I’d argue with calling him software illiterate, I think as a first time linux user, using pop_os! which was kind of obscure back then (even is now if you ask me), he should have been some computer mage not to run into some similar problem eventually. I mean steam uninstalling the desktop? Sure if you know linux you will have several clues that this is about to happen, but someone coming from windows who doesn’t even know yet what a desktop environment on linux is or how it operates can’t be expected to understand instantly. When I came over to linux I certainly didn’t.

I think Linus is like average windows poweruser level. If he never touched the software before, he won’t magically understand it, but if he manages to fuck up bad, that means most other people would have too. I guess it’s all just a question of where you draw the line for software illiteracy. For me it’s having to explain someone how to take a screenshot or log into Facebook (I love my Grandpa by the way).