> Because early-2000s Linux was made by techies and geeks for techies and geeks. Windows and Mac succeeded because they had a GUI for nontechnical users and didn't require an inordinate amount of futzing in the terminal to use.
Are you trying to tell us that a dos operating system was better because it didn't involve using a command line to use?
OpenSuse and Mandrake were already a thing in early 2000's and they were pretty much targetting any user, offering YAST and drakconf that were extensive gui tools to configure pretty much everything on a linux system. You had little to do on a terminal already if you chose your distro correctly. Also if you bought the box version it came with a book guiding you through pretty much everything. [1]
Arguably the biggest hurdle/struggle on linux at the time was getting internet connection through a winmodem but it was a struggle that wasn't better solved with a DOS operating system.
[1] My theory is a lot of people have struggled with linux in the early years because they just got the CDs from magazines, then later downloaded the ISO versions, instead of purchasing the complete box versions with full documentation. How do you consult online documentation if you only had one computer, smartphones weren't a thing yet and you couldn't get the damn modem or gui working? Dual booting was the only way but this is the kind of experience that makes you soon grow tired of rebooting and give up if you don't get stuff corrected quickly.
Debian Sarge had offline docs of everything. The 3 DVD version I bought had a small book and apt and synaptic were already there, along mentions to the handbook and dhelp/dwww.
While mandrake and suse where expensive, some editors released compkete dvd sets for 20 eur, around $15 or 20 for its day.
Are you trying to tell us that a dos operating system was better because it didn't involve using a command line to use?
OpenSuse and Mandrake were already a thing in early 2000's and they were pretty much targetting any user, offering YAST and drakconf that were extensive gui tools to configure pretty much everything on a linux system. You had little to do on a terminal already if you chose your distro correctly. Also if you bought the box version it came with a book guiding you through pretty much everything. [1]
Arguably the biggest hurdle/struggle on linux at the time was getting internet connection through a winmodem but it was a struggle that wasn't better solved with a DOS operating system.
[1] My theory is a lot of people have struggled with linux in the early years because they just got the CDs from magazines, then later downloaded the ISO versions, instead of purchasing the complete box versions with full documentation. How do you consult online documentation if you only had one computer, smartphones weren't a thing yet and you couldn't get the damn modem or gui working? Dual booting was the only way but this is the kind of experience that makes you soon grow tired of rebooting and give up if you don't get stuff corrected quickly.