Yes, I'm well aware. I didn't ignore your point just because I used your own streamlined instructions for my stupid joke about how clueless the average user is.

You're correct that the complexity of installing an OS isn't Linux specific, and that certain Linux distros are significantly easier to set up than say, Windows.

But just because the instructions are straightforward if you already have some familiarity with computers, or are driven enough to look up shit and learn, doesn't make them accessible to the average joe. That's the point I was making.

I did tech support for my school in my youth. I've tutored and led lectures for a freshman intro to programming course (two separate semesters). I have roughly 5 years of corporate internal IT under my belt, and over 4 (and counting) years of sysadmin/engineering.

In all that time, at the absolute most generous estimate, maybe half of the people/end users would have been capable of installing even a simple to install OS like Mint. Yes, including the new Computer Science majors. Less than that would be willing to put forth the effort (to learn the terminology, search and read to clarify confusion, etc).