1159

submitted 2 months ago by SatyrSack@quokk.au to c/linuxmemes@lemmy.world

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This image was created by /u/kuebic@discuss.tchncs.de for this comment here: https://discuss.tchncs.de/comment/21735989. I had encouraged them to post it somewhere, but as far as I can tell, they never did.

Panel 1: “Installing Windows 20 years ago” screenshot of install wizard with just a couple buttons
Panel 2: “Installing Linux 20 years ago” screenshot of a busy command line
Panel 3: “Installing Windows today” screenshot of a busy command line
Panel 4: “Installing Linux today” screenshot of install wizard with just a couple buttons

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[-] gustofwind@lemmy.world 96 points 2 months ago

My favourite part of the Linux installation process is when it automatically places itself before windows in the grub menu boot order

Inb4 don’t dual boot: I occasionally need to for work 🫩

[-] renegadespork@lemmy.jelliefrontier.net 117 points 2 months ago

Better than Windows just straight up overwriting your Linux boot partition on an update.

[-] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 2 months ago

Just boot partition?

I once installed Linux Mint by shrinking Windows 10 partition in Linux against the recommendations. On first Windows boot it seemed fine, except that C: was still showing the old size.
On next Windows reboot it got annihilated with "Repairing drive C:".

[-] renegadespork@lemmy.jelliefrontier.net 16 points 2 months ago

I wouldn’t blame Windows for this one. In this case, this is likely because the Windows partition table wasn’t updated when you changed your C: partition, so Windows legitimately thought there was filesystem corruption because the size didn’t match its partition table.

You should always used the currently installed OS to free up space first, so it’s aware of the change. Then run the installer and install to the free space you made.

Or better yet, use separate physical drives for different OSes.

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[-] Dhs92@piefed.social 10 points 2 months ago

That really only happens if you use the same drive for both installs, though

[-] Saapas@piefed.zip 79 points 2 months ago

"It only really happens if you have a common setup"

[-] renegadespork@lemmy.jelliefrontier.net 32 points 2 months ago

You say that as if it’s an excuse. No program should ever overwrite an existing filesystem without explicit consent from the user.

[-] MotoAsh@piefed.social 10 points 2 months ago

What is this con-cent you speak of? Some kind of... negative currency? A bad smell?

Microsoft, allegedly

[-] harmbugler@piefed.social 10 points 2 months ago

Overwrite existing filesystem?

Yes
Later

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[-] Enzy@feddit.nu 13 points 2 months ago

Linux: Signature look of superiority

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[-] Samskara@sh.itjust.works 58 points 2 months ago

SUsE Linux had a nice GUI installer in 2005.

[-] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 52 points 2 months ago

Caldera had a GUI installer in 1998…

Caldera OpenLinux Installer

[-] paper_moon@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

I never used Caldera, but holy hell the font and design of this installer brings back so many memories.

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[-] Digit@lemmy.wtf 5 points 2 months ago

And at least a couple years before that too, when I started with it as a windows refugee.

[-] pedz@lemmy.ca 56 points 2 months ago

Ugh. That reminds me of the Microsoft admin fanboys where I worked, dissing Linux because its all command lines, while saying that MS inventing PowerShell was a stroke of genius making their lives easier.

[-] criticon@lemmy.ca 45 points 2 months ago

20 years ago it was way easier to install Linux from a boot disk (like ubuntu or suse) than windows from scratch. Sometimes XP didn't have the necessary drives and you'd need to find bootable drivers and load them from a floppy disk

It was even easier to install OSx86 on my laptop than windows vista from scratch in 2007

Maybe this is one of those thinking that 20 years ago was the 90s

[-] jaybone@lemmy.zip 20 points 2 months ago

Yeah in 2005 every major distro had a decent clean gui installer. I recall at the time using fedora. Then Ubuntu a few years later.

But god help you if you needed wifi drivers.

Even in the 90s Redhat had a decent installer.

[-] jj4211@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Well that screenshot was accurate for Gentoo circa 2005, it's just the worst choice for ease of install, with Linux graphical installs provided by suse, mandrake, and redhat from the 90s.

Fair point could be made that the out of box experience was sorely lacking and you pretty much had to configure;make install most software you actually wanted...

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[-] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 33 points 2 months ago

windows xp WAS NOT 20 years ago

[-] SatyrSack@quokk.au 50 points 2 months ago

24 years ago! Don't forget to schedule your colonoscopy.

October 25, 2001

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP

[-] ClockworkOtter@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago

Don't schedule a colonoscopy unless you have symptoms of a GI disorder, or unexplained weight loss. The evidence does not support non-targeted screening programs.

[-] SatyrSack@quokk.au 22 points 2 months ago

What should be my default "Remember that you're getting old!" helpful tip now, then?

[-] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 15 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Check your linkin park cds for disc rot.

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[-] Sunsofold@lemmings.world 30 points 2 months ago

Installing windows for most of that time hasn't been a thing people do. They bought a computer and it had the internets (the picture with the blue e) and the word (the picture with the paper and a W) and that was pretty much them sorted. We're weird for knowing the difference and that's not a bad thing to be.

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[-] Digit@lemmy.wtf 24 points 2 months ago

Uhhh. No.

Is this like the time that travel journalist was in Hungary, saw 1 cow, that happened to be white, then wrote "all the cows in Hungary are white"?

Over 20 years ago, I installed linux with a gui (suse, as easy as ubuntu to install, before ubuntu), and still could. At the same time, could also install Gentoo, and still do. Free to choose how to install linux, any of many ways, gui or not, then as now.

... Was this made by a windows user, and windows only gives you one way, and they thought that's what it was like with Free Software too?

[-] bossjack@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago

Think you're taking this too seriously.

To the average Joe, yeah, Windows is easier to install than ever. But to anyone with a passing interest in the OS has needed to do more and more work just to keep the OS recognizably sane vs the mess it has become.

Contrast that to Linux, which has stayed recognizably sane or even getting better.

[-] Tja@programming.dev 6 points 2 months ago

Think you're taking this too seriously.

Welcome to Linux. You'll hate it here.

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[-] LoafedBurrito@lemmy.world 23 points 2 months ago

I am new to linux Mint and mullvad had an update ready, so i clicked update. It just stayed downloading on 0% for like 5 minutes, so i remembered this ISN'T WINDOWS. So i opened terminal and sudo apt upgrade and Mullvad was updated and new version installed.

It's weird how windows makes things looks easy, but then they don't work well. Linux makes things look difficult, but it they work well.

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[-] db0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Tbh, Installing Gentoo today is basically the same as it was in the first screenshot anyway :D But then again, most people would object to conflating the Gentoo installation to the "Linux installation"

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[-] PlaidBaron@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago

You also had to spend hours tweaking your install in any Linux distro. Now most work out of the box.

Windows on the other hand...

[-] qjkxbmwvz@startrek.website 5 points 2 months ago

But once you got that XFree86 config dialed in, life was awesome.

(Ok looks like Xorg has been around for 21 years, so maybe you were running it instead.)

[-] Digit@lemmy.wtf 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

"had to"?

got to.

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[-] BilSabab@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago

My favorite conspiracy of the moment is that Microsoft intentionally does this New Coke thing and then they will roll out actually good Windows and make all of DA MONY AND KEEL DA LEENOOCKS DIZIZZ. But it's Microsoft, so the long game will go on forever and there will be no pay off. Also - Mint is soooo gooooood to use compared to Win11

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[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago

Don't forget to remove the french language pack

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[-] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago

Getting help with Linux 15-20 years ago: some forum full with slurs telling you to google it

Getting help with Windows 15-20 years ago: "Do this and this, if that fails look up data backup methods before the reinstall."

Getting help with Linux now: various Wikis and blogs. The hazard of finding an AI hallucinated blog post is significant, but can be blocked.

Getting help with Windows now: support forums owned by Microsoft filled with users telling they have the same issue, and AI agents hallucinating solutions.

[-] WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

to be fair, some linux forums still have toxic members, and some others while probably not toxic, are still a bit harsh with people

[-] kopasu22@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

Getting help with Windows now: support forums owned by Microsoft filled with users telling they have the same issue, and AI agents hallucinating solutions.

I feel this to my core.

My work PC uses Windows, and sometimes I have to Google something that is acting up, which takes me to these sorts of threads. It's always:

OP: I'm having trouble with this app, it doesn't recognize my default audio device. I've tried X, Y, and Z, which did not work.

Jimothy, Certified Windows Expert: Greetings, OP! My name is Jimothy, a Certified Windows Expert and fellow Windows enthusiast! I am sorry to hear about the issues you've been having. But don't worry, I am here to assist. 3 paragraphs later You should try going to the user settings and make sure that "Use default audio device" is checked on. Did this fix your issue?

OP: I don't see any setting labeled "Use default audio device."

15 posts follow from other users who are experiencing the same issue, also confirming there is no such setting.

Jimothy, Certified Windows Expert: Greetings again, OP! I am sorry to hear that did not answer your question. According to the app specifications, use of the default audio device is not a supported feature at this time. If you would like to make a suggestion to include this feature in a future release, you may submit a request through the Microsoft Feedback Portal. I will now close this topic to further replies. Thank you!

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[-] regdog@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

This meme would be better if it were:

left column: 20 years ago
right column: today

[-] lauha@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago

I installed my first linux using graphical installer over 25 years ago

[-] ArmchairAce1944@discuss.online 10 points 2 months ago

Linux mint is my distro for now and a good while! I cannot complain (except for a few very minor things).

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[-] ragas@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 months ago

Urgh, we downgraded from Gentoo to Ubuntu.

[-] Zink@programming.dev 9 points 2 months ago

I don't think I ever messed with the Windows 3.1 OS on my family's 486, but from Windows 95 and onwards I've done multiple installs of all the consumer versions of windows and was an avid user of win2k at the time. And for Windows 11 I have only ever installed it in a VM on a Linux machine to test Windows tools that are part of our builds at work.

I've also installed the last couple versions of Linux Mint a few times on some newer and older PCs. And some other distros in VMs for various reasons.

ALL of my recent Linux installs have gone far more smoothly and quickly than ANY Windows installs I remember.

Old windows? Better.

New Linux? Best!

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[-] halvar@lemy.lol 9 points 2 months ago

I was scared because i thought there was a windows 20

[-] kepix@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

3 out of 4 panels should be a picture where the operating system cant find the proper drivers

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[-] vrighter@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 2 months ago

i installed mandrake in 2004. It came with a nice graphical installer.

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this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2025

1159 points (100.0% liked)

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