this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2025
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Linux

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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.

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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.

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[–] Ptsf@lemmy.world 184 points 1 week 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.

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[–] galoisghost@aussie.zone 121 points 1 week ago (12 children)

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

[–] eta@feddit.org 68 points 1 week ago (6 children)
[–] galoisghost@aussie.zone 38 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

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

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

That's why we need to switch to TempleOS

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[–] brax@sh.itjust.works 25 points 1 week ago

Only use TTY

[–] sunoc@sh.itjust.works 24 points 1 week ago (2 children)
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[–] FundMECFS@quokk.au 15 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Delete all browsers. Only access the web using curl.

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[–] sic_semper_tyrannis@lemmy.today 78 points 1 week 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 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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 1 week 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.

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[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 70 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

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

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[–] lemmyman210@sh.itjust.works 60 points 1 week ago

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

[–] BrightCandle@lemmy.world 49 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 19 points 1 week ago

The desktop has been Microsoft's to lose for 30 years...

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[–] neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com 48 points 1 week 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.

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[–] limer@lemmy.ml 37 points 1 week ago (3 children)

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

[–] majster@lemmy.zip 22 points 1 week ago

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

[–] comfy@lemmy.ml 16 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Yeah, unfortunate to rain in the parade but GNU/Linux definitely needs some attention sooner rather than later. Plenty of design benefits, but also plenty of pitfalls from an OS sec POV.

Average users aren't installing SELinux or Qubes so I hope no-one was actually going to reply with what Linux can do as opposed to the everyday user experience.

A few years outdated, but relevant: https://madaidans-insecurities.github.io/linux.html

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[–] land@lemmy.dbzer0.com 32 points 1 week ago

Jumped to Bazzite never looked back. Let's goooo

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 31 points 1 week 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.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 30 points 1 week ago (11 children)
[–] BunScientist@lemmy.zip 28 points 1 week ago

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

[–] Cricket@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 week ago (3 children)

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

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[–] dtrain@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago
[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 29 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

[–] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Windows' market share is being nibbled to death by cats.

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[–] DJDarren@sopuli.xyz 22 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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

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[–] Mio@feddit.nu 20 points 1 week ago (4 children)

But it is only in the US and not globally. Anyway, competition is good.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I went to CachyOS on my desktop full time this year. Already had Bazzite on a laptop.

There's been a few hiccups here and there, but nothing insurmountable with a little patience and practice and reading.

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[–] med@sh.itjust.works 17 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Hang on though, if it's web stats, how many of those impressions are ai bots scraping training data claiming to be Firefox users?

Don't those likely read as Linux from how they fingerprint on TCP connections?

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[–] Naz@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 week ago (4 children)

KDE Plasma is genuinely good

Kubuntu is a drop-in replacement for Windows 10

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[–] JOMusic@lemmy.ml 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)
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[–] Teppichbrand@feddit.org 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] hellinkilla@hexbear.net 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Fuck man I saw a post in the past week that it was 5%. At this rate we'll be leaving M$ in the du$t.

[–] Cricket@lemmy.zip 15 points 1 week ago (6 children)

The 5% story was published yesterday. This new article from today says that they trust the government site figures more than StatCounter which was cited on yesterday's story.

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[–] Sina@beehaw.org 14 points 1 week ago (11 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..

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