this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2026
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X11 isn’t Linux… Linux is excellent for backwards compatibility. Can’t say the same about userspace though.
You're right! And yet it doesn't really matter that much, does it?
Yes, it does. Not only for servers, but every single application that wasn't written for X11 specifically continues to just work. Which is the vast majority.
Would you enjoy trying to explain this to your grandma or other stereotypically tech-un-savvy relative after you got her to install Ubuntu and something she was able to do before stopped working after an update?
You're interested in backwards compatibility on servers, and in backwards compatibility for a subset of applications. Cool. Convenient for you! Recognise that there's more to it than that, that when people meme about how awesome Linux is compared to Windows, focusing on servers and non-graphical applications isn't good enough.
Not backwards compatibility. Straight up compatibility.
and yes, I wouldn't mind. I enjoy explaining things.