Unfortunately only some bleeding-edge segments of the US government have
embraced Linux (I am thinking 3-4 letter agencies). The mainstrea rests on
mostly Microsoft products and unfortunately the Windows OS flavours. I am
guessing that there is a healthy amount of lobbying to keep things this way.

The open-source alternatives should be lobbied for in governments, and the
barrier has to be overcome. It is not just that the responsibility rests on
the Linux community to make it look and act more like Windows, it is that
the investment has to be made by people to get out of their comfort zone
and learn new things. So, it is both. Perhaps we can find creative ways to
reel them in, educate, and make them preach this gospel. Food for thought.

Not sure if there is a class in junior-high that is about computers and
includes some aspect of familiarizing kids with non-popular types of
computing. Maybe there should be some command-line work, like when I grew up.