The difference between "using" and "enjoying" the computer

Late night tangent. I use the GNU/Linux operating system, and as one of its users I am sometimes asked why am I using Linux. The discussion turns into a comparison of GNU/Linux to other platforms like Windows and macOS, and the line is eventually drawn at opinion. I have came to a broader realisation of why I, and probably many other computer users, prefer Unix-like systems to alternatives.

The reason boils down to the difference between using and enjoying the computer. Even though the two it is easily understood that the two can be separate, enjoying something coming from the computer and enjoying the computer itself are sometimes confused. Playing a game on the computer, for example, does not mean that you are enjoying the computer itself. The computer without the game would be pretty boring, so it is the game you are enjoying, not the computer. What you are really doing is using the computer to enjoy the game.

Using the computer is when you use it as a means. That is, as a way to accomplish something else. I provided the example of the video game above, but it extends to all the other mundane activities that we do on the computer, such as writing email, composing documents, paying our increasingly expensive subscriptions, and talking to others. You can use the computer in very productive and satisfying ways, just like you can use the computer to waste time while bored and be frustrated at controversial things online.

Enjoying the computer is when you use it as an end. That is, the computer is what you want, not always what’s on it. Using the computer is physically building the device, installing and configuring the operating system, switching components around, writing scripts and programs to automate behavior, testing new software, and everything that involves building and maintaining the machine. That can be fun in and of itself. This is brought to further heights when you build for yourself an elaborate home laboratory with your own network and all the fancy doodads that come with.

Really, the best comparison that can be made is a car engine. Many people use a car engine, but they do not necessarily enjoy the car engine. They require the car engine to buy food from the local groceries, and they need it to reach work. The car engine is used as an end, but not as a means; they are not enjoying the engine itself, simply what can be done with it. Enjoying the engine itself is within the realm of mechanics and hobbyists that are still working on rusty project cars laying around in their yard.

When it comes to computer operating systems, I choose GNU/Linux because it allows me to enjoy the computer. I could provide why GNU/Linux may implement some features or offer certain policies that may be superior to some other operating systems, but they aren’t the reason why I’ve been using Linux for years. It’s because I can use GNU/Linux to assemble the computer that I want, configured to do the things that I want done, and looking like the beautiful piece of work that I want to see.

Other operating systems does not provide the same degree of “homegrowth”. I cannot assemble the computer that I want with Windows, because it will offer me something pre-built out of the box. If I want to exchange one of its components for another that I prefer, it will complain, require a complicated unauthorised procedure to replace it, and quite probably break the next update. Sometimes, it will be outright impossible. Otherwise, I have to pay for stability, which is the case when you want to simply alter the look of the operating system, with Stardock for instance providing the only practical stable solution for long-term Windows customisation. The same complaint extends to macOS, which may be mildly more configurable, but will still require paid proprietary software and requires tricks that won’t last for some more advanced modifications.

The first end result of building the computer with GNU/Linux is ending up with a clear and concise mental map of what exactly the computer does. I install GNU/Linux, but that alone only provides a minimal set of tools, so I must install Pipewire for audio, dkms for drivers, NetworkManager for network access, ufw as my firewall, Sway as the window manager, Plex as my media server, waybar as my taskbar, arch-update for providing updates… in short, I know (mostly) everything the computer is composed of and runs, both its programs and its services. On Windows and macOS, you simply don’t have that mental map that comes from building up your operating system yourself.

The second end result of building the computer with GNU/Linux is enjoying the computer. When you learn and integrate the Unix philosophy, and see how it reflects into GNU/Linux (and our good friends FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, etc.) and the software that makes it up, you understand how flexible your computer can be, which opens up your curiosity. I have tried so many different configurations and ended up at the exact system that I want, which no other could replace. Of course, it isn’t something simple, since enjoying the computer from building one is more time-taking and mentally difficult than simply using something provided.

When you enjoy the computer, you can more efficiently use it too. When you have configured everything to your liking and there’s nothing in it that you don’t know, you know how to do anything and everything with it. Therefore, from enjoying the computer you can better use the computer, but it is rare (if not impossible) to enjoy the computer from using the computer. In fact, the only time one has to delve into their computer’s mechanics while using the computer is when they encounter an error or a difficulty.