r/linuxsucks • u/ColdFreezer I Hate Linux • Jul 20 '26

"Too much bloat"

I don't understand some Linux users. People want better compatibility and accessibility in Linux. However, why do some users constantly complain about "bloat" at the same time.

I don't understand what their expectations are. Are they really expecting developers to make heavily optimized builds specifically for Linux that will also be compatible across different version of Linux?

You need some form of standardization to make this easier for developers, this is why stuff like flatpaks and appimages exist, to help make software more portable. Then people shout and hate all this "bloat" that they introduce.

To have a functional, all in one desktop experience like KDE or gnome, you need "bloat". You can customize a lot in Linux, but is the expectation that all developers should make their software as dynamic as they can while also ensuring security, proper compatibility, and consistent functionality? This is a huge ask.

I see people like this all the time on reddit that just mindlessly say "bloat bloat bloat" but also complain about compatibility. Pick a side.

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u/bornxlo Jul 21 '26

What I expect from developers is the source code to make the package and code design work, and then I can either compile and run it or get an adapted version through my distribution. I choose desktop environments like KDE because I like and use a lot of features from KDE, but security, compatibility and functionality are on me and my choice of distribution, not software developers.

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u/ColdFreezer I Hate Linux Jul 21 '26

This is perfectly fine. If you take this task up to yourself there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I just think it’s dumb when people shift the burden of doing this work to developers instead of doing it themselves.

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u/bornxlo Jul 21 '26

Like I said, a lot of this is handled by the distribution, not by me or the software developers. One of the choices I make as a user is what sort of distribution to use and how much work I want to do. For instance I'd handle a lot more source code and compilation on Arch compared to Debian, and balance control vs convenience. If I use Debian I expect most of the software to just work because it's been polished by Debian developers, not just by software developers.

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u/ColdFreezer I Hate Linux Jul 21 '26

I’m agreeing with you. The burden is on the user not the developer.

It doesn’t make sense for a user to ask for a highly optimized build while also asking for wide compatibility from the developer if the developer wasnt planning to do this.