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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

#521

Post by yjftsjthsd-h »

theanonymousone wrote: post #407
yjftsjthsd-h wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I can't think of any logical reason to exclude ChromeOS and count it separately Because virtually nobody who says "desktop Linux" means ChromeOS.

And that's (almost) as wrong as saying BSD is not Unix

So here's the thing. Chrome OS is absolutely a Linux distribution. It's even a GNU/Linux distribution (based on Gentoo), unlike say Android/Linux, which is doing its own thing. But... When people say "desktop Linux", they mean one of the user-controlled distros, not the locked down appliance that is ChromeOS. It's like how nobody who says they want a Linux phone mean Android. Technically correct, but not what people mean.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#522

Post by philistine »

agoodusername63 wrote: post #392
WJW wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdotal evidence, but Steams' Proton compatibility layer that lets you run Windows-only games on Linux works really really well. I haven't had to log into years and years by now.

The case that this is true is only if you don't have an Nvidia GPU or don't play D3D12 games. I tried it, discovered that Nvidia has a known regression that causes anywhere up to 25% lower performance compared to Windows in GPU limited games in D3D12, and immediately went back to Windows. I'll never understand why people keep championing Linux for gaming when it has such a severe regression on the most common gaming…

Add it to the list of the death by a thousand cuts of Nvidia as a gaming powerhouse. I would have said that they would have fixed it eventually to be chosen by Valve for a Steam Deck, but they’re gorged on AI money at this point. I don’t think they’re the future of gaming GPUs at all. They’re very slowly abandoning the market through those cuts.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#523

Post by happymellon »

Our_Benefactors wrote: post #494
happymellon wrote: post #474

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> > 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.

The Deck doesn't need to "dual boot".

Hit the power button and instead on sleep or shutdown pick desktop and it switches interfaces.

When in the desktop mode it still has Steam and you can still play Steam games.

You're really reaching with the Switch is a desktop OS.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#524

Post by IshKebab »

fsflover wrote: post #113
IshKebab wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Windows 11 is great if you install the IoT LTSC version. Better than Windows 10.

Except all those perfectly working devices which aren't supported for no reason, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43977038

9 years of updates it not at all out of line with Mac, iOS, Android etc:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/07/some-macs-are-gettin...

Maybe a few more years would have been good but I can't really blame Microsoft for requiring modern hardware support eventually.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#525

Post by nomel »

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…

> I wish macOS gaming wasn't so expensive.

The ever increasing number of GPUs of the world are making the cloud PC gaming services ridiculously cheap. I only pay $12 USD/month (boosteroid, gaming only).

If I bought a gaming PC with similar specs, it would take over 7 years to pay it off (no use for a PC besides gaming). That would be 7 years of fixed hardware, where the cloud hardware specs keep improving with time, and I can pause the subscription whenever I want.

You definitely pay with some extra input latency, but not enough to impact my casual play. Definitely worth trying, if you have nice internet.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#526

Post by endorphine »

zelphirkalt wrote: post #360
WJW wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdotal evidence, but Steams' Proton compatibility layer that lets you run Windows-only games on Linux works really really well. I haven't had to log into years and years by now.

I hear this all around and I am myself running GNU/Linux almost all the time, but running games on Steam on my default OS, which is a Debian with KDE currently, that is more miss than hit. I even know someone who has almost the same hardware, also runs a GNU/Linux system and for them almost all games work using Proton. For me however they don't. I already tried proprietary graphics card drivers instead of the ones th…

Hang in there for Trixie. Some things should be better there, especially around WINE performance, cause of the upgraded kernel

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#527

Post by jorvi »

bigyabai wrote: post #471
jorvi wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are being obtuse. 99% of Steam Deck users won't ever use the desktop mode except for maybe setting up emulation or Discord. In general, that makes Steam Deck users no more Linux users than people that use Android.

Android users are Linux users. So are Nintendo Switch users, the whole "can Linux game/be used for mobile" question is already answered.

They aren't. Or not in the sense that it matters for traditional Linux desktop users, which is pretty much the only reason the metric gets brought up.

Following your logic, people using the old TiVo setop boxes were also Linux users.

Active Linux desktop adoption rates matter because it means companies will put money into ensuring their product works well on it. 1Password or Telegram is not going to meaningfully care about Steam Deck users. Or Android users vis a vis the Linux desktop client, because Android can't readily run Linux GUI applications :)

It's honestly kind of nuts no one here is getting that.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#528

Post by bigyabai »

jorvi wrote: post #527
bigyabai wrote: post #471

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Android users are Linux users. So are Nintendo Switch users, the whole "can Linux game/be used for mobile" question is already answered.

They aren't. Or not in the sense that it matters for traditional Linux desktop users, which is pretty much the only reason the metric gets brought up. Following your logic, people using the old TiVo setop boxes were also Linux users. Active Linux desktop adoption rates matter because it means companies will put money into ensuring their product works well on it. 1Password or Telegram is not going to meaningfully care…

It really doesn't matter, you're again conflating the "kernel" and "desktop" distinction that's important here. It's like saying that XNU isn't being used by gamers - in practice you're correct, but the kernel is used to run millions of iPhone games. It doesn't matter for the adoption of macOS as a gaming platform, but the kernel is used for it.

What matters, to me as a Linux user on the desktop, is that Nintendo and Google simply follow the license. I don't want them contributing patches to GNOME or Firefox, I want them downstream testing the kernel and contributing patches back for me to benefit from. And I do! My Switch Pro controller has official Linux support because of Nintendo. My day-to-day life on the desktop is improved by both company's contributions.

The idea that Nintendo or Google are neglecting their duty because Photoshop doesn't run on Linux is a facetious argument. It might be a major issue for you, but clearly millions of Linux users are perfectly happy without those trappings.

> Or Android users vis a vis the Linux desktop client, because Android can't readily run Linux GUI applications :)

A travesty for Android's adoption metrics, one can only imagine. Thankfully for Linux users, the inverse is not so true: https://waydro.id/

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#529

Post by fsflover »

IshKebab wrote: post #524
fsflover wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except all those perfectly working devices which aren't supported for no reason, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43977038

9 years of updates it not at all out of line with Mac, iOS, Android etc: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/07/some-macs-are-gettin... Maybe a few more years would have been good but I can't really blame Microsoft for requiring modern hardware support eventually .

They don't allow to install their next OS on capable hardware. This is not fine.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#530

Post by pndy »

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…

> No more whack-a-mole MS telemetry I have to read obscure guides to find out how to turn off.

My routine at some point after moving to W10 was to create/update system partition image, turn off all bypasses/tweaks that kept update components tamed. Then do the update, reboot and quickly run through all setting that in the past tend to reset "itself", apply tweaks again and reboot to see if these still work, and finally - look up if some processes or services were added.

I was dualbooting, using VM's for years and pandemic gave me something to do so I finally escaped from Microsoft grip.

Tho, it wasn't issues-free ride. Mint and Manjaro would randomly soft-hang for no reason; some Manjaro updates would made me few times reinstall the system (that would be still faster than manually correcting everything). I had to freeze GPU drivers for older card because newer ones would crash games. Keeping unified look across all types of applications is indeed a sloppy task - especially with all Gnome shenanigans regarding theming but atm is still doable. But overall, I'm happy and I see how much changed and improved since Mandrake 8 times when I tried Linux for the first time.

For majority of people, for doing basic tasks plus playing some games Linux should be fine.

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