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No, the Linux Desktop Hasn't Jumped in Popularity (zdnet.com)
An anonymous reader quotes ZDNet:
Stories have been circulating that the Linux desktop had jumped in popularity and was used more than macOS. Alas, it's not so... These reports have been based on NetMarketShare's desktop operating system analysis, which showed Linux leaping from 2.5 percent in July, to almost 5 percent in September. But unfortunately for Linux fans, it's not true... It seems to be merely a mistake. Vince Vizzaccaro, NetMarketShare's executive marketing share of marketing told me, "The Linux share being reported is not correct. We are aware of the issue and are currently looking into it"...
For the most accurate, albeit US-centric operating system and browser numbers, I prefer to use data from the federal government's Digital Analytics Program (DAP). Unlike the others, DAP's numbers come from billions of visits over the past 90 days to over 400 US executive branch government domains... DAP gets its raw data from a Google Analytics account. DAP has open-sourced the code, which displays the data on the web and its data-collection code... In the US Analytics site, which summarizes DAP's data, you will find desktop Linux, as usual, hanging out in "other" at 1.5 percent. Windows, as always, is on top with 45.9 percent, followed by Apple iOS, at 25.5 percent, Android at 18.6 percent, and macOS at 8.5 percent.
The article does, however, acknowledge that Linux's real market share is probably a little higher simply because "no one, not even DAP, seems to do a good job of pulling out the Linux-based Chrome OS data."
For the most accurate, albeit US-centric operating system and browser numbers, I prefer to use data from the federal government's Digital Analytics Program (DAP). Unlike the others, DAP's numbers come from billions of visits over the past 90 days to over 400 US executive branch government domains... DAP gets its raw data from a Google Analytics account. DAP has open-sourced the code, which displays the data on the web and its data-collection code... In the US Analytics site, which summarizes DAP's data, you will find desktop Linux, as usual, hanging out in "other" at 1.5 percent. Windows, as always, is on top with 45.9 percent, followed by Apple iOS, at 25.5 percent, Android at 18.6 percent, and macOS at 8.5 percent.
The article does, however, acknowledge that Linux's real market share is probably a little higher simply because "no one, not even DAP, seems to do a good job of pulling out the Linux-based Chrome OS data."
For the most accurate, albeit US-centric operating system and browser numbers, I prefer to use data from the federal government's Digital Analytics Program (DAP). Unlike the others, DAP's numbers come from billions of visits over the past 90 days to over 400 US executive branch government domains
I'm skeptical that hits to .gov websites capture a representative subset of web users. I'd think that many people rarely visit .gov sites.
2018 will be the year of the Linux desktop, you heard it here first!
It's been a VERY long time since I last checked, but I once found that multiple of the most popular browsers were incorrectly reporting themselves as running on Windows even when they were actually running on Linux. This was apparently being done on purpose for some compatibility/bug workaround or something, but was obviously significantly screwing with the numbers towards favouring Microsoft.
Does anyone know if this is still the case at all?
> Chrome OS is as much Linux as Android. As in, not at all.
They are definitely Linux distros. They're just not GNU/Linux.
I've got probably 8 machines, all running Linux. This box is the only one that ever surfs. The others are used for real work. Kind of sad that correct method to determine desktop share is surfing.
The Linux desktop is only for smart people, and there are a limited number of those. Therefore, the Linux desktop will never be popular.
After trying to use linux for a nice 10-foot viewing environment for years, and dealing with codec issues, and screen tearing, hardware compatibility, third party launcher glitches, and most recently inability to view Netflix and no HEVC acceleration I bought a couple android boxes for $200 and they do exactly what I want. So, yeah, I can understand how linux has fizzled. I still use linux for some tasks/development but not nearly as much as I used to.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
I love linux, but when my friends try it out they have no idea what to do when a driver doesn't work properly, so they go back to using Windows. While it works most of the time, the times it doesn't makes it difficult for the non-technical person. Maybe that will change in the future, maybe it never will.
> Chrome OS is as much Linux as Android. As in, not at all.
They are definitely Linux distros. They're just not GNU/Linux.
Chrome and Android are Linux hosted, much like an appliance running a Linux kernel where a user can neither see it nor access it. They are not Linux desktops, nor are they Linux distros. "Linux distro" and "GNU/Linux" are synonymous.
The question is what is Linux for the desktop means.
Is it just a consumer device based on the Linux kernel. Or does the device need a keyboard... then it come down to how much ok the kernel needs to be pure. And how much of the OS needs to follow the GNU standard.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
They probably used Excel.
No, unfortunately they asked their Apple Watch "Hey Siri, what is Linux's desktop market share right now?", and the watch kept rebooting. So they just pulled a random number out of the air.
#DeleteChrome
So you chose a distribution that expects the admin to be advanced and isn't focused on things like audio at all, couldn't get your Bluetooth Headphones to work, and then call that "proof" that "Linux isn't ready for the desktop", acting as if nobody ever had any kind of problems like this with Windows. You *have* to be fucking kidding. That is possibly the most asinine thing I have seen someone try to pass off as valid in weeks here on Slashdot, or anywhere else for that matter.
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
Linux is relatively secure by default. It can be secured further fairly easily. Typically all of your software will be obtained either from a secure channel or from source code. That's really par for the course in 2017. You can say mostly the same thing about Windows, aside from the teeming crowds of idiots who use it. However, Red Hat (for one) has removed claims about being virus-free from their ad copy, and I suspect that if IBM claims that, they aren't saying it where their lawyers can hear them.
Now I'd like to point out that your comment is ignorant, vapid, ungrammatical, and barely sensible in context. Which for six words is impressive. You're extremely consistent about lowering the signal-to-noise ratio here. Why don't you find some way to address that.
Those who advocate genocide deserve every protection afforded by law, and none afforded by common human decency.