Why Linux Isn’t Mainstream: Support

Now, let’s face it. When you get a product you want to be assured of commercial quality support. Well, that used to be few and far between when it comes to the Linux desktop. Many companies don’t go near Linux for this reason. I think a lot of people are stuck with an age old impression of Linux.

There are various options for commercial support, the most popular of which would appear to be installing Ubuntu (which is free, as in beer) and purchasing support. This assumption is based solely on the fact that Ubuntu is currently the most popular Linux distribution, though certainly not the best in my humble opinion.

Companies can also hire a Linux guru to do all the administrative tasks and troubleshooting for them. It seems, however, that they are unaware of how widespread Linux is in the world and tend to believe that it is near impossible to find someone with the necessary skills required for the job.

Another option, which is probably out of the question for most business users, is to install a Linux distribution and if you happen to have a problem “Google is Your Friend” which is a hackers way of telling you to clear off. Of course, there often a helpful community of users willing to help you by means of IRC or the community forums.