Linux market share on desktop computers reaches an all-time high

[DragonSlayer101]

What just happened? In the ongoing rivalry between Windows and macOS, Linux has been consistently gaining market share on desktop computers in recent years. The latest data suggests that the combined market share of various Linux distributions reached 4.03% in February, marking an all-time high.

This new milestone comes almost a year after desktop Linux surpassed 3% market share in June 2023 amid fierce competition from other operating systems. At the time, Linux enthusiasts welcomed the news with gusto, and many even went so far as to claim that the so-called "Year of the Desktop Linux" was finally upon us.

While that turned out not to be entirely the case, the gain in market share still shows that the FOSS movement is heading in the right direction.

While Linux has been performing well, it is still only the third-largest OS on client computers. According to StatCounter, Windows leads the overall market with a 72.1% market share at the end of February 2024, while macOS was used by 15.46% of all computers. With the growing popularity of Chromebooks in the education sector, ChromeOS was the fourth most popular client computing platform with a 2.2% market share.

While Linux's popularity on client computers remains modest in the larger scheme of things, this data suggests that it is slowly but surely becoming more popular among consumers who view neither Windows nor macOS as a necessity. While Chromebooks might be a good option for some, many still prefer the idea of a traditional OS on their PC rather than using a cloud-based operating system.

As for the explanation of the recent rise in Linux's popularity, it can be attributed to several factors. Most distributions (distros) are lightweight by design, free from bloatware, and offer almost limitless customization options, making them well-suited for a variety of use cases. With a vast selection of desktop environments like GNOME, KDE, Xfce, and others, users can choose the one that suits their needs and fits their style. Another contributing factor is privacy, as most distros collect little to no user data, unlike the other popular operating systems from Microsoft, Apple, and Google.

Away from mainstream consciousness, Linux has long been the platform of choice for developers, thanks to its open-source libraries that offer unrivaled freedom. The ability to modify the source code and customize desktop environments at the drop of a hat is a highly welcome feature, while community support adds even more allure to an already attractive operating system.

That said, fans and long-time users will be pleased that Linux is now starting to shed its nerdy appeal and becoming relatively more popular among mainstream users. Two typical distros people like to start with these days are Ubuntu or Linux Mint.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/102168-linux-market-share-desktop-computers-reaches-all-time.html

 

[Theinsanegamer]

30 years to 3%, one year to 4%.

I dont miss winblows at all. From terrible kernel anticheats in games to notifications and horrible UI decisions. Hopefully one day I can abandon it altogether.

 

[opckieran]

Sadly M$ is hellbent on shoving ads, tracking, and backdoors down users’ throats. The cool features they implement once in a blue moon just can’t justify the crap they expect us to put up with. Here’s to the next percent!

 

[themastergoose]

With 72.13% using Windows and at a distant 2nd MacOS is around 15%, I’d hardly call this the year of the Linux desktop.

I’ve been hearing for over a decade every time Microsoft make a mis-step (and yes, there are a lot of them) that it’s the end of Windows and we’re all moving to Linux.

If it’s so great, why’s everyone still on Windows if it’s literally Satan as an OS?

 

[opckieran]

With 72.13% using Windows and at a distant 2nd MacOS is around 15%, I’d hardly call this the year of the Linux desktop.

I’ve been hearing for over a decade every time Microsoft make a mis-step (and yes, there are a lot of them) that it’s the end of Windows and we’re all moving to Linux.

If it’s so great, why’s everyone still on Windows if it’s literally Satan as an OS?

Marketing.

 

[yRaz]

Linux desktop is probably 5-6 years away at this point. The elitists are getting pushed out and you have projects like SteamOS and Linux Mint. I highly recommend Mint DBE for anyone interested.

The thing is, MS wouldn't be shoving live service features and pushing ads in their operating system if simply selling operating systems was profitable.

MS is making perfectly good hardware "obsolete" to help OEMs sell more hardware. Well, we're at the point where you don't need new hardware unless you're running specific applications. 99% of what anyone needs to do can be done in a browser now. We don't need 32 gigs of ram or 8core CPUs to watch YouTube videos or argue with people on the internet.

 

[SiJiL]

If it’s so great, why’s everyone still on Windows if it’s literally Satan as an OS?

Support from companies.
Like there's no iCue for Corsair products, so you have to rely on someone adding new products to an OSS alternative, which can take months when a new product is released.
The Kensington fingerprint reader I have doesn't work at all because no one's happened to have one to write support for it.
My Logitech webcam worked but not at full resolution.

And even when companies do provide software for it it's often half baked - like Discord exists for Linux, but there's no audio when you stream.

So while it's great that people are writing drivers, software etc. to support hardware, it would be much better if the manufacturers did it and you knew stuff would just work like it does if you buy it for Windows.

 

[Underdog]

Correct. From what I read here and on other platforms, all the professional users, gamers, and creative types start dribbling at the mouth when some new component comes on the market or Windoze gets some new tacky embellishment. What the majority of us "ordinary" users want to do is simple stuff that in most cases could be done on a phone anyway. And as pointed out by opckieran above, marketing is what has driven MS's share. Apple is way behind because of cost. Linux exists for a different reason. It will have its day. Be patient.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

With 72.13% using Windows and at a distant 2nd MacOS is around 15%, I’d hardly call this the year of the Linux desktop.

I’ve been hearing for over a decade every time Microsoft make a mis-step (and yes, there are a lot of them) that it’s the end of Windows and we’re all moving to Linux.

If it’s so great, why’s everyone still on Windows if it’s literally Satan as an OS?

Inertia. Everything has been written around and supported on windows for literal decades. Moving to a totally different product takes time. People are used to the way windows look and windows does things.

The work being done on the likes of valve's proton, the work on AMD's open source drivers, ece are paying dividends. That 1% increase in the last year represents millions of new users. With every percent, more companies will support linux and the push will become stronger.

The more MS mucks with the Os, shoving in ads, limiting hardware, and generally pissing people off with silly UI changes, the more people will be willing to try something new.

Linux desktop is probably 5-6 years away at this point. The elitists are getting pushed out and you have projects like SteamOS and Linux Mint. I highly recommend Mint DBE for anyone interested.

The thing is, MS wouldn't be shoving live service features and pushing ads in their operating system if simply selling operating systems was profitable.

MS is making perfectly good hardware "obsolete" to help OEMs sell more hardware. Well, we're at the point where you don't need new hardware unless you're running specific applications. 99% of what anyone needs to do can be done in a browser now. We don't need 32 gigs of ram or 8core CPUs to watch YouTube videos or argue with people on the internet.

The ridiculous push for windows 11 CPU requirements is not helping MS at all. So many of the PCs I work on end up on linux because there is nothing wrong with a 6th gen core i5 laptop, MS just wants to get pissy about support. So try linux, or spend thousands on new decent PCs.

 

[mgilbert]

Linux will never be an option for most serious users. I'm an audio production specialist, and there isn't a Linux version or substitute for a single program I use to make a living, and will not integrate with my company's network. I wish Linux was an option, but it just isn't, never has been, and never will be. It's great for servers and the like, and is a fun hobby OS, but is not a threat to Windows and never will be.

 

[mgilbert]

Marketing.

Usability and compatibility...

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Linux will never be an option for most serious users. I'm an audio production specialist, and there isn't a Linux version or substitute for a single program I use to make a living, and will not integrate with my company's network. I wish Linux was an option, but it just isn't, never has been, and never will be. It's great for servers and the like, and is a fun hobby OS, but is not a threat to Windows and never will be.

People said the same thing of CAD software, and of games, 10 years ago.

 

[GoldenGoat]

Linux will never be an option for most serious users. I'm an audio production specialist, and there isn't a Linux version or substitute for a single program I use to make a living, and will not integrate with my company's network. I wish Linux was an option, but it just isn't, never has been, and never will be. It's great for servers and the like, and is a fun hobby OS, but is not a threat to Windows and never will be.

This is a chicken and egg problem, rather than a problem with the operating system. Companies don't support it because there aren't enough users. There aren't many users because companies don't support it. Microsoft dominates because it was first and not because it's better. But this isn't going to change so you're right.

 

[mgilbert]

People said the same thing of CAD software, and of games, 10 years ago.

And Linux fanboys have been saying that Linux was going to replace Windows for about thirty years. It's never going to happen.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

And Linux fanboys have been saying that Linux was going to replace Windows for about thirty years. It's never going to happen.

People said IBM would never be replaced as the premiere OS/computer maker too. Where are we at now?

In the last 15 years, MS has gone from near monopoly to less then 75% marketshare. Every year linux, mac OS, and chromeOS chip away at redmond's empire. In the server space they are already a minority, in the consumer space their numbers are decreasing more rapidly. Business will be the last bastion, but as more moves to web based apps the need to run windows iwll continue to diminish.

 

[mgilbert]

People said IBM would never be replaced as the premiere OS/computer maker too. Where are we at now?

In the last 15 years, MS has gone from near monopoly to less then 75% marketshare. Every year linux, mac OS, and chromeOS chip away at redmond's empire. In the server space they are already a minority, in the consumer space their numbers are decreasing more rapidly. Business will be the last bastion, but as more moves to web based apps the need to run windows iwll continue to diminish.

It'll take decades, if ever. I've used Linux, and some Linux applications. All were unpolished, buggy, missing critical capabilities, etc. I'm 62. The change won't come in my lifetime, as much as I wish it would.

 

[BobHome]

Correct. From what I read here and on other platforms, all the professional users, gamers, and creative types start dribbling at the mouth when some new component comes on the market or Windoze gets some new tacky embellishment. What the majority of us "ordinary" users want to do is simple stuff that in most cases could be done on a phone anyway. And as pointed out by opckieran above, marketing is what has driven MS's share. Apple is way behind because of cost. Linux exists for a different reason. It will have its day. Be patient.

"What the majority of us "ordinary" users want to do is simple stuff" = Chromebook, Chromebox.
BUT... CBs will be so much better when a lot more apps work properly in Landscape mode. It's biggest failing IMO.

 

[LetTheWookieWin]

The “year of the Linux desktop” has been discussed since the 90’s.

Aside from first party driver support issues, there’s also a lot of splintering with all the distros and UIs. It’s the double-edged sword of providing infinite customizability vs. having a standardized experience for users without subjecting them decisions like KDE vs Gnome vs Xfce vs Cinnamon, etc.

If you have a workflow that allows you to make the switch, that’s awesome. I’ll probably revisit Linux on my old PC when Windows 10 goes EOL or sooner if Microsoft tries to make their OS a subscription!!

 

[m4a4]

Assuming SteamOS counts towards those numbers, I would credit that.

But that's more geared towards gaming, so it's not much to be excited for...

 

[GoldenGoat]

The “year of the Linux desktop” has been discussed since the 90’s.

Aside from first party driver support issues, there’s also a lot of splintering with all the distros and UIs. It’s the double-edged sword of providing infinite customizability vs. having a standardized experience for users without subjecting them decisions like KDE vs Gnome vs Xfce vs Cinnamon, etc.

If you have a workflow that allows you to make the switch, that’s awesome. I’ll probably revisit Linux on my old PC when Windows 10 goes EOL or sooner if Microsoft tries to make their OS a subscription!!

I doubt Microsoft would ever make Windows a subscription. They copy most of their ideas of Apple and Google, so I think most likely they will stop allowing exe's and force all app sales through Windows store where they add a 30% commission. They would make far more money doing that than trying to do subscriptions and potentially driving away users.

 

[dangh]

Linux will never be an option for most serious users.

Never is a very, very, very long time. I doubt you're using this word correctly.
And I'm a 'serious' user. Principal engineer, and Linux perfectly match my (and dozens of my co-workers) very, very serious needs.
World is constantly changing. Believing in things that do not change makes very little sense and had very little proofs given just last 50 years.

 

[bitwarden]

Microsoft aren't bold enough to innovate. I mean last time they innovated they were bald (hey Ballmer).
Windows 9 was the best windows ever, but heavily under marketed (8+1>8.1) so flew under people's radars. They're back to tiny Start menus on huge screens, ditched the Mobile Windows 9 ecosystems (Store, UWP, RISC CPUs, Tiles) - I wish I stayed in the universe where Sinofsky wasn't ousted and stayed on to work with Panay...too bad it has become MIndoSoft...something less tasty there that say Ubuntu. Sad sad ... cannot trust a company that made so many compounded Product Management decisions.

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

Good to have competition but like anything else, once it gains popularity in mainstream expect to pay for the product as demand means money and being in the ring requires money to play. When this happens a lot of linux users will surely be pissed.

 

[bitwarden]

Good to have competition but like anything else, once it gains popularity in mainstream expect to pay for the product as demand means money and being in the ring requires money to play. When this happens a lot of linux users will surely be pissed.

Too many flavours and versions to be cornered. You simply change distro, re-distr-ibute the market share

 

[lostinlodos]

I find it interesting how often people separate MacOS from BSD.
BSD, as a whole, is number 2.