Slashdot Mirror
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.
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.
I'm going to pipe in here. One key thing I see in Linux distros as we know them is that they have within them a baseline that you are given the tools to enhance the very thing that you are using. This is sort of by design as that's kind of a 10,000 foot view of what FOSS is about. Now you don't have to do that, but you still have that option if need be. Chrome OS and Android, along with all the other appliances running a Linux kernel do not have this. A Linux distro, Linux OS (not just a Linux kernel) encourages you or at the very least gives you enough room to, expand the world that you are working in.
I know folks on here like car analogies, so Linux is like an engine. A distro is a car, Chrome and Android are buses. Both do the whole getting you from point A to point B thing and both contain an engine, but a car isn't a bus for a whole lot of other reasons. Chrome OS and Android are users of the Linux kernel and nothing more. And honestly, I'd bet a pretty penny that we'll eventually see Linux dumped for Fuchsia, Chrome and Android to finally merge, and for Blink to slide even further away from being open as Android-ness creeps into the various parts within Google's already complicated web browser stack.