Problem With Linux Desktop

This is the sixth of the series 'FOSS INNOVATION IN INDIAN COURTS: Inspired by the Allahabad High Court'. It talks about why Linux desktop being economical, stable and virus free has not been able to join mainstream. 

FOSS INNOVATION IN COURTS: Inspired by the Allahabad High Court

Introduction|| Computerisation of Indian Courts|| FOSS Introduction - Allahabad High Court|| Further Inroads of FOSS in Allahabad High Court|| E-Committee Adopts FOSS|| Problem With Linux Desktop||  

इस इस चिट्ठी को हिन्दी में यहां  पढ़ा जा सकता है।

Linux is economical; it is stable; there are almost no viruses; it is good for day-to-day needs for common man, yet it has not achieved as much popularity as it should have.

Perhaps, the younger generation does not like it for lack of games. People, who can afford, prefer to buy Apple products: more for the snob value than anything else. Windows in the computer world is like Ambassador car of yesterday or Maruti car today. It has technical support in every nook and corner. Unfortunately, Linux lacks that.

About three years ago, I had purchased Dell laptop with Linux. It came pre-loaded with Ubuntu. However, I changed over to Linux Mint. I regularly installed any updates that came. About a year ago, it started giving me a warning about space problem. I deleted unnecessary files and thought it will go away. But one fine day, it would not start.

My laptop was within warranty. I took it to official Dell service centre. The guy there looked over the same and said:
“I cannot do anything. It is on Linux. Had it been on Windows, I could fix it,” he explained. 
I said, “It is under warranty, and you are bound to fix it.” 
But he expressed his helplessness. I asked him, “Is there any Dell service station in National Capitol Region (NCR), where it can be repaired.” 
“No”, he said. 
In desperation, I asked him, “Can you please suggest any place, where the problem could be rectified.”
“I don’t know any place in NCR, where it can be fixed.”  His answer only deepened my frustration. 

Perhaps, the computer centre of the Allahabad High Court is the best place in the northern India to solve FOSS problems. Ultimately, I rang them up for help. They asked me to make a video call and then after looking into the problem instructed the Dell repair centre to run some basic commands and behold, it started working again.

Before writing this article, I asked him as to what the problem was. He said that it was related to unavailability of storage space due to the duplicate files created, when updates were installed. This caused the system to stall. It was corrected by booting the laptop in rescue mode thereafter deleting duplicate files and making space. 

So simple but I was stuck with no help in the NCR. Unless more help is easily available, Linux desktop will remain a dream. But despite these difficulties, let me tell you the reason, why we adopted FOSS. . 

#FOSS #FreeOpenSourceSoftware #OpenSourceSoftware #AllahabadHighCourt #IndianCourts #ECommittee #LinuxDesktopProblems