Linux is based on Unix, which is not user friendly. Though some may argue that the shrinking user of base of Mac OS, who are now using a "friendly" clone of Unix. Linux market share=1.7% M$ Windows=96% in the PC market. If free software wants to hit the big time then it needs a friendly OS, perhaps a free version of Windows.
James Edward John Taylor wrote:
Sure, write your GUI if you want. But no one should ever start going round saying "you have to write a GUI otherwise im not going to use it"
I like CLI apps, but in the mainstream PC world if does not have a pretty GUI forget it, no one will use it.
because they are getting a free ride out of the software
This highlights one of the problems of free software.
While we can hope that users use their computer in more intelligent ways, like in the past, people can only go so far. Programmers can ignores users if they want, but if they want their applications to be popular it helps if they listen to users. If they don't someone else will.