, sorry for being slow.
I mean not all distros need to do that. Immutable distros will not let you break them like that
They redid that challenge and it went much differently. In fact, Linus may now be a Linux convert.
Honestly, awesome to hear. I need to check out that video
I feel like people here never finished his videos, he is still using linux after switching off popos, and has been heavily promoting it on the wan show. He also made a video recently on what linux distro to choose, although i haven't watched it and a video comparing ram usage on windows and linux.
I was talking about his venture into PopOS that was 4 years ago. It does seem like he has warmed up to Linux much more in the past few months, that's pretty cool
Hes been using for about 3 months, if I remember correctly
And they've been pumping out weekly linux videos, I think, so that helps draw attention too
I would agree with you 6mo ago, but ever since their last Linux challenge, it feels like LTT is full linux-pilled now. Before, they seemed to exclusively compare capabilities vs mainstream OSes, and only focus on where Linux fell short, because realistically, that's all mainstream gamers care about. But after the last Linux challenge, they all chose to stay with Linux on their personal machines, because they all felt like it was worth any compromises to not have to deal with windows.
As Linus put it, if something doesn't work in windows it's because of bugs or lack of money. If something doesn't work in Linux, it's because no one in the community has been annoyed enough by it to fix it.
As Luke put it, every time he's had to fix an issue on Linux, he's actually enjoyed it because it felt like he was learning about his machine.
Linus recently did a call with Ludwig about the feasibility of non-tech YouTubers using Linux. Ludwig said "I just think it's better to have more options, so everyone can use the option they want", which is historically the line Linus goes with, except that he countered with "consider that windows actively uses their status to limit people's options, does that change your mind?"
Overall, I think the channel still has to be realistic about the general public's adoption of Linux. They review the latest tech, and if the latest tech is built exclusively for windows, then they have to review it there. But they do seem to be much more critical of window's enshittification, and openly advocate for people to try Linux in spite of a rocky transition. It's been refreshing to finally see the self-professed tech nerds actually cross that threshold into owning their hardware. And whether you like it or not, LTT and Pewdiepie are driving orders of magnitude more people to Linux than we are.
Edit: oh and Linus openly declared that It's the year of the Linux Desktop, telling viewers it is ready for mainstream adoption.
He actually 180d on that. He has become what he once used to hate. Linix users that won't shut up about linux.
Hmm I always thought Linus did this to try to stress test Linux and other things they review, because you know a tech youtuber would more than likely have no trouble making something happen if they wanted to even if they had to get someone else to do it or it took awhile...the idea is they want to help improve it by trying to make things difficult and if it fails to be difficult then they have succeeded. Same thing with their recent ai pc build video, he's putting in unfiltered prompting to try to get answers and it half worked, which is pretty good thst this was able to work imo.