Social proof and the year of the Linux desktop
Intuition
Linux keeps getting better, but the improvements never seem to have an effect on desktop market share. If we really want to reach unfamiliar users, maybe we need a different approach?
Given the audience of this magazine, it hardly needs to be argued how much better, more beautiful, easier, and more useful desktop Linux has become in recent years. It's not like there's nothing left on the "to-do" list for a better and friendlier Linux, but there's also no denying how many items have been ticked off the list – and how many areas where Linux is already well ahead of the competition.
Even a few years ago, a Linux user needed to have enough technical skill to occasionally convert a file, download a codec, or update a driver. All these issues have almost totally gone away. The major Linux desktops are every bit as easy to use as macOS, and they are way more intuitive than Windows 10.
So has the Linux market share improved along with these significant improvements to the Linux user experience? It should vex us all that it hasn't. No matter how much we want Linux to break through to the mainstream market, it seems eternally stuck in the geek space.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Cairo Dock 3.6 Now Available for More Compositors
If you're a fan of third-party desktop docks, then the latest release of Cairo Dock with Wayland support is for you.
-
System76 Unleashes Pop!_OS 24.04 Beta
System76's first beta of Pop!_OS 24.04 is an impressive feat.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.