>>45 you speak as if this is a surprise....
open-source is a framework that usually leads to multiple projects for the same type of application, its not some totalitarian corporate regime where they can just force all the programmers to work on the same project and develop an integrated (highly-proprietary) GUI with single purpose...
open-source software generally requires configuration and recompilation for any application you wish to act in a specific non-default way... one should become familiar with the software they use anyway.
everything is custom.... so you are expected to customize. you must choose between the alternatives and implement your choice... this simple fact will force you to understand the program and the operating system, which is not a bad thing if you plan on using a computer for a few years. plus there are plenty of automatic dependency building structures like bsd's ports tree and the random linux distro tools... so you make it out to be more of a problem than it really is
the result of proper customization of your open-source operating system will do everything you want and nothing you don't want. most people on microsoft get screwed by something they don't use or even know exists-by-default on their system... pretty GUIs aren't the answer, understanding and hardening your system is the answer.. and its really not that hard.
for linux build a few lfs and read the description fields.. it will teach you how linux operates while building a very custom system. for bsd rtfm, web or get a book.. etc..
if you decide to build its visual appeal, there is no looking like crap and rendering ugly text with a properly built system