But telling a new Linux user to "Just enter a few lines of code into the terminal. No big deal." is missing the elephant in the room
Said elephant must be the fact that literally every mainstream curated distribution worth it's salt comes with an Software Manager (akin to google play or any other app manager known to man) that allows you to search for desired software, click on it for overview, and tap an install button making it readily available for launch through any Desktop Environments application launcher? No code needed.
(Clarification: Curated Distro being prebuilt distro. Obviously DIY distros like Arch don't come with GUI managers out the box).
I just installed the Tor browser. And it was a frustrating challenge.
This was addressed adequately, I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't first go to the tor website for proper installation instructions. Also, this issue applies to my previous point, that Tor Browser is readily available in most every GUI package manager included in all mainstream curated distros. I can't make sense of this complaint, moving on.
Most users will have a legacy program or two or three they can't live without. We need installing these programs to be a piece of cake. We (yes, I am including myself since I so want Linux to win and bury Microsoft) can't expect users to be here just because of desire. We have to be one step easier, one step better and stand above that competition.
I'll never understand people who have developed dependence on something, desire for something different; find something different then complain that it's not the same. Either you're willing to find alternatives, or you'll continue to deal with windows. And if you're resourceful enough, those programs you can't live without can likely run on Linux. I.e. Back in the day, many refused to use Linux because they refused to abandon the Adobe suite. But today, you can literally run most of the adobe suite; there's even a fairly new project that is specifically dedicated to making proprietary applications like that function on linux by running them in a virtual environment within the Linux environment; much like a VM but at an application level.
Until this can happen, Linux will remain a side note to the behemoth.
My advise, whether you like it or not; switching operating systems of any kind is going to require an unavoidable responsibility on your part as the end user to learn how to use it. No matter how user friendly Linux is made to be, you're going to have to make sacrifices one way or another.
It's crazy to me the lack of recognition people are giving Valve for their contributions to Linux. Valves' involvement alone puts a vast majority of these run of the mill complaints to rest with little to no effort. One might say "Valve? Who? Oh the gamer people; I don't game... irrelevant!". But that would be pretty foolish considering that Valve has rapidly become one of the most revolutionary contributors to Linux compatibility in recent years, and their plans aren't just pipe dreams.
If you don't think that Linux can take on the "Windows Behemoth", maybe you should consider doing some homework into what ol Gabe over at Valve has accomplished, and what the Behemoth that is Valve is actively doing within the Linux Community. Gabe Newell is essentially planning a digital coup (for lack of better terms) aiming to de-thrown windows and they're making some serious headway.
In fact, if you do a little homework there are some major hardware manufacturers actively beginning to prioritize Linux by Default on their hardware; this means you're going to see an increase of Linux operating systems by default on PC/Laptop devices; not just in specialty shops like System76 but in big box stores that traditionally you'd find Windows hardware.
I'm glad to see that you're eager to see Linux take the cake, but your criticisms seem to lean more into a lack of your own resourcefulness rather than an inability of compatibility on the Kernels part. I mean no offense by this, it's just an observation. You're not wrong that there are sometimes proprietary applications can be difficult for the average user to get to function on Linux; but I'd argue that it's kind of foolish to jump to a different operating system and expect it to function the same. I'd consider that an unrealistic and almost delusional expectation.
I certainly wouldn't try using a garden hose to put out a grease fire.