My two cents, regarding the average home user, it does take a leap of faith and a little bit of computer savvy to make the change. This is outside the comfort zone of most PC users, and they just use the preinstalled OS (Chrome, Windows, Mac). I was reluctant to change for this reason. This might slowly change if manufacturers offered Linux pre-installations as a ready alternative with a small printed guide.
@@artmcteagle in my opinion its highly worth it, almost all non tech-savvy windows users are running into issues all the time, getting scammed, installing malicious programs/spyware, ect. The amount of times my friends have reinstalled windows or gotten me to fix their system isnt even funny. Understanding computers is a crucial part of any OS, you WILL run into issues eventually. People saying its a linux thing are just wrong, but i guess not completely wrong lol. But yeah its just important to know how to maintain your OS.
@@dedogospod Totally agree, I guess the 'fed up with it, gonna change' point varies with people! I've certainly had my share of screw ups with Linux as well, but even here it seems easier to deal with.
Not really. Windows 11 is growing at almost 10X the rate of Linux, and that will speed up and W10 nears end of support. Yeah, Linux had a growth spurt last year, but the long term trend is glacial. The truth is, Linux cannot and will not beat Windows until its UI has had a complete overhaul and upgrade. The Windows UI is simply superior and easier to use. That's what most users want. Same with driving cars or switching on lights... we don't need to be a car mechanic or an electrician. Linux as a desktop option is for hobbyists and tinkerers.
@@robby3467 Not really, of course if you look only at windows 11 it is growing fast since most of its users are just windows 10 users who are switching to windows 11. But if you look at the use of windows overall as a desktop OS, the market share is going down steadily over the years. I agree that linux may not surpass windows, at least in the short term, but this does not mean that linux will not grow further in the future. And it is also a fact that some people are not satisfied with microsoft anymore, especially after some bad decisions on microsoft's part, and decided to switch to linux.
I think there's a few factors for the growth. First, there's more and more gamers, linux is getting really good for it. Second, the bad decisions other operating systems have made. MS and their updates, forced apps, telemetry, co pilot, clown strike. Mac and their anti repair, having to buy a new computer for small, fixable problems. I'm sure I'm missing some reasons
@grantschilb8019 It's not about liking proprietary software; it's about having to use it to get your work done. The Sooner these are available on Linux, the faster it will grow.
Also don’t forget Photoshop fuckups. Now that artists don’t want to use it due to agressive terms of service, they are switching to other alternatives which do run on Linux like Affinity, Krita, GIMP, etc…
Yes, this checks all the boxes for me. All my games run now on Linux without issues, so for me as a private user it offers all the functionality I need. And to embrace the DIY world a bit more, my next Laptop will be most likely a framework one because I like the idea of repairability.
@@artmcteagleI use a custom Windows 8.1 build called Sasnet on my retro gaming PC and an old laptop of mine, running off local accounts with telemetry stuff disabled. Every other PC I have is running Linux. It's perfect!
It’s because of Windows 11. I made the switch because of Windows 10/11, fell in love with Ubuntu. And a year later all my friends switched over as well. Now all my devices, old and new, use a Linux distro. The biggest advantage is that every PC feels like a new one, even after years
Yup. I'm using an old laptop. No need to replace it when it works fine for everything I do. It does not have a TPM module. I've replaced nearly every part inside it though, so if anything breaks down I'll probably scrap it. I think I'll be good for at least another year (or two).
my laptops came out in 2011 and 2013! They run great using Ubuntu. I saved an old chromebook from recycling with kubutu recently, it runs better than it ran when it was getting updates for chrome! @@potato9832
@@wfb.subtraktor311 Definitely was all the bloatware, persistent telemetry it kept trying to push, and lastly the requirement of a internet connection to literally make a *personal* user account on my PC on restarting the system to factory was just stupid. If for some reason god forbid you connect to the internet during this setup phase, you are *forced* to make a Microsoft online account, not local. They kept busting my orbs for silly, inconsequential reasons, it's ultimately what led to the last straw.
SteamOS is Arch base but a snapshot of older packages lagged behind the main distro (the one base on debian is the one in failed Steam Machines and super old)
Linux has been stagnant for years in the desktop in terms of growth, but somehow all the growth is thanks to one Linux distro… It doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that Microsoft is pissing the world off at a time when steamdeck is showing the world Linux is viable for home entertainment
Not wholly true in regards to MS, I've been in IT for a long time and I've never had 'average users' ask about Linux as a desktop OS until recently and I've had a few friends I work with say the same.
@@nadtz I've had mixed experiences. I've been asked fairly often about other operating systems, macos, linux, and even occassionally bsd questions, though admittedly, I played support to a rather more technical group (tier 2 and 3 support, supporting tier 1 support and telecom switch techs).
@@pcallycat9043 I've had those kinds of conversations with people I've worked with / for, sure. I'm talking about a non techie person who uses a computer for basic tasks and doesn't usually think too much about the OS.
They have been stagnant because one of the biggest desktop environment developers never wants to follow standards everyone else uses and thinks they are too smart and know better. If they stopped existing, there wouldn't be any fighting or time wasted on trying to engineer around their BS, and the desktop would advance much faster. Talking about Gnome btw.
Wouldn't it be the case that most application software developers will be locked into a particular OS, and most will be Windows or Phones. In my case, I've been an application developer on Windows for around 28 years using C++ 99% of the time. In our case, Linux not only provides no advantage, but it would be useless by definition. The exception might be developers of web front ends and such like, or cross platform development in Java and the like. But this doesn't bode well for Linux on the desktop... does it?
Imo only if the dev community moves towards GUI based apps. Until then, only enthusiasts will use linux even if it's very good. We on the Linux community often forget the average joe aren't getting used to terminal and troubleshooting problems in general.
As I looked at the chart at 0:40 and compared it to the release of new versions of Windows or the ended support of old versions, you can see a correlation between them. Whenever MS releases a bad version in the _one good, one bad_ cycle (8, 11) or the support of a well liked version ends (XP, 7) Linux' market share did grow on the past. As MS released Windows 10 in 2015, Linux' growth did stagnate for many years. So if Linux keeps on growing will probably come down to whether Windows 12 (said to be released in late 2025) is any good or not.
Out here in SE Asia lots of people cannot afford the new hardware required for Windows 11. The local culture prioritises land and property ownership ... to near religious levels, even down to taking out crazy levels of debt to get such, so they are very interested in going Linux to avoid new hardware. Microsoft really pulled the rug out form people with Windows 11. Had quite a few converts especially when all people want is online stuff "google" and some kind of a office suite for light spreadsheet or Word file handling. They do not want to go back.
I've also heard that many Asian countries also want to reduce their reliance on western companies too. Apple and Microsoft qualify for that label so there's incentive to build and use their own systems to not have to rely on them. It's also what I've been hearing a lot about in Europe as well. EX: The German government has been trying multiple times to ditch Windows and haven't given up on that initiative yet.
I started with Linux because I couldnt afford a new computer a number of years ago. Ubuntu did everything I needed and I never went back. When Ive needed a "new" computer, I tend to pick up a used on and install ubuntu.
I just wish that canonical drop the Snap for the Flatpak. Now, in 2024, it is very clear that the linux community chose the flatpak over the snaps. But i understand why they keep using it.
Snaps are usable on servers unlike flatpak and are somewhat different from docker containers. They just don't seem to make sense on the desktop but they fill a niche in the server market which is what matters to canonical since most of their support contracts are for Ubuntu server which has replaced rhel alongside rocky linux
0:40 Funny chart... 0:47 0.5% growth between 2013 and 2015. Windows 8 was released in late 2012 and support for XP ended in 2014. Windows 10 was released in 2015. 0:59 3% growth between 2020 and 2024. The support for Windows 7 ended in 2020 and Windows 11 was released in late 2021. *It seems to be like in politics:* You don't gain votes (or market share) because you are good, but because the others are bad. As long as Windows was deemed _good_ or _good enough_ (XP, 7, 10) Linux' growth stagnated. As Microsoft published a new version that was unliked (Vista, 8, 11) or ended support of their versions of Windows that was liked by customers, Linux' market share increases. The support for Windows 10 ends in late 2025, but the new Windows 12 is said to be released in late 2025. If 12 falls in the _one good, one bad_ lineup, Linux' growth will more than likely stagnate again (maybe go down a bit). If it's just the rumored AI update that nobody cares about or wants, I expect Linux' market share to grow again.
difference between then and now is that linux is much more viable for home use, with gaming now being a non-issue despite what some people might still think and super beginner friendly distros like Mint really hitting their stride. I don't think there's the same room for windows to bounce back when they mess up that there used to be. People are familiar with windows but it really isn't that hard to get familiar with linux any more and quite frankly many distros are flat out better day to day experiences than windows has been for a long time, especially if you bother with customizing your layout to your liking.
Count me in as another new Linux user. The whole Microsoft Recall thing was the final push I needed to jump ship from Windows. (At least leaving dual boot as an option for now until I don't need it anymore.)
I saw the 2024 Stack Overflow Developers Survey. The numbers are surprising. Under Operating Systems for professional use: Windows- 47.6%, Mac OS - 31.8%, Ubuntu - 27.7%, WSL -16.8%, Debian - 9.1%, Other Linux - 8%. Arch, Fedora and Red Hat are around 4% each.
Not that surprising from a developer perspective. Obviously a consumer survey would be very different. It would be mostly Windows and Mac by a huge margin.
@@maaren3150most developers use multiple OS. This may be either due to testing or compiling on multiple platforms, or due to using Linux for server side development etc.
Why is ubuntu, debian, wsl, etc... Counted as separate operating systems? I get that the linux ecosystem is more fractured but then you should count windows server 2022, 2019, windows 10 pro, windows 11 home, windows workstation, etc...
I'd love to use Linux, but as a creative professional, I just can't. Maybe if Affinity put their suite on Linux, I would consider it now that I'm in progress to de-Adobe myself anyway.
As fellow creative (digital painter) who did the switch i cant blame you. Lack of software is pain even if drivers on linux are amazing. At least switch has made me paint more traditionally, but it sure isnt viable for professional work
I feel for you. For us who do creative things as a hobby, FOSS is enough. I use Krita for digital drawing/painting, Kdenlive for video editing and I even use Ardour as a DAW for my guitar and guitarix as my effects. But that's all just hobbies and I can afford the problems that come with this software, as a professional you can't compromise and I really hope that Linux grows and one day you can do your work easily on it.
Have you looked at Darktable for GIMP? I've never used Affinity but it might be a viable alternative (edit: I didn't realise it was a separate software now haha, I used to use it as a plugin for GIMP... it's good, but I have no idea how well it compares on a professional capacity)
Please reach out to Serif directly make your voices heard! We've been hounding them for years on their forums, telling them that Linux is is a wide open market, a gaping void that they easily could fill, but they've continued to ignore us. But if more creative professionals began putting on the pressure, they might finally make a move. It would be even easier for them now than in the past to make native Linux ports of their software, now that Flatpaks have effectively become the universal package format of choice.
@@N7TWL They mean numbers. Currently we are the "Windows Phone" of the PC world while Windows is Android and MacOS is iOS. We need to grow more before people, such as businesses, see money to be made on Linux. (To clarify, when we talk about "free" software on Linux, we don't mean free as in pay nothing, we mean free as in freedom, the freedom to do as you please.)
On Pop!Os, waiting for Cosmic. I think it'll grow if Windows continue to act up and as software support grows. But I think Linux will need to penetrate the hardware market which is not great at the moment. So I think it'll slow back down.
Anything special in Cosmic? Linux distros has gotten similar updates in wording since the beginning of time but is Cosmic something more special? On other note SteamOS in stats... Isn't it just Steamdeck?
@@shagath think of it this way, there is KDE and Gnome(including billion different versions of gnome) and now there is also COSMIC not a fork but a brand new, stand alone, with different tool-set, modern, made in RUST DE. It has a great potential to be the next big thing or quickly die. So here is why everyone is so hyped. And yes, Steam OS is steam deck only.
@@shagath COSMIC is a DE that will merge accesibility of DE's like GNOME and the customizability of enthusiast enviroments like tiling window managers etc. And all that without decades of legacy code like in GNOME or KDE. Because of a fresh codebase and protocols and templates for making new apps being streamlined, it will be easy to contribute to it as a community and make it the best DE that can fit anyone.
Pretty sure that's due to steamos or similar influencing the results, not totally "real desktop users". I foe one, installed bazzite gnome on my SteamDeck, yeah, K works okay-ish now but it's still a mess, even if the people who like it don't want to accept it
@@lussor1 not necessarily. and i say that as a WM user, not a DE user mainly. GNOME has its fair share of good things. KDEs edge is mainly in implementing new standards faster - although in some cases in a relatively buggy state at the beginning. GNOME is a lot more stable in that aspect, but takes quite a bit longer to implement things. they seem to work pretty great then.
Add me as proof Linux is growing. I switched to Debian about 4 weeks ago after Microsoft AI Recall announcement. Im never going back. There is very little reason to use Windows anymore. Windows 11 took a huge nosedive compared to 10
The Linux community is just way too hostile and toxic for my liking. I said I didn't like Steam because it has DRM, so I asked if Linux supported alternatives like GOG and Itch, and the response was super hostile. It is apparently forbidden not to like Steam. And when I asked how to get my Nvidia drivers working, people just said I should buy an AMD graphics card. Yeah sure....let me just spend $400 on an AMD card just to try Linux....I'll stick to Windows until the Linux community stops being an aggressive hivemind.
Huh, whoever told you those things is stupid, so to reply to all your questions, yes you can use GOG and Itch, no problem (maybe using wine, I don't really know, but if you use Heroic to do it, it should just work) and about Nvidia drivers, again, if you use a competent distro (Ubuntu, Mint, Manjaro, Arch, Fedora) it should be working out of the box and if it is not, you can search on google how to install a package using your distro and just install the nvidia package, all of them support it, and the proprietary drivers should work, anyways don't generalize people, the linux community is far too big to clump together, sure there are bad people but they're not exclusively on Linux, hope I changed your mind
Why do you care what other people think? Anyway, gog works perfectly fine via Lutris. Nvidias newly open source kernel blob is about to change the landscape and you can keep that card. Anyway stop crying about not always hearing what you want to hear all the time, people have different opinions on the Internet, deal with it.
There is no such thing as "the linux community". What a stupid take. Does anyone say the windows community, the mac os community or the android community? Users prefer different flavors but its just a tool. Use it or don't. Up to you.
I know that once the Windows 10 support ends, I'll be switching to Linux for good. Imagine working with debloaters and system breaking atts every year. No thanks, I'm good
For like over 12 years I used different versions of windows but after using that trash bloatware OS windows 11 I switched to Linux. For my usage I have zero problem with Linux. I used both Fedora 40 kde and Kubuntu and I prefer kubuntu its comes with far less bloatware but Fedora have newer packages and Kubuntu like Ubuntu force to use snaps which is only bad thing here but I can install .deb packages instead. Overall I like Linux more than windows and also games have 10% more performance than windows.
On Steam, we have already surpassed MacOS. It's about time for us to surpass them, since GNU/Linux runs on pretty much any machine that runs Windows/NT.
@@softwarelivre2389 Yeah, but games aren't the only problem. Productivity sucks on Linux and Wine/PlayOnLinux aren't compatible with the best softwares for it. I'm still trying to find a good alternative to PaintDotNet which I need for the texture work in games development, and don't get me started on composing soundtracks on Linux.
Seeing those charts made me realize it's been about 22 years since I've always had a Linux PC around and about 6 years since I dumped Windows for good and that was before Windows 11 came out. What a journey it's been. Never been happier to be Windows-free at home.
Great video, but wanted to point out that SteamOS Holo is based on arch, and is so high up because of the steam deck. I wouldn't be shocked if most of the modern rise of linux is because of the steam deck technically counting as linux computer.
I think is hard to believe that the 3 million Steam Decks sold represents 2% of ALL global desktop market. If almost all that growth was thanks to Steam Deck, that will show that not only the desktop Linux space is way smaller than its seems but the Desktop market in general also would be way smaller than we think. I mean, just 3 million PCs (Steam Deck) represents 2% of the entire global desktop market? Like... wtf.
I started the journey this Feb., KDE Plasma is really easy to use for dude like me coming from Windows 10/11. And, after hopping around some distros/DEs, eventually settled at Fedora with KDE Plasma. This might not be the favorite choice for OGs, but it's actually pretty good for newcomers.
The only issue I have with fedora is that is has so few packages. AUR spoiled me but even apt has so many packages in it compared to dnf. And for IDEs, flatpak isnt there yet, so I had to go to awkward lengths to get VSCodium and Jetbrains Toolbox installed. Felt like installing an app on Windows.
The open source driver got REALLY good. I did not notice for 1 year that I was using the open source driver. Because last time the open source driver hardly had even 3d support. So I figured "If games run at all the proprietary driver must have been installed already. I mean Mad Max is clearly running and it is running well."
It's painfully obvious that these survey results primarily reflect the input of the devout Linux "zealot" community which lends itself to Arch based Linux distributions. Whereas, the vast majority of actual mainstream and/or enterprise end users use Ubuntu based distributions by an enormous margin. Nonetheless, Linux was, is, and will be little more than a pimple on Windows backside for the foreseeable future. A huge stumbling block is the fact that the "best of the best" mainstream open source applications such as GIMP, Inkscape, Blender, LibreOffice, Firefox, Audacity, Ardour, OBS, Shotcut, etc. now run perfectly on Windows and in some cases are even more stable/reliable in that environment. Ubuntu and Linux Mint are "far & away" the most viable options to extend the life of PC hardware incapable of securely upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 prior to the Oct. 14 2025 end of support date.
Heh, I've started getting videos like this suggested to me an awful lot recently. I'm writing this on my linux mint partition - as an animation student/digital artist I can't make the full switch to linux until some proprietary software can be reliably run on it or my drawing tablet plays nice on a VM, but I've really loved the user experience thus far! I hope more graphic design/digital art companies hop on the linux train soon.
I love Linux Mint Cinnamon, but I'm stuck with Windows 11 because I have to use Adobe photoshop, microsoft office, plus other things that are currently Windows only. Until Linux can find a way to natively run them like windows can, there will be a lot like myself that want to switch to Linux full time but can't, and that's always going to be the major stumbling block Linux has. The other thing Linux majorly sucks at is GUI utilities, everything decent tends to be CLI / Terminal, most users have no idea of terminal stuff, they need pure GUI utilities that are 100% mouse click only. I teach people how to use computers, and 99% of them have no idea of DoS or Powershell, so trying to tell them about bash commands and other stuff on Linux that needs terminal commands like Sudo is totally over their heads. That's one major thing Windows does so well, it allows anyone to just push on button on PC / Laptop, load up, move mouse around and click what ya want to load then click menu options.
Real growth will come for Linux when all of the business applications currently only running on Windows (read: most business applications), can run on any OS. I've been an IT professional and IT MSP business owner for 30 years. Most companies can't even consider Linux as a desktop option because their business applications don't run on it. Using Linux to replace Windows Server domains, print servers, application servers, etc. are completely different challenges.
I petition to adopt the term 'linux-based operating system' It makes it clearer for new users what linux really is, a family of operating systems based on the linux kernel. And that there are multiple linux communities, some more friendly than others
4:51: "AI frameworks optimized for Linux"... _"while this might be a surprise for you"_ No, not really: Linux is the natural environment for everything that needs full access to your hardware, because you can read the Linux code, because it natively runs containers, because you can shrink down everything so that the containers get all the resources, and ... stuff. It is simply an easier more available development platform ... except when you are dealing with USB and Bluetooth.
I bought 2 cheap new laptops 18 months ago that were pre-loaded with Windows11. I was happy with my old laptops running on Windows 7, but it took only a week of running Win11on my new laptops that I decided to dual boot with Linuxmint 22. Thank goodness for Linux and all the fantastic os/app developers who contribute to making it the system it is today. I tried Linux back in the 1990's but it wasn't a mature gui based system then. I now use Linux exclusively and only keep Win11 partition in case I get something sent to me that I must have win to open.
Linux is pulling a PlayStation, rising to fame by doing nothing and watching as its contemporaries keep dropping the ball. It's a strange feeling. Here's hoping it grows big enough for Microsoft to change their ways.
the moment game companies natively support their clients on linux (like steam has) & nvidia provides their drivers to linux is when more people will adopt linux. I recently came over & there are quite a bit of hiccups but linux has been smoothing out the experience the last few years & it's paying off.
Original versions of SteamOS (around 2015 or so, before the Steam Deck) were based on Debian. But the new SteamOS that runs on the Steam Deck is based on Arch, likely contributing at least partially to the substantial Arch usage.
Lot of people dislike corporate Linux entities like Canonical, RedHat, SUSE. But they don't consider that Linux corporate activity is a must for the growth of this platform. RedHat made KVM, RPM, SELinux and many more advanced and important software in the past before the drama. The only reason that Gnome could survive the Gnome 3 disaster (or even afford to rewrite the whole shell in the first place) was that RedHat was and is funding and contributing to it, and Ubuntu is using it as the main DE. If Linux corporation weren't there the market share on the server and enterprise space would decrease since there is no enterprise support to get, and everyone would use Debian (even more than right now) because no distro with recent packages had enough stability. Canonical may do some shady things for the sake of money, but that doesn't mean Ubuntu's growing market share doesn't affect Linux ecosystem in a positive way.
I've been following linux for a while but i still use windows. I plan on switching to Linux once windows 10 loses security updates. I wonder how many others are planning the same.
Microsoft is driving people away and Linux is winning!!!! Linux Mint user on all 4 of my PCs and none dual boot after windows rewrote my boot sector when doing an update!!!
WHY LINUX WILL GROW (LEAPS AND BOUND) WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS 1) The adaption of ARM for Linux (faster but energy efficient computers) - ARM computers will enable Video Editors like me to switch to Linux 2) The improvement of DaVinci Resolve for Linux (Video editors are the people that will popularized Linux and will be followed by Gamers) 3) The shift from Windows to Linux of China
@@cybernit3 Considering the issue they've had with their graphics cards drivers on Windows, I don't know if they have the time and resources for Linux since it's a minority of their customers unless it's enterprises, which don't use the UI most of the time.
"Linux is on the rise" While the statement as such is true as such (Linux market share is increasing; slow but it does), it does not tell you that Linux with it's 4% market share is at an all time high, while at the same time Windows 7 (depending on the source) still has a market share of ~3 - 10% (timespan Jan 2023 - Jan 2024).
42% increase yoy is not slow, considering desktop linux was stuck in ~2% or less for like two decades. It's fast growth for the last couple of years, if there will be another 40% growth from this july to next, then linux will break 6% marketshare, even as a longtime linux user I'm skeptical of that but one can only hope.
I agree that the growth curve for Linux desktop looks promising. Let's hope, that the sigmoid curve keeps accelerating for a while. With nVidia finally embracing the linux world (because their graphics have gotten a use case on servers due to AI), we can be hopeful that Gaming on LInux will become more viable for more players as well. With ubuntu: While those number definitely look good, keep in mind that their success may not only be related to growth of linux, but also RedHat customers switching to ubuntu.
Like almost any growth graph, linux growth is exponential. I hope we see a two digit growth percentage by next year, especially microsoft ending windows 10 next year.
@@GoonyMclinux Not entirely, the internet pre-dates Linux, MANY use Linux for their servers these days, but to say the Internet runs on it is a fallacy.
@@BlueEyedVibeChecker its something like 96% so its not a fallacy its just an undeniable truth. The vast majority of what we consider "Internet" runs on linux servers. Sure the desktop market share is azz but the server market share is in the bag.
@@BlueEyedVibeCheckerif not linux, what the hell are they using in the server space then? windows server sucks ass and bsd is okay I guess but no linux
Building a new PC soon, it will be my third in my house and I'm switching to Linux very soon on all three eventually. I just wished Windows would be slim, no-bloat, fully customizable frontend, not spying on me and collecting data. I feel like this shouldn't be too big of an ask but apparently it is...
As much as the I-use-Arch enthusiasts may like to disagree, it’s likely that a decent portion of the majority Arch usage is thanks to the Steam Deck, since SteamOS (the new one) is Arch-based.
To philosophically "win" linux does not need to overtake the market. It does not need to be bigger than windows and macos. It just need to be big enough, that majority of the software will get linux support. That would mean that most users at any point have a free alternative to a commercial OS. This, it turn, means that no big corporation able to stranglehold the industry with their decisions and they always need to be at lest better than linux in most areas to justify taking money.
The biggest untapped "market" (if that's the right word for something with no money in it) for desktop Linux is probably not the computer savvy but ordinary folk, some old like me, with computers that are deemed obsolete by MS but which have years of life left in them when used for everyday tasks. A 10-year-old desktop/laptop plus a cheap SSD is a very useful tool, especially for those who either can't afford a new PC/Mac/iPad or don't choose to spend a lot. If you don't use your Windows machine frequently then the updater will hobble it for longer than you intended to use it, then might well break it. I have long answered "Can you fix my W8/10 PC?" with "How about this instead?" (Ubuntu). Happy people ...
I recently switched to endeavouros (from windows) as part of my work and programming. I continue to play on windows because the games I play are not supported or poorly supported on linux (r6 etc). The last time I checked out desktop linux was a good 6-7 years ago. I installed mint on an older laptop then. It was cool, but it annoyed me how spacey the UI seemed. Now I was looking at a lot of distros and first time saw KDE/Hyprland and how modern the interface looked, after installing it I was not disappointed :D (i was using linux in beetwen but not desktop - some servers and WSL for work)
Somehow, I doubt it. Linux needs a lot of work before it can compete with the Windows UI and ease of installation and use. Linux desktop is extremely niche and fragmented. Both are negative forces.
Woah. My Google thermostat probably saw me figuring out how to use Linux on a virtual machine yesterday, because now I have this on my recommended page. 😂 I want to move over to Linux before the end of the year when Windows 10 support gets dropped, so the transition won’t be too jarring and all at once.
I had Elementary OS on my laptop for a while, but went back to Windows when I found myself missing Adobe Audition and Winamp running without any glitches. Running those two apps in Wine was a PITA.
It still won't be the year of linux until games with anti cheat be available, and modding tools available for games as well as drm denuvo being able to run it as soon as a game releases. Oh, and don't forget VR, and HDR availability. You can forget about those
Been using Linux as a daily driver for a straight year now. I have no complaints. I can't play League of Legends anymore, but that's really not a downside I'll be honest.
I don't like Ubuntu as I had filesystem errors Both Arch and Debian are great distro replacments I use Debian testing which is Trixie atm, but LMDE is also good!
Been into Linux since 2015 and have used it on and off but I'm happy to be using it more within the past year. Currently I'm enjoying OpenSUSE Tumbleweed on an old HP 8200 Elite SFF with a 1050 ti but I'd love to put it on a future AMD 7000 series build as well.
You want to know why I switched to fedora kde spin? Three reasons: windows Spyware, game performance goes vroooooom.(50fps increase in overwatch at max settings and other games it is insane) the third reason I didn't even know until I got it. I can select which monitors have variable sync. This was a huge problem for me on windows as it was turned on for both monitors at all times which caused video playback stutter when watching RUclips.
Welcome to Linux, Fedora really is a good distro, they usually are at the forefront of innovation in Linux, and that variable sync you mentioned is part of that, only possible on Wayland
I hope this is fueled more by genuine interest in the platform and less by Steam Deck sales. That said, many mainstream distros are very easy to install. Ubuntu and basically any of its forks will let you stumble drunk through it and still install a complete and stable OS. Even Debian is pretty easy if you take the time to think about what you're doing. I hear Pop, Bazzite, and Nobara make gaming super easy (though I admit I've never used them). Following a video guide, you can even install Arch in less than an hour, complete with a DE. Yes, you can choose Arch as your first distro. My experience installing it for the first time was far from torturous.
I recently switched to linux mint. I have been using windows mostly for my entire life. While the overall experience is not bad, I have run into some issues related to drivers. For-example, I recently bought the logitech mx series keyboard and mouse and I found out that there is no logitech on linux so I can't program my mouse. And on top of that mouse does not have an onboard memory so I am stuck with the default mouse settings on linux. I really like the mouse but I just wished that there was a software for linux so I could control the scroll strength
I’m currently Linux and iOS only until the new office is built. From the iPad I’m working on files stored on the Linux laptop (Resolve on the iPad as the laptop is underpowered for that). While I don’t have iCloud between the two, I can move files directly.
Yeah I remember it being stuck at 1-2% desktop share for years and years. Now ticking up. I’m on Windows but in past couple of years I’ve tried in a VM. Also WSL. This was mainly from necessity as I was investigating blockchain and most only work or work properly on Linux or Mac from a dev perspective.
I wouldn't describe 4% market share in 30 years to be particularly fast? Even that extra 1% of total market share gained in 12 months isn't much. Windows 11 has already exceeded 20% in only 3 years. Even Mac OS X is at 15%. The argument that Windows is popular because it's pre-installed doesn't hold. OS X is also pre-installed. Not every copy of W11 was pre0installed. Many are just upgrades from W10. People make choices.
As smartphones get better and better the need for a laptop or desktop computer will decrease ;) PS: Pop Os user for about 2 years i think 😊 Linux user since 2017. Linux essentials certified 21 of june 2024 🎉🎉🎉
That's likely true to some extent but phone screens are way too small for many applications and Android is too difficult to use and is unstable, at least in my experience. The current RUclips app on Android is almost unusable right now. The buggiest application I've ever encountered. I can't speak for Apple products though, as I'm not a user.
Just upgraded to windows 11 after being a hold out, spent 3 days using it then nuked it and installed arch (btw) on my main desktop and laptop. So over these corporations shouldering themselves into my life.
I just switched to linux mint yesterday, ngl as a normie, it was frustrating a little bit because I had to use the terminal for a couple things, but overall satisfied with the switch👍
Do you see Linux growing even further? In what space..
Just correction the steam os is now Arch base then debien base in the video.
My two cents, regarding the average home user, it does take a leap of faith and a little bit of computer savvy to make the change. This is outside the comfort zone of most PC users, and they just use the preinstalled OS (Chrome, Windows, Mac). I was reluctant to change for this reason.
This might slowly change if manufacturers offered Linux pre-installations as a ready alternative with a small printed guide.
@@artmcteagle in my opinion its highly worth it, almost all non tech-savvy windows users are running into issues all the time, getting scammed, installing malicious programs/spyware, ect. The amount of times my friends have reinstalled windows or gotten me to fix their system isnt even funny. Understanding computers is a crucial part of any OS, you WILL run into issues eventually. People saying its a linux thing are just wrong, but i guess not completely wrong lol. But yeah its just important to know how to maintain your OS.
@@dedogospod Totally agree, I guess the 'fed up with it, gonna change' point varies with people! I've certainly had my share of screw ups with Linux as well, but even here it seems easier to deal with.
Thanks
Man, Microsoft sure did a good job advertising Linux
Not really. Windows 11 is growing at almost 10X the rate of Linux, and that will speed up and W10 nears end of support. Yeah, Linux had a growth spurt last year, but the long term trend is glacial. The truth is, Linux cannot and will not beat Windows until its UI has had a complete overhaul and upgrade. The Windows UI is simply superior and easier to use. That's what most users want. Same with driving cars or switching on lights... we don't need to be a car mechanic or an electrician. Linux as a desktop option is for hobbyists and tinkerers.
@@robby3467 Not really, of course if you look only at windows 11 it is growing fast since most of its users are just windows 10 users who are switching to windows 11. But if you look at the use of windows overall as a desktop OS, the market share is going down steadily over the years. I agree that linux may not surpass windows, at least in the short term, but this does not mean that linux will not grow further in the future. And it is also a fact that some people are not satisfied with microsoft anymore, especially after some bad decisions on microsoft's part, and decided to switch to linux.
I think there's a few factors for the growth. First, there's more and more gamers, linux is getting really good for it. Second, the bad decisions other operating systems have made. MS and their updates, forced apps, telemetry, co pilot, clown strike. Mac and their anti repair, having to buy a new computer for small, fixable problems. I'm sure I'm missing some reasons
Yup all good additions
Mostly Windows, macOS is amazing for non-gamer stuff if you aren't a customization junkie and like proprietary software
@grantschilb8019 It's not about liking proprietary software; it's about having to use it to get your work done. The Sooner these are available on Linux, the faster it will grow.
Also don’t forget Photoshop fuckups. Now that artists don’t want to use it due to agressive terms of service, they are switching to other alternatives which do run on Linux like Affinity, Krita, GIMP, etc…
Yes, this checks all the boxes for me. All my games run now on Linux without issues, so for me as a private user it offers all the functionality I need. And to embrace the DIY world a bit more, my next Laptop will be most likely a framework one because I like the idea of repairability.
Id like to thank windows and osx for their spyware for increasing Linuxs market share ...couldnt do it without them
Plus the increasing bloat and very disruptive updates, Windows 8 was the final straw for me.
@@artmcteagle yup I went full Linux after windows 8.
But I still need it for work
@@ashishpatel350 My family and friends still on Windows, not interested in changing, myself I've never looked back!
@@artmcteagleI use a custom Windows 8.1 build called Sasnet on my retro gaming PC and an old laptop of mine, running off local accounts with telemetry stuff disabled. Every other PC I have is running Linux. It's perfect!
I mean, if you are bying macs with osx you don't really care about spyware. It is unnoticeable also
It’s because of Windows 11. I made the switch because of Windows 10/11, fell in love with Ubuntu. And a year later all my friends switched over as well.
Now all my devices, old and new, use a Linux distro. The biggest advantage is that every PC feels like a new one, even after years
Yup. I'm using an old laptop. No need to replace it when it works fine for everything I do. It does not have a TPM module. I've replaced nearly every part inside it though, so if anything breaks down I'll probably scrap it. I think I'll be good for at least another year (or two).
Yea still on Windows 10. Definitely next build will be 100% linux
my laptops came out in 2011 and 2013! They run great using Ubuntu. I saved an old chromebook from recycling with kubutu recently, it runs better than it ran when it was getting updates for chrome!
@@potato9832
I left because my windows 11 simply took all my system resources just to boot ...
Your story relate to mine
Yup I recently joined a week ago after getting fed up with windows
Welcome!
Thanks
@@RiftWalker111 What did it for you? For me it was the "News and Interests" re-enabling itself for the 3rd time after a Windows update.
@@wfb.subtraktor311 Definitely was all the bloatware, persistent telemetry it kept trying to push, and lastly the requirement of a internet connection to literally make a *personal* user account on my PC on restarting the system to factory was just stupid. If for some reason god forbid you connect to the internet during this setup phase, you are *forced* to make a Microsoft online account, not local.
They kept busting my orbs for silly, inconsequential reasons, it's ultimately what led to the last straw.
Wellcome, you'll never regret!
SteamOS is Arch base but a snapshot of older packages lagged behind the main distro
(the one base on debian is the one in failed Steam Machines and super old)
I was going to mention this if it wasn't already mentioned.
its called "Arch btw"
Old version of SteamOS was Debian Based, but now SteamOS is Arch Based.
Linux has been stagnant for years in the desktop in terms of growth, but somehow all the growth is thanks to one Linux distro… It doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that Microsoft is pissing the world off at a time when steamdeck is showing the world Linux is viable for home entertainment
Not wholly true in regards to MS, I've been in IT for a long time and I've never had 'average users' ask about Linux as a desktop OS until recently and I've had a few friends I work with say the same.
@@nadtz I've had mixed experiences. I've been asked fairly often about other operating systems, macos, linux, and even occassionally bsd questions, though admittedly, I played support to a rather more technical group (tier 2 and 3 support, supporting tier 1 support and telecom switch techs).
@@pcallycat9043 I've had those kinds of conversations with people I've worked with / for, sure. I'm talking about a non techie person who uses a computer for basic tasks and doesn't usually think too much about the OS.
They have been stagnant because one of the biggest desktop environment developers never wants to follow standards everyone else uses and thinks they are too smart and know better. If they stopped existing, there wouldn't be any fighting or time wasted on trying to engineer around their BS, and the desktop would advance much faster. Talking about Gnome btw.
Wouldn't it be the case that most application software developers will be locked into a particular OS, and most will be Windows or Phones. In my case, I've been an application developer on Windows for around 28 years using C++ 99% of the time. In our case, Linux not only provides no advantage, but it would be useless by definition. The exception might be developers of web front ends and such like, or cross platform development in Java and the like. But this doesn't bode well for Linux on the desktop... does it?
Mark my words, Linux will take over, not now, but maybe 10 or more years, they will become a juggernaut.
Imo only if the dev community moves towards GUI based apps. Until then, only enthusiasts will use linux even if it's very good.
We on the Linux community often forget the average joe aren't getting used to terminal and troubleshooting problems in general.
As I looked at the chart at 0:40 and compared it to the release of new versions of Windows or the ended support of old versions, you can see a correlation between them.
Whenever MS releases a bad version in the _one good, one bad_ cycle (8, 11) or the support of a well liked version ends (XP, 7) Linux' market share did grow on the past. As MS released Windows 10 in 2015, Linux' growth did stagnate for many years.
So if Linux keeps on growing will probably come down to whether Windows 12 (said to be released in late 2025) is any good or not.
@@whyand Right, thought it is getting easier, imagine 10-15 years ago. I would never switch to a distro in that era.
@@KuruGDI I wouldn't know, what I do know is they do have their good operating systems and bad releases. Windows 8 was definitely my least favorite.
@@niko2002i switched about 15 years ago and it was great. Why do you guys use the terminal so much? In 15 years I barely needed it at all. 🤔
Out here in SE Asia lots of people cannot afford the new hardware required for Windows 11. The local culture prioritises land and property ownership ... to near religious levels, even down to taking out crazy levels of debt to get such, so they are very interested in going Linux to avoid new hardware. Microsoft really pulled the rug out form people with Windows 11. Had quite a few converts especially when all people want is online stuff "google" and some kind of a office suite for light spreadsheet or Word file handling. They do not want to go back.
I use mint linux as my main on my laptop and love it.
I've also heard that many Asian countries also want to reduce their reliance on western companies too. Apple and Microsoft qualify for that label so there's incentive to build and use their own systems to not have to rely on them.
It's also what I've been hearing a lot about in Europe as well. EX: The German government has been trying multiple times to ditch Windows and haven't given up on that initiative yet.
I started with Linux because I couldnt afford a new computer a number of years ago.
Ubuntu did everything I needed and I never went back.
When Ive needed a "new" computer, I tend to pick up a used on and install ubuntu.
I just wish that canonical drop the Snap for the Flatpak. Now, in 2024, it is very clear that the linux community chose the flatpak over the snaps. But i understand why they keep using it.
I think snap or flat is totally unnecessary.
I still use apt
Snaps are usable on servers unlike flatpak and are somewhat different from docker containers. They just don't seem to make sense on the desktop but they fill a niche in the server market which is what matters to canonical since most of their support contracts are for Ubuntu server which has replaced rhel alongside rocky linux
@seanfaherty which is slowly replaced by snaps
@@KM-sv4dh I know but I’ll probably hold out as long as I can
0:40 Funny chart...
0:47 0.5% growth between 2013 and 2015. Windows 8 was released in late 2012 and support for XP ended in 2014. Windows 10 was released in 2015.
0:59 3% growth between 2020 and 2024. The support for Windows 7 ended in 2020 and Windows 11 was released in late 2021.
*It seems to be like in politics:* You don't gain votes (or market share) because you are good, but because the others are bad.
As long as Windows was deemed _good_ or _good enough_ (XP, 7, 10) Linux' growth stagnated. As Microsoft published a new version that was unliked (Vista, 8, 11) or ended support of their versions of Windows that was liked by customers, Linux' market share increases.
The support for Windows 10 ends in late 2025, but the new Windows 12 is said to be released in late 2025. If 12 falls in the _one good, one bad_ lineup, Linux' growth will more than likely stagnate again (maybe go down a bit). If it's just the rumored AI update that nobody cares about or wants, I expect Linux' market share to grow again.
Windows 12 will come with increased system requirements yet people are poorer than ever in the last 20 years. I expect Linux market share to increase
difference between then and now is that linux is much more viable for home use, with gaming now being a non-issue despite what some people might still think and super beginner friendly distros like Mint really hitting their stride. I don't think there's the same room for windows to bounce back when they mess up that there used to be. People are familiar with windows but it really isn't that hard to get familiar with linux any more and quite frankly many distros are flat out better day to day experiences than windows has been for a long time, especially if you bother with customizing your layout to your liking.
Count me in as another new Linux user. The whole Microsoft Recall thing was the final push I needed to jump ship from Windows. (At least leaving dual boot as an option for now until I don't need it anymore.)
Microsoft Recall hasn't shipped yet. And, even when it does, it will initially be for Snapdragon ARM processors only. And, it will be opt-in.
The reason SteamOS is first is because it's what runs on the Steam Deck. Not that many people are installing it on their own machines.
I switched to Mint about 3 months ago from Win 11, absolutely no regrets.
I made the same switch a few days ago and I have almost no regrets. Only thing I miss is potplayer.
I saw the 2024 Stack Overflow Developers Survey. The numbers are surprising. Under Operating Systems for professional use: Windows- 47.6%, Mac OS - 31.8%, Ubuntu - 27.7%, WSL -16.8%, Debian - 9.1%, Other Linux - 8%. Arch, Fedora and Red Hat are around 4% each.
Not that surprising from a developer perspective. Obviously a consumer survey would be very different. It would be mostly Windows and Mac by a huge margin.
Why does the sum of those percentages equal 153? Multiple setups?
How the hell did 17% of Devs classify WSL as an OS?
@@maaren3150most developers use multiple OS. This may be either due to testing or compiling on multiple platforms, or due to using Linux for server side development etc.
Why is ubuntu, debian, wsl, etc... Counted as separate operating systems? I get that the linux ecosystem is more fractured but then you should count windows server 2022, 2019, windows 10 pro, windows 11 home, windows workstation, etc...
I switched from Windows 11 to Kubuntu last week. This is my first time installing Linux with intention of keeping it as my main OS.
I'd love to use Linux, but as a creative professional, I just can't. Maybe if Affinity put their suite on Linux, I would consider it now that I'm in progress to de-Adobe myself anyway.
As fellow creative (digital painter) who did the switch i cant blame you. Lack of software is pain even if drivers on linux are amazing. At least switch has made me paint more traditionally, but it sure isnt viable for professional work
I feel for you. For us who do creative things as a hobby, FOSS is enough. I use Krita for digital drawing/painting, Kdenlive for video editing and I even use Ardour as a DAW for my guitar and guitarix as my effects. But that's all just hobbies and I can afford the problems that come with this software, as a professional you can't compromise and I really hope that Linux grows and one day you can do your work easily on it.
Have you looked at Darktable for GIMP? I've never used Affinity but it might be a viable alternative
(edit: I didn't realise it was a separate software now haha, I used to use it as a plugin for GIMP... it's good, but I have no idea how well it compares on a professional capacity)
Please reach out to Serif directly make your voices heard!
We've been hounding them for years on their forums, telling them that Linux is is a wide open market, a gaping void that they easily could fill, but they've continued to ignore us. But if more creative professionals began putting on the pressure, they might finally make a move.
It would be even easier for them now than in the past to make native Linux ports of their software, now that Flatpaks have effectively become the universal package format of choice.
Can Affinity photo 2 not be run on WINE?
linux is at about half of what it needs to be taken seriously by devs as a major player.
Nonsense, if it keeps growing many companies will want to be the "first". I'm sure it is being talked about in many meeting rooms.
Perhaps you could enlighten the rest of us as to what that other half is.
That makes no sense. It would be closer to the truth if you substituted “devs” for “end users.” But even then things are much easier than they were.
@@N7TWL They mean numbers.
Currently we are the "Windows Phone" of the PC world while Windows is Android and MacOS is iOS.
We need to grow more before people, such as businesses, see money to be made on Linux.
(To clarify, when we talk about "free" software on Linux, we don't mean free as in pay nothing, we mean free as in freedom, the freedom to do as you please.)
Tell me you haven't used linux without telling me you haven't used linux
On Pop!Os, waiting for Cosmic. I think it'll grow if Windows continue to act up and as software support grows. But I think Linux will need to penetrate the hardware market which is not great at the moment. So I think it'll slow back down.
Anything special in Cosmic? Linux distros has gotten similar updates in wording since the beginning of time but is Cosmic something more special? On other note SteamOS in stats... Isn't it just Steamdeck?
@@shagath think of it this way, there is KDE and Gnome(including billion different versions of gnome) and now there is also COSMIC not a fork but a brand new, stand alone, with different tool-set, modern, made in RUST DE. It has a great potential to be the next big thing or quickly die. So here is why everyone is so hyped.
And yes, Steam OS is steam deck only.
@@Skorpi76 I see. Well now I am getting interested too :P I want to see how Cosmic fares.
Planning to switch from WS10 to Pop once the Cosmic release happens!
@@shagath COSMIC is a DE that will merge accesibility of DE's like GNOME and the customizability of enthusiast enviroments like tiling window managers etc. And all that without decades of legacy code like in GNOME or KDE. Because of a fresh codebase and protocols and templates for making new apps being streamlined, it will be easy to contribute to it as a community and make it the best DE that can fit anyone.
Pretty interesting seeing KDE being more popular in this survey than Gnome I don't like Gnome so nice to see
GNOME is for kids and elder people
KDE for normal users
Pretty sure that's due to steamos or similar influencing the results, not totally "real desktop users". I foe one, installed bazzite gnome on my SteamDeck, yeah, K works okay-ish now but it's still a mess, even if the people who like it don't want to accept it
@@lussor1 not necessarily. and i say that as a WM user, not a DE user mainly.
GNOME has its fair share of good things. KDEs edge is mainly in implementing new standards faster - although in some cases in a relatively buggy state at the beginning. GNOME is a lot more stable in that aspect, but takes quite a bit longer to implement things. they seem to work pretty great then.
Luckily you can freely use what you want to use on Linux unlike whatever some managers in Redmond come up with.
The new steamos holo is based on arch (btw) and not debian. Great video btw.
Add me as proof Linux is growing. I switched to Debian about 4 weeks ago after Microsoft AI Recall announcement. Im never going back. There is very little reason to use Windows anymore. Windows 11 took a huge nosedive compared to 10
The Linux community is just way too hostile and toxic for my liking. I said I didn't like Steam because it has DRM, so I asked if Linux supported alternatives like GOG and Itch, and the response was super hostile. It is apparently forbidden not to like Steam.
And when I asked how to get my Nvidia drivers working, people just said I should buy an AMD graphics card. Yeah sure....let me just spend $400 on an AMD card just to try Linux....I'll stick to Windows until the Linux community stops being an aggressive hivemind.
Huh, whoever told you those things is stupid, so to reply to all your questions, yes you can use GOG and Itch, no problem (maybe using wine, I don't really know, but if you use Heroic to do it, it should just work) and about Nvidia drivers, again, if you use a competent distro (Ubuntu, Mint, Manjaro, Arch, Fedora) it should be working out of the box and if it is not, you can search on google how to install a package using your distro and just install the nvidia package, all of them support it, and the proprietary drivers should work, anyways don't generalize people, the linux community is far too big to clump together, sure there are bad people but they're not exclusively on Linux, hope I changed your mind
Why do you care what other people think? Anyway, gog works perfectly fine via Lutris.
Nvidias newly open source kernel blob is about to change the landscape and you can keep that card.
Anyway stop crying about not always hearing what you want to hear all the time, people have different opinions on the Internet, deal with it.
There is no such thing as "the linux community". What a stupid take. Does anyone say the windows community, the mac os community or the android community? Users prefer different flavors but its just a tool. Use it or don't. Up to you.
@@snowflakemelter7171 Thanks for reminding me why the Linux community is so toxic. You're a prime example.
@@sophieedel6324 😂😂😂😂 Ok. Don't use Linux then. No one cares.
I know that once the Windows 10 support ends, I'll be switching to Linux for good. Imagine working with debloaters and system breaking atts every year. No thanks, I'm good
Desktop Linux is 500% better than it was in the mid 2000s. Extremely easy and usable now (if you pick the right distro)
FOSS everywhere is getting better and being adopted more because of that. Blender, Krita, Godot, Linux. Am I missing anything?
Don't forget OBS.
For like over 12 years I used different versions of windows but after using that trash bloatware OS windows 11 I switched to Linux. For my usage I have zero problem with Linux. I used both Fedora 40 kde and Kubuntu and I prefer kubuntu its comes with far less bloatware but Fedora have newer packages and Kubuntu like Ubuntu force to use snaps which is only bad thing here but I can install .deb packages instead. Overall I like Linux more than windows and also games have 10% more performance than windows.
We need more of the common apps to be developed for Linux, otherwise, it won't take over or come close even to Mac.
On Steam, we have already surpassed MacOS. It's about time for us to surpass them, since GNU/Linux runs on pretty much any machine that runs Windows/NT.
@@softwarelivre2389 Yeah, but games aren't the only problem.
Productivity sucks on Linux and Wine/PlayOnLinux aren't compatible with the best softwares for it.
I'm still trying to find a good alternative to PaintDotNet which I need for the texture work in games development, and don't get me started on composing soundtracks on Linux.
@@softwarelivre2389well obviously, who would ever game in mac lol
Seeing those charts made me realize it's been about 22 years since I've always had a Linux PC around and about 6 years since I dumped Windows for good and that was before Windows 11 came out. What a journey it's been. Never been happier to be Windows-free at home.
Great video, but wanted to point out that SteamOS Holo is based on arch, and is so high up because of the steam deck. I wouldn't be shocked if most of the modern rise of linux is because of the steam deck technically counting as linux computer.
Thanks
I think is hard to believe that the 3 million Steam Decks sold represents 2% of ALL global desktop market. If almost all that growth was thanks to Steam Deck, that will show that not only the desktop Linux space is way smaller than its seems but the Desktop market in general also would be way smaller than we think. I mean, just 3 million PCs (Steam Deck) represents 2% of the entire global desktop market? Like... wtf.
Is that many people actually using it as a desktop though? Because that is what statcounter is measuring, Internet browsing.
I agree with other people in the comments that 10% would be a pivotal moment.
I started the journey this Feb., KDE Plasma is really easy to use for dude like me coming from Windows 10/11. And, after hopping around some distros/DEs, eventually settled at Fedora with KDE Plasma.
This might not be the favorite choice for OGs, but it's actually pretty good for newcomers.
That’s what I have on my laptop, it’s super good.
The only issue I have with fedora is that is has so few packages. AUR spoiled me but even apt has so many packages in it compared to dnf. And for IDEs, flatpak isnt there yet, so I had to go to awkward lengths to get VSCodium and Jetbrains Toolbox installed. Felt like installing an app on Windows.
The open source driver got REALLY good. I did not notice for 1 year that I was using the open source driver. Because last time the open source driver hardly had even 3d support. So I figured "If games run at all the proprietary driver must have been installed already. I mean Mad Max is clearly running and it is running well."
It's painfully obvious that these survey results primarily reflect the input of the devout Linux "zealot" community which lends itself to Arch based Linux distributions. Whereas, the vast majority of actual mainstream and/or enterprise end users use Ubuntu based distributions by an enormous margin. Nonetheless, Linux was, is, and will be little more than a pimple on Windows backside for the foreseeable future. A huge stumbling block is the fact that the "best of the best" mainstream open source applications such as GIMP, Inkscape, Blender, LibreOffice, Firefox, Audacity, Ardour, OBS, Shotcut, etc. now run perfectly on Windows and in some cases are even more stable/reliable in that environment. Ubuntu and Linux Mint are "far & away" the most viable options to extend the life of PC hardware incapable of securely upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 prior to the Oct. 14 2025 end of support date.
Ubuntu-based is basically Debian with ubuntu's repos
How astute of you.
An elephant is basically mammal with elephant repos
Steam deck has probably been the biggest factor (besides ms/apple bs) opening up gaming for the masses
yea i saw it recently, 4.4 and in june it was the highest prior.
Still using Windows because of gaming and using specific soft. But I'm glad that Linux is growing!
Heh, I've started getting videos like this suggested to me an awful lot recently. I'm writing this on my linux mint partition - as an animation student/digital artist I can't make the full switch to linux until some proprietary software can be reliably run on it or my drawing tablet plays nice on a VM, but I've really loved the user experience thus far! I hope more graphic design/digital art companies hop on the linux train soon.
yes you right. I was one of those downloaders in 2024.
I love Linux Mint Cinnamon, but I'm stuck with Windows 11 because I have to use Adobe photoshop, microsoft office, plus other things that are currently Windows only.
Until Linux can find a way to natively run them like windows can, there will be a lot like myself that want to switch to Linux full time but can't, and that's always going to be the major stumbling block Linux has.
The other thing Linux majorly sucks at is GUI utilities, everything decent tends to be CLI / Terminal, most users have no idea of terminal stuff, they need pure GUI utilities that are 100% mouse click only.
I teach people how to use computers, and 99% of them have no idea of DoS or Powershell, so trying to tell them about bash commands and other stuff on Linux that needs terminal commands like Sudo is totally over their heads.
That's one major thing Windows does so well, it allows anyone to just push on button on PC / Laptop, load up, move mouse around and click what ya want to load then click menu options.
Real growth will come for Linux when all of the business applications currently only running on Windows (read: most business applications), can run on any OS. I've been an IT professional and IT MSP business owner for 30 years. Most companies can't even consider Linux as a desktop option because their business applications don't run on it. Using Linux to replace Windows Server domains, print servers, application servers, etc. are completely different challenges.
I made the switch this week. Microsoft kept bricking my PC with their lovely Windows updates. I finally installed Pop OS and I'm really enjoying it.
I petition to adopt the term 'linux-based operating system'
It makes it clearer for new users what linux really is, a family of operating systems based on the linux kernel. And that there are multiple linux communities, some more friendly than others
I went to a store yesterday, and they had models with Linux pre-installed :)
4:51: "AI frameworks optimized for Linux"... _"while this might be a surprise for you"_ No, not really: Linux is the natural environment for everything that needs full access to your hardware, because you can read the Linux code, because it natively runs containers, because you can shrink down everything so that the containers get all the resources, and ... stuff. It is simply an easier more available development platform ... except when you are dealing with USB and Bluetooth.
I bought 2 cheap new laptops 18 months ago that were pre-loaded with Windows11. I was happy with my old laptops running on Windows 7, but it took only a week of running Win11on my new laptops that I decided to dual boot with Linuxmint 22. Thank goodness for Linux and all the fantastic os/app developers who contribute to making it the system it is today. I tried Linux back in the 1990's but it wasn't a mature gui based system then.
I now use Linux exclusively and only keep Win11 partition in case I get something sent to me that I must have win to open.
Linux is pulling a PlayStation, rising to fame by doing nothing and watching as its contemporaries keep dropping the ball.
It's a strange feeling.
Here's hoping it grows big enough for Microsoft to change their ways.
the moment game companies natively support their clients on linux (like steam has) & nvidia provides their drivers to linux is when more people will adopt linux.
I recently came over & there are quite a bit of hiccups but linux has been smoothing out the experience the last few years & it's paying off.
Original versions of SteamOS (around 2015 or so, before the Steam Deck) were based on Debian. But the new SteamOS that runs on the Steam Deck is based on Arch, likely contributing at least partially to the substantial Arch usage.
Lot of people dislike corporate Linux entities like Canonical, RedHat, SUSE. But they don't consider that Linux corporate activity is a must for the growth of this platform. RedHat made KVM, RPM, SELinux and many more advanced and important software in the past before the drama. The only reason that Gnome could survive the Gnome 3 disaster (or even afford to rewrite the whole shell in the first place) was that RedHat was and is funding and contributing to it, and Ubuntu is using it as the main DE. If Linux corporation weren't there the market share on the server and enterprise space would decrease since there is no enterprise support to get, and everyone would use Debian (even more than right now) because no distro with recent packages had enough stability.
Canonical may do some shady things for the sake of money, but that doesn't mean Ubuntu's growing market share doesn't affect Linux ecosystem in a positive way.
I've been following linux for a while but i still use windows. I plan on switching to Linux once windows 10 loses security updates. I wonder how many others are planning the same.
I believe the linux marketshare will jump to at least 15% when M$ ends support for windows 10.
Microsoft is driving people away and Linux is winning!!!! Linux Mint user on all 4 of my PCs and none dual boot after windows rewrote my boot sector when doing an update!!!
new steam OS is based on arch and uses the kde desktop environment which may help with the boost in kde and arch.
I joined linux after getting day by day errors in windows
WHY LINUX WILL GROW (LEAPS AND BOUND) WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS
1) The adaption of ARM for Linux (faster but energy efficient computers) - ARM computers will enable Video Editors like me to switch to Linux
2) The improvement of DaVinci Resolve for Linux (Video editors are the people that will popularized Linux and will be followed by Gamers)
3) The shift from Windows to Linux of China
Maybe some growth will get AMD to port Adrenaline software to Linux.
I've heard many people mentioning Adrenalin as a reason why they'll stay with Windows, it would be great if they make it compatible for Linux.
@@Rullino32 Ya, I would love to see that. If AMD can do all this other Linux software, why not?
@@cybernit3 Considering the issue they've had with their graphics cards drivers on Windows, I don't know if they have the time and resources for Linux since it's a minority of their customers unless it's enterprises, which don't use the UI most of the time.
"Linux is on the rise"
While the statement as such is true as such (Linux market share is increasing; slow but it does), it does not tell you that Linux with it's 4% market share is at an all time high, while at the same time Windows 7 (depending on the source) still has a market share of ~3 - 10% (timespan Jan 2023 - Jan 2024).
I recently replaced Windows 7 with Linux Mint Xfce on a client's netbook. The client was satisfied.
42% increase yoy is not slow, considering desktop linux was stuck in ~2% or less for like two decades. It's fast growth for the last couple of years, if there will be another 40% growth from this july to next, then linux will break 6% marketshare, even as a longtime linux user I'm skeptical of that but one can only hope.
I agree that the growth curve for Linux desktop looks promising. Let's hope, that the sigmoid curve keeps accelerating for a while. With nVidia finally embracing the linux world (because their graphics have gotten a use case on servers due to AI), we can be hopeful that Gaming on LInux will become more viable for more players as well.
With ubuntu: While those number definitely look good, keep in mind that their success may not only be related to growth of linux, but also RedHat customers switching to ubuntu.
Celebrate three decades of Linux fast growing! Already 4% of Desktop PC! Lame Microsoft needed months to reach 4%.
Like almost any growth graph, linux growth is exponential. I hope we see a two digit growth percentage by next year, especially microsoft ending windows 10 next year.
I’m not clear. Where does the percentage of Linux market share intersect with server operating systems?
The entire everything Internet pretty much runs on linux.
@@GoonyMclinux Right. But the market share discussed in the video is not server market share. That’s the disconnect I see.
@@GoonyMclinux Not entirely, the internet pre-dates Linux, MANY use Linux for their servers these days, but to say the Internet runs on it is a fallacy.
@@BlueEyedVibeChecker its something like 96% so its not a fallacy its just an undeniable truth. The vast majority of what we consider "Internet" runs on linux servers. Sure the desktop market share is azz but the server market share is in the bag.
@@BlueEyedVibeCheckerif not linux, what the hell are they using in the server space then? windows server sucks ass and bsd is okay I guess but no linux
People just want an operating system that is working in the background and doing nothing else.
Building a new PC soon, it will be my third in my house and I'm switching to Linux very soon on all three eventually.
I just wished Windows would be slim, no-bloat, fully customizable frontend, not spying on me and collecting data. I feel like this shouldn't be too big of an ask but apparently it is...
As much as the I-use-Arch enthusiasts may like to disagree, it’s likely that a decent portion of the majority Arch usage is thanks to the Steam Deck, since SteamOS (the new one) is Arch-based.
Honestly if Windows keeps fumbling, there is no reason desktop linux won't surpass 10%
I've just switched to Linux fully recently. As it's supporting every game I play apart from one I rarely play.
To philosophically "win" linux does not need to overtake the market. It does not need to be bigger than windows and macos.
It just need to be big enough, that majority of the software will get linux support.
That would mean that most users at any point have a free alternative to a commercial OS. This, it turn, means that no big corporation able to stranglehold the industry with their decisions and they always need to be at lest better than linux in most areas to justify taking money.
The biggest untapped "market" (if that's the right word for something with no money in it) for desktop Linux is probably not the computer savvy but ordinary folk, some old like me, with computers that are deemed obsolete by MS but which have years of life left in them when used for everyday tasks. A 10-year-old desktop/laptop plus a cheap SSD is a very useful tool, especially for those who either can't afford a new PC/Mac/iPad or don't choose to spend a lot. If you don't use your Windows machine frequently then the updater will hobble it for longer than you intended to use it, then might well break it. I have long answered "Can you fix my W8/10 PC?" with "How about this instead?" (Ubuntu). Happy people ...
I recently switched to endeavouros (from windows) as part of my work and programming. I continue to play on windows because the games I play are not supported or poorly supported on linux (r6 etc). The last time I checked out desktop linux was a good 6-7 years ago. I installed mint on an older laptop then. It was cool, but it annoyed me how spacey the UI seemed. Now I was looking at a lot of distros and first time saw KDE/Hyprland and how modern the interface looked, after installing it I was not disappointed :D (i was using linux in beetwen but not desktop - some servers and WSL for work)
This year is surely the Year of Linux on the Desktop.
Somehow, I doubt it. Linux needs a lot of work before it can compete with the Windows UI and ease of installation and use. Linux desktop is extremely niche and fragmented. Both are negative forces.
@@toby9999 Year of the Linux Desktop is a long running joke among Linux users and developers.
2029 will be the year of the linux desktop.
Woah. My Google thermostat probably saw me figuring out how to use Linux on a virtual machine yesterday, because now I have this on my recommended page. 😂
I want to move over to Linux before the end of the year when Windows 10 support gets dropped, so the transition won’t be too jarring and all at once.
I moved to Linux around 3 months ago and I'm so happy with my choice. I moved to Kubuntu but in a future I'll move to KDE Neon
I just switched to daily drive linux now, so yes linux is growing.
The percentages seem to jump around a lot. I wonder how much of the last month's increase is just noise.
I had Elementary OS on my laptop for a while, but went back to Windows when I found myself missing Adobe Audition and Winamp running without any glitches. Running those two apps in Wine was a PITA.
It still won't be the year of linux until games with anti cheat be available, and modding tools available for games as well as drm denuvo being able to run it as soon as a game releases. Oh, and don't forget VR, and HDR availability. You can forget about those
Steonly Steam OS 1 and Steam OS 2 where debian based Steam OS 3, or Steam OS Halo as show in the survey, is based on Arch.
Been using Linux as a daily driver for a straight year now. I have no complaints.
I can't play League of Legends anymore, but that's really not a downside I'll be honest.
I don't like Ubuntu as I had filesystem errors
Both Arch and Debian are great distro replacments
I use Debian testing which is Trixie atm, but LMDE is also good!
Been into Linux since 2015 and have used it on and off but I'm happy to be using it more within the past year. Currently I'm enjoying OpenSUSE Tumbleweed on an old HP 8200 Elite SFF with a 1050 ti but I'd love to put it on a future AMD 7000 series build as well.
Ubuntu is a disgusting distro. Canonical is scum
Because of snaps? Ubuntu is for the enterprise not for Linux fans anymore
Linux is great, and Ubuntu is also good for new users but i really
wish they would drop snaps on desktop, nobody likes snaps pretty much.
You want to know why I switched to fedora kde spin? Three reasons: windows Spyware, game performance goes vroooooom.(50fps increase in overwatch at max settings and other games it is insane) the third reason I didn't even know until I got it. I can select which monitors have variable sync. This was a huge problem for me on windows as it was turned on for both monitors at all times which caused video playback stutter when watching RUclips.
Welcome to Linux, Fedora really is a good distro, they usually are at the forefront of innovation in Linux, and that variable sync you mentioned is part of that, only possible on Wayland
SteamOS Holo is was based on Manjaro, but with more and more updates, it is more of it's own immutable Arch distro
I hope this is fueled more by genuine interest in the platform and less by Steam Deck sales. That said, many mainstream distros are very easy to install. Ubuntu and basically any of its forks will let you stumble drunk through it and still install a complete and stable OS. Even Debian is pretty easy if you take the time to think about what you're doing. I hear Pop, Bazzite, and Nobara make gaming super easy (though I admit I've never used them). Following a video guide, you can even install Arch in less than an hour, complete with a DE. Yes, you can choose Arch as your first distro. My experience installing it for the first time was far from torturous.
I recently switched to linux mint. I have been using windows mostly for my entire life. While the overall experience is not bad, I have run into some issues related to drivers. For-example, I recently bought the logitech mx series keyboard and mouse and I found out that there is no logitech on linux so I can't program my mouse. And on top of that mouse does not have an onboard memory so I am stuck with the default mouse settings on linux. I really like the mouse but I just wished that there was a software for linux so I could control the scroll strength
Did you know, that Canonical and Microsoft are basically in a big cooperation, dominating the entire computer industrie
no，Steam os is now based on arch
I’m currently Linux and iOS only until the new office is built. From the iPad I’m working on files stored on the Linux laptop (Resolve on the iPad as the laptop is underpowered for that). While I don’t have iCloud between the two, I can move files directly.
Yeah I remember it being stuck at 1-2% desktop share for years and years. Now ticking up. I’m on Windows but in past couple of years I’ve tried in a VM. Also WSL. This was mainly from necessity as I was investigating blockchain and most only work or work properly on Linux or Mac from a dev perspective.
Thanks Windows for pushing Copilot crap and unavoidable ads
I wouldn't describe 4% market share in 30 years to be particularly fast? Even that extra 1% of total market share gained in 12 months isn't much. Windows 11 has already exceeded 20% in only 3 years. Even Mac OS X is at 15%. The argument that Windows is popular because it's pre-installed doesn't hold. OS X is also pre-installed. Not every copy of W11 was pre0installed. Many are just upgrades from W10. People make choices.
The basic user can utilize Linux, like Mint, easily. Internet, bill pay, email, video calls…
As smartphones get better and better the need for a laptop or desktop computer will decrease ;)
PS: Pop Os user for about 2 years i think 😊
Linux user since 2017.
Linux essentials certified 21 of june 2024 🎉🎉🎉
That's likely true to some extent but phone screens are way too small for many applications and Android is too difficult to use and is unstable, at least in my experience. The current RUclips app on Android is almost unusable right now. The buggiest application I've ever encountered. I can't speak for Apple products though, as I'm not a user.
Creators/developers/gamers will always use PC's. Consumers will continue to use smartphones.
Just upgraded to windows 11 after being a hold out, spent 3 days using it then nuked it and installed arch (btw) on my main desktop and laptop. So over these corporations shouldering themselves into my life.
AMD is superior on Linux because the drivers are built into the Kernel, it just works perfectly fine out of the box.
I just switched to linux mint yesterday, ngl as a normie, it was frustrating a little bit because I had to use the terminal for a couple things, but overall satisfied with the switch👍