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Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

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Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#491

Post by p_j_w »

ActorNightly wrote: post #348
JadoJodo wrote: post #239

I am in this category, but I'm growing increasingly frustrated with the state of the market for OS's: I've used macOS for work for many years and Arch-based derivatives for personal desktop. The challenge with that has always been gaming: Gaming on Linux _mostly_ works, but third-party launchers (e.g., Battle.net, Origin, etc.) HATE it. I also don't love the Proton shuffle (i.e., "Which version of Proton do I need to…

Windows 11 only sucks if you get the Home version. If you get the Pro version you can disable all the annoyances. New things pop up here and there with each update every few years (recently asking to connect my phone so I can see notifications), but those can be disabled easily. It does suck resources so using it on Laptops is not ideal, but for desktop its by far the best, mostly because of WSL2 integration, which i…

>New things pop up here and there with each update every few years

In my experience this is every few weeks.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#492

Post by soiltype »

QuadrupleA wrote: post #305

Recently moved to Arch Linux after 25+ years on Windows. It was a LOT of work (my whole career is on the computer and I have a lot of custom scripts and tools), but I'm so happy with the result. No more hundreds of background processes sapping my battery life and performance. No more blatantly manipulative ads every time Windows updates, about how I won't be "safe" unless I sign up for OneDrive, switch to Edge, and s…

2 years ago i replaced my last win10 installation with linux mint and i literally never think about going back. i am a pretty technical person and i still run into issues sometimes that take a few sessions to resolve though. i wish it was an easier sell to my friends. i began to feel extremely creeped out by my computer running windows which was was ultimately motivated me, but i not only avoided the evils of microsoft, i feel much more in-control and capable of doing more on linux.

it's crazy to me when my friends will say shit about configuration and i'm like, what's the tradeoff? configuring windows to just work like a normal computer is MUCH more work. the only way to put in no work is to be farmed for data and treated like a child by your own computer.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#493

Post by mcv »

palata wrote: post #91
nerdjon wrote: post #53

I have to wonder how much of this is people switching to Linux vs the larger trend of people not having traditional computers to begin with. Outside of gamers, I don't know anyone that has a computer at home that is not their work laptop if they have one. At least in my circle everyone I know has moved to their general computing being on phones and tablets which is not captured here. So is a solid chunk of this the p…

I agree with your points, except this: > thanks to the Steam Deck [...] but I would be reluctant to call that Linux Desktop anymore than I would call Android an uptick for Linux. The Steam Deck very much runs Linux Desktop. Android runs the Linux kernel, but everything else is different. SteamOS is a Linux distribution based on Arch. If you run your Steam Deck in "desktop mode", it is very much a Linux Desktop (with…

The Steam Deck is absolutely a full blown Linux. But it's not a desktop. It's a handheld.

Well, unless you hook a screen and keyboard to it, I suppose. No idea how many people do that. But if you do that, phones and tablets also become desktops.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#494

Post by Our_Benefactors »

happymellon wrote: post #474
Our_Benefactors wrote: post #421

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, you can. With a paper clip. Some installations of linux require a USB drive. This one requires a paper clip.

> > By picking a standard menu option I can go to a traditional desktop and use Libre Office and Firefox. > > Can I so that with a Switch? > Yes. With a paperclip A paperclip isn't a standard menu item. It's a hack to switch the operating systems. Once you've hacked it you can't play Switch games until you revert back. That's nothing like what the deck is offering. > Some installations of linux require a USB drive. W…

> you can't play Switch games until you revert back

You literally just have to reboot into the normal switch OS, it’s not different than dual booting.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#495

Post by Zambyte »

samrus wrote: post #416
Zambyte wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And thus, nothing was lost except the superiority complex :)

And the time and effort it takes to maintian a project.

The vast majority of people can just benefit from the time and effort that someone felt was worth spending to scratch their own itch.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#496

Post by thewebguyd »

nerdjon wrote: post #53

I have to wonder how much of this is people switching to Linux vs the larger trend of people not having traditional computers to begin with. Outside of gamers, I don't know anyone that has a computer at home that is not their work laptop if they have one. At least in my circle everyone I know has moved to their general computing being on phones and tablets which is not captured here. So is a solid chunk of this the p…

> Basically if the higher percent is due to less desktops overall instead of a major uptick in Linux desktops, it is not really much to celebrate.

I've been saying this for a while, in the sense that the "year of the Linux desktop" isn't going to come from mass adoption of Linux on the desktop, but will come because overall "desktop" market share will decrease to the point where if you need a desktop, you are probably technical enough and more likely to be running Linux.

Desktop (and laptop) computing is becoming niche outside of work. Like you said, most folks just use their phones, and maybe an iPad. By having a non-day job computer at home, and having it be a core device, already puts you in a niche group of users.

Gamers, devs, media professionals and enthusiasts are the remaining desktop computing users. Linux is well suited to take over gamers and devs, media professionals will continue using Macs. So yeah, it might appear Linux usage is growing, but I think the more likely story is it's relatively stable and overall desktop usage is shrinking.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#497

Post by anon7000 »

mcv wrote: post #493
palata wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with your points, except this: > thanks to the Steam Deck [...] but I would be reluctant to call that Linux Desktop anymore than I would call Android an uptick for Linux. The Steam Deck very much runs Linux Desktop. Android runs the Linux kernel, but everything else is different. SteamOS is a Linux distribution based on Arch. If you run your Steam Deck in "desktop mode", it is very much a Linux Desktop (with…

The Steam Deck is absolutely a full blown Linux. But it's not a desktop. It's a handheld. Well, unless you hook a screen and keyboard to it, I suppose. No idea how many people do that. But if you do that, phones and tablets also become desktops.

I mean, a keyboard on iPad is way less powerful than a keyboard on steam deck. The steam deck can plug into a monitor and runs Plasma out of the box, which is a full blown desktop environment

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#498

Post by throwawayk7h »

mcv wrote: post #493
palata wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with your points, except this: > thanks to the Steam Deck [...] but I would be reluctant to call that Linux Desktop anymore than I would call Android an uptick for Linux. The Steam Deck very much runs Linux Desktop. Android runs the Linux kernel, but everything else is different. SteamOS is a Linux distribution based on Arch. If you run your Steam Deck in "desktop mode", it is very much a Linux Desktop (with…

The Steam Deck is absolutely a full blown Linux. But it's not a desktop. It's a handheld. Well, unless you hook a screen and keyboard to it, I suppose. No idea how many people do that. But if you do that, phones and tablets also become desktops.

I attach screen + keyboard to it often. It has an official dock to facilitate this. In my mind, it's a device that can function as both desktop and hand-held.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#499

Post by esseph »

doodlesdev wrote: post #399
esseph wrote: post #380

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Debian is just not going to have access to as much up to date software as it probably needs, even with testing back ports, to run well. I say this as a very long time Debian user that is really struggling in this day and age to find a place for Debian among my devices at this point.

Out of curiosity, what distribution have you been using lately instead of Debian? Anecdotally, I've been using Fedora Workstation for a few years already, and my Steam + Proton Experimental experience has been fantastic with an AMD GPU using the drivers that come with the kernel. Although I must admit, I miss having a Debian-based distribution sometimes, because in some situations I can't find rpm packages for more s…

Fedora Workstation (42)

I add flathub.org and remove the fedora flatpak repo. The few other things I need are in copr/terra, but honestly they are very rare. I think I have maybe 1 piece of software per thing that doesn't release a native .rpm (ghostty is one)

https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/ https://terra.fyralabs.com/

When it comes to Steam, I go to steam -> settings -> compatibility -> Enable Steam Play for all titles

I have used Nvidia GPUs and more recently switched to an AMD 6700. No issues with either.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#500

Post by thewebguyd »

jabroni_salad wrote: post #309
Fokamul wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> At least in my circle everyone I know has moved to their general computing being on phones and tablets which is not captured here Interesting, could you tell me which part of US you are from? --- My 2 cents, small country, mid-Europe, more or less in the middle of list of GDP / AIC per capita in EU. Nearly everyone has some sort of PC or laptops for personal use. Now it's changing, kids(~5-13yrs old) are using phon…

(US minnesota) recently a 23 year old new hire advised me that he doesn't have a normal computer or laptop and he buys plane tickets, files his taxes, plans projects etc on a phone or ipad. Thinking that some tasks are better suited to a desk / 2 monitors is apparently a millennial thing now .

> Thinking that some tasks are better suited to a desk / 2 monitors is apparently a millennial thing now .

Sad, but true. Recent batch of new hires where I work, same age range - mid-late 20's, none of them have computers at home except their work issued laptop. They are by far the biggest source of help desk tickets for us, and same story as you, using phone & iPad for everything at home.

Honestly concerns me for talent recruitment in the future, if AI isn't doing everything tech when that time comes - kids only tech experiences now are fully locked down walled gardens, takes away both the ability and incentive to tinker, explore, or even troubleshoot. Whole generation of new workers coming in without even the most basic of troubleshooting/problem solving skills. Have a few at my work where even just reading an error message on the screen seems overwhelming to them.

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