this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2025
687 points (98.6% liked)

Linux

56586 readers
428 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Clickbaity title on the original article, but I think this is the most important point to consider from it:

After getting to 1% in approximately 2011, it took about a decade to double that to 2%. The jump from 2% to 3% took just over two years, and 3% to 4% took less than a year.

Get the picture? The Linux desktop is growing, and it's growing fast.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 69 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Chaotic Good Billionaire does a solid for Linux, Windows users devastated

[–] Ptsf@lemmy.world 183 points 4 days ago (9 children)

About to be 6.0000001% when my Kubuntu download finishes. I'm finally taking the dive boys, linux on main here we go.

load more comments (9 replies)
[–] galoisghost@aussie.zone 120 points 4 days ago (12 children)

Damn Linux becoming mainstream. How will I feel like a superior tech elite now?

[–] eta@feddit.org 67 points 4 days ago (5 children)
[–] galoisghost@aussie.zone 38 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Pretty sure BSD is dying, Netcraft confirmed that like 30 years ago.

[–] Redex68@lemmy.world 45 points 4 days ago (1 children)

That's why we need to switch to TempleOS

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[–] grue@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago
[–] brax@sh.itjust.works 25 points 4 days ago

Only use TTY

[–] FundMECFS@quokk.au 15 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Delete all browsers. Only access the web using curl.

[–] Taldan@lemmy.world 14 points 4 days ago

Curl? You thunk I can't craft my own web requests??

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] sunoc@sh.itjust.works 24 points 4 days ago (2 children)
load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)
[–] mukt@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

The key point is that Europe's governments are ditching MS one by one. One of the state governments of India, that of Kerala, is also fostering a local chapter for open source and Linux.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Teppichbrand@feddit.org 15 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago

It makes perfect sense, the resistance of having Windows legacy software etc becomes smaller the more of that goes out of use, the resistance of everyone only knowing Windows becomes smaller with nobody even knowing Windows, and the resistance of corporate interests becomes smaller because it's all in the Web, and the Web has been corrupted and Chrome works on Linux.

So. Listen to me carefully. If Linux domination happens without FreeBSD and Haiku normalization, then things are bad.

[–] JOMusic@lemmy.ml 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] bob_lemon@feddit.org 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Literally switched to Linux on my desktop yesterday.

[–] Scrollone@feddit.it 6 points 3 days ago

Good job! And welcome :)

[–] DJDarren@sopuli.xyz 22 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Does it count that I have four computers running Linux because I can't help myself?

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Naz@sh.itjust.works 16 points 3 days ago (4 children)

KDE Plasma is genuinely good

Kubuntu is a drop-in replacement for Windows 10

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 31 points 4 days ago (12 children)

A king once summoned a wise man who had done him a great service and said, “Name your reward.” The wise man replied, “Your Majesty, I ask for a simple thing. Give me one percent Linux desktop market share for the first square of the chessboard, two percent for the second square, four percent for the third square, and so on, doubling the amount for each of the 64 squares.” The king, thinking this was a modest request, said, “Surely you jest! Such a small reward for such a great service? Ask for gold, land, or jewels instead.” But the wise man insisted, and the king agreed. The king ordered his treasurer to calculate the total. Starting with 1% for the first square, 2% for the second, 4% for the third, 8% for the fourth… by the time they reached the tenth square, they needed 512% of the desktop market. The treasurer, pale with realization, informed the king that by the 64th square, they would need more market share than could possibly exist in the entire universe of computing devices. The king then understood that what seemed like a humble request was actually impossible to fulfill, and he gained a new respect for the power of exponential growth.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

load more comments (12 replies)
[–] sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today 78 points 4 days ago (6 children)

SteamOS, Bazzite, and the Plasma DE I think are what's driving Linux to be more popular. They are all very streamlined experiences.

[–] freeman@feddit.org 40 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (20 children)

I tested Gnome and KDE Plasma5 in the last year. KDE Plasma is in my opinion the first DE which is comparable with Win/MacOS. It looks modern, is pretty much feature complete and as an average user its nice to have useful apps preinstalled (calculator, libreoffice, firefox and so on), but no bloatware.

Its just a bit more customizable than windows, which is perfect and also not fiddly and a pain. It certainly has a handful of quirks, like Windows does, but you get used to them.

If I have to set up elderly relatives with a computer, I'd strongly consider a KDE Plasma Desktop

[–] aksdb@lemmy.world 29 points 4 days ago (3 children)

The preinstalled apps are not a feature of KDE (or Gnome, XFCE, etc.). Actually they all are structured in a very modular way where you can use or omit individual components. Firefox and LibreOffice are completely independent of it even; they merely add compatibility layers to make the integration more seamless.

What you experienced was something to attribute to the distribution you chose. They are the ones to decide which components to bundle and preinstall. That is also the reason why so many distributions exist in the first place, because different teams/devs have different visions about what the desktop should look and feel like after install.

load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (19 replies)
load more comments (5 replies)
[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 29 points 4 days ago (11 children)
[–] BunScientist@lemmy.zip 28 points 4 days ago

at this point linux will have more than 100% market share by next week!!!!!!!!

[–] Cricket@lemmy.zip 18 points 4 days ago (1 children)

They used a different data source for this one and mentioned why they preferred this one over the one from the day before.

[–] blind3rdeye@aussie.zone 13 points 4 days ago (1 children)

So what you're saying is that if we just keep switching to different data sources, we could get above 50% in less than two months!

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (9 replies)
[–] LeFantome@programming.dev 3 points 2 days ago

Things will really take-off if Linux hits 10%.

Actually, if it hits 10%, I think it could go all the way.

[–] neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com 48 points 4 days ago (4 children)

A long time ago when Linux was around 2-3% someone said that macOS adoption by software companies happened when it got to 5% of the marketshare.

If Linux continues down the path, we might see real support from some of the holdouts.

Before anyone says to use an alternative, sometimes there are not workable alternatives.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] lemmyman210@sh.itjust.works 60 points 4 days ago

As a daily Linux user, this makes me VERY VERY happy!!

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 29 points 4 days ago (6 children)

The avalanche has started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] BrightCandle@lemmy.world 49 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (9 children)

Most technology adoption follows an S curve, it can often take a long time to start to get going. Linux has gradually and steadily been improving especially for games and other desktop uses while at the same time Microsoft has been making Windows worse. I feel more that this is Microsoft's fault, they have abandoned the development of desktop Windows and the advancement of support for modern processor designs and gaming hardware. This has for the first time has let Linux catch up and in many cases exceed Windows capabilities on especially gaming which has always been a stubborn issue. Its still a problem especially in hardware support for VR and other peripherals but its the sort of thing that might sort itself out once the user base grows and companies start producing software for Linux instead.

It might not be enough, but the switching off Windows 10 is causing a change which Microsoft might really regret in a few years.

load more comments (9 replies)
[–] dil@lemmy.zip 4 points 3 days ago

I think ppl get terminal anxiety but thats less and less of an issue, like you don't need to ever touch it because of stuff like octopi, software/discover/bazaar,etc. I remember just getting anxious thinking id forget a command I really need to remember and I wouldn't have internet axis and id be fked (not an issue lol)

[–] limer@lemmy.ml 37 points 4 days ago (9 children)

When it gets to 7%, is that when there is more malware designed for Linux desktop ?

[–] majster@lemmy.zip 22 points 4 days ago

There is already plenty of malware targeting devs on Linux where is it's strongest userbase.

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] Sina@beehaw.org 14 points 4 days ago (9 children)

Statcounter considers me a Win user due to the Win user agent I'm using, this is not a rare behavior in the Linux space..

load more comments (9 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›