Is this finally, unironically, the year of linux?

Software & Operating Systems Linux
,
41

Microsoft has hired Linux folks en masse since before Windows 8, they’ve embraced open source technologies, open sourcing a lot of their own in the process, have the best development tools on the market for developing open source software, and have gone exorbitant lengths to get containerization and orchestration functioning on their desktop and servers.

Windows Server 2019 is basically “Windows that comes with Linux”. Considering in 2003 they were the “screw you, you’re gonna use it anyway” crowd, I would say they have changed significantly, stepping over your iota, whatever that is, in about 2014.

1 Like
42

#MeToo

I’ve been a Solus advocate for several months, but I’m starting to get that itch to try Fedora again, especially after last night where I needed to get Zoom set up for my current class and it’s supported for practically every mainstream Linux distro except Solus.

43

I can’t comment on Server because I don’t use that any more (and haven’t for a while), but Windows 10 on the desktop is (still) essentially just spyware — an unmitigated privacy and security disaster. Since desktop privacy/security is a strong motive force for migration to Linux, the waves will continue. Absolutely no doubt about that whatsoever.

Thanks for the server-space update though. Interesting developments for sure.

1 Like
44

Sounds like linux with free cancer.

Microsoft are shipping/supporting linux due to necessity (not really a change of heart based attitude change), otherwise they will miss the boat (again) as they did with mobile.

1 Like
45

I got it to work on solus, you have to use the tarball.

46

I got it working using the flatpak. I guess it’s nothing to really worry about switching distros over, considering everything else works pretty damn smooth. It was just stressful cuz it’s like three minutes before my meeting and Zoom has a pretty good list of supported distros, but no Solus and I’m not proficient with flatpaks (it’s not hard, I just had only done it like once before and it was on a different computer), so I was a couple minutes late . I suppose it’s partially my fault too. I was hoping it would just work in the browser so I waited until the last minute to verify.

1 Like
47

Oh neat I didn’t know there was a flatpak.

FYI, someone put in a request on the solus fabricator page like 2 years ago to get zoom added to the repo’s.

48

@AnotherDev 's post puts it into perspective haha.

I think techies have a lot of bias, to the extent it blinds them from understanding the use-cases involved and what “normies” need or feel they need. These threads always devolve into discourse that flings way out of orbit of what market drivers are and feeds into the *nix enthusiasts confusion as to why *nix doesn’t proliferate various use-cases more. Always the classic “I’ve gotten X, Y and Z to work flawlessly” posts that reflect only outliers and not the common reality.

3 Likes
49

Definitely. I’ve been struggling with a lot of ideological priorities recently, especially when it comes to privacy and what extent do I need to take it to. It’s something that I feel like most people simply don’t care about, and something that I’m not even sure if it matters if I try (like what difference will it really make if the government really starts putting our “private” data to use), but at the same time I hate the idea of not trying.

Edited to add Stallman rant but then deleted.

2 Likes
50

There isn’t much truth to this in the real world. Windows 10 is the go to desktop and workstation OS for almost everything. There’s no ‘spyware’ worry by basically anyone. The only consideration is network connectivity in highly sensitive environments which use specialised systems.

You can see the change in windows 10 as well for the same reasons @AnotherDev pointed out. There is essentially no reason to use a Linux desktop in most environments because windows 10 is essentially windows with Linux.

3 Likes
51

I don’t think it’s meaningful to be calling “this is the year of the Linux” or “this year will be the downfall of Windows”. Desktop market share might shift one way or the other, and personally I can see Linux gaining more popularity now that getting games to work with Linux keeps getting easier.

Still, Windows is not going anywhere, Linux is not going anywhere, MacOs won’t go anywhere unless Apple does something crazy, and BSD will have it’s place as well. And who knows, as @Goalkeeper pointed out Google (or some other big company), might push something new, fresh and interesting stuff out as well. Or some of these small OS projects that nobody talks about might start to get attention.

And the best part in all this is that we geeks lots of awesome options tho choose from to play and tinker with. And maybe get some important stuff done as well. :wink:

2 Likes
52

Depends on what you’re using your desktop for.
For gaming, for sure, proton definitely took it a step in the right direction.
for production there’s no real difference(Id looooove to see Ubuntu take on xbox/PSX).
The real difference i like is how AMD drivers seems all most seemlessy implemented into the desktop environment. Running a vega GPU, and lutris, steam, it just seems to work extremely well(ALOT of AAA games doesnt work, 99,9999 be non steam/gog). But older AMD hardware like APU’s, there’s just not that much support.
Linux/opensource has never really been created to be a competitor to windows, it is just a more sane(as of 2019), where we all have problems, and we solve them in union, and dont have to (again as of 2019), pay with our data.
It is just a fellowship

1 Like
53

Just want to get something aside. It’s not like the Pope is going to come and announce to the world that this is the year of the Linux desktop. The terms stupid to begin with. Not only that but what about the year of OS X or the year of Windows or BSD? See how wrong and disfigured that sounds?

Now, what I will say is: everything that has happened thus far hasn’t been unexpected. At some point, a layer such as Proton was a given. It’s not something magical, and it doesn’t break any grounds in terms of innovation. WINE essentially acts in the same way. It’s just that with Proton, tasks are more performance centric and streamlined. It was a natural step.

The same goes for almost anything else.

Linux has always been my preferred platform of choice. I think those that choose to use one platform instead of embracing the platforms that work best for them are nuts.

For instance, my laptop runs Manjaro. I like it the best as a general purpose OS and I don’t want to waste a glob of time on maintaining Arch. The AUR is unchallenged as it stands, and I can jump into Android development confident that my system hasn’t been fudged by some update most of the time.

My desktop on the other is quite a weird case. I still use Manjaro, however I also use a VM set up with Debian stable to host my website. Currently, I’m also working on embracing pass through to run some software I’ll need for school… and because… Like it or not… Windows is still the better platform for gaming. Is it hard on Linux anymore? No. In fact some games run better. But for the ones that don’t, pass through is critical.

My phone runs my own builds of CarbonROM, but I’m not one one to go around stating that it’s better than iOS. Hell, I have an iPad and you better bet that, for me, iOS is better for work. I’m even tucking away money each month so that by the summer I can buy an iPad Pro OVER the Surface Pro. Why? Because the iPad Pro, while not a fleshed out device, is simple. It doesn’t have distractions that other devices do, and it just works allowing me to focus on work.

Get the gist?

Good. You use Linux and think that it will eventually compete globally against Windows and OS X… But in all fairness, it already has. Android uses the Linux kernel and so far there’s been over 3 billion activated devices. You might be thinking that isn’t as noteworthy as a desktop OS, but whether you like it not, manufacturers are trying to bridge the gap between fleshed out desktop and phone operating systems. Samsung has it right with DeX. That’s the future. And just for the sake of debate, ChromeOS is technically a fleshed out desktop OS. Guess what kernel it uses? Linux.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this whole Year of Linux thing is bullshit. Stop worrying about it and live in the present. If it works better for you, good. It doesn’t matter what other people use at the end of the day. Who cares?

5 Likes
54

But they are relevant. Our business relies on them. 99.5% of all tasks we do are server and desktop related. (That is if you consider laptops as desktop computers.)

On the other hand we don’t deal with mobile devices often. Occasionally someone wants help setting up emails on their phone but apart from that they are irrelevant.

Fact is your average end user can’t find where the downloads folder is. So many people click on download link in chrome and chrome shows the download progress in bottom left corner but they don’t notice it so they go: NOTHING’S HAPPENING. Then they click the link 10 times more expecting something else to happen.

At this level of incompetence it doesn’t really matter whether they use Windows, Linux or OSX. It will not help them.

This +1000 We don’t benefit from MS contributing to the kernel. Only MS benefits from it. As far as I know. Windows is not FOSS. Office is not FOSS, Edge is not FOSS, Visual Studio, Sharepoint, OneDrive and Skype. None of these are FOSS, so I’m really not feeling that their “contributions” make any difference to us.

I expect that after January 2020 when Windows 7 reaches EOL. Some people will move to GAHNOO/LINAKS. The market share will probably increase by 2% or 3%. Also I predict that when Windows 10 reaches ~95% of all Windows installations MS will probably try to push the S version onto everyone. That will be interesting to watch.

3 Likes
55

Any help is a net positive effect.

56

So they are not relevant for consumers, got it.

57

For the record i was just extremely high and a little giddy over video games working on my pc out of nowhere.

This isn’t a cold war between linux and windows, and even IF a major shift in users came, the only possible outcome would be elon musk or someone equally stupid making their own closed source distro that is as bad as Windows, investing a small country worth of advertisement and becoming even filthier rich while our technological problems would stay right where they are.

There is no hope and the year of linux implies in major societal shifts that will not happen any time soon. But hey, if you’re high in the sky some playable vidyia can make ya happy! But don’t take this “year of linux” thing too seriously, it’s just nice that we can play almost as many games as in windows now. The present is miserable the future is worse, play games and drink to forget!

2 Likes
58

“Microsoft” “contributions” have “done” “more” for “Linux” than “backwater” “developers” and “full” “time” “users”.

“Let’s” be “serious” “about” “this”, we all “use” “Linux” or “Windows” out “of” “nec” essity.

1 Like
59

Got enough quotes?

60

“No”

1 Like