OS switching and the XY problem
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An XY problem is one where you have a problem X which you want to solve with tool or technique Y, but Y isn’t necessarily the right thing for the job. You ask, “How do I solve X with Y?” and everyone looks at you blankly.
How do I hammer in this nail with a screwdriver?
How do I use Outlook Express under Linux?
How do I configure OSX Finder to [do anything useful]?
I’ve switched (either wholly or partially) from Windows to Linux in 1993-1995, Linux to Mac around Christmas 2004, and Mac to Windows — not very happily, as you’ll see — in 2006.
Each time I’ve found myself asking X/Y questions, and I hear other people doing it all the time as well. Now I’m going to try and pre-empt some of them.
Windows to Linux: Does {MS Word, Outlook, iTunes} run on Linux?
The problem you think you have: you want to run Word, Outlook, or iTunes.
The problem you really have: you want to write documents, read your email, or play mp3s.
The question you should’ve asked: “Can I write documents, read my email, or play mp3s under Linux? What app do I need to use for that?”
The fundamental point: Microsoft apps (or those from many other major commercial vendors) don’t generally run on Linux, but you don’t need Microsoft apps to be productive; that’s just brainwashing and/or force of habit.
See also: osalt.com
Linux to Mac: How do I configure $APP to do what I want?
The problem you think you have: You just have to find the right configuration flag for the app, so it will do what you want. This is Unix under the hood, after all!
The problem you really have: You want an app to behave in a way that it doesn’t do out of the box (or perhaps at all).
The question you should’ve asked: “Is there a third-party tool that will let me do this?”
The fundamental point: Steve knows best. Trust Steve. He dictates how the Mac will operate. Life will be shiny and lovely if you just think like Steve does. (But everyone else disagrees, and writes shareware apps to fix it.)
See also: VersionTracker.
Linux to Windows: Surely, *surely* there must be a way to do X?
The problem you think you have: Somewhere, in this nest of menus and wizards, there must be an option to do the blindingly simple thing you want.
The problem you really have: You want to do something that should be quite simple, like turn off annoying popups or configure the network.
The question you should’ve asked (choose any):
- what’s the phone number for corporate desktop support?
- can someone provide me with a stiff drink?
- where the hell is that Ubuntu install disk?
The fundamental problem: Quite often you just can’t do the simple things you expect to be able to do. Chances are that you’ll need to reboot, contact someone with Admin privileges (my personal bugbear, in a corporate environment), or just numb your brain with meditation exercises and/or hard liquor until you don’t care any more.
See also: Fatalism (Wikipedia)
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