Statcounter, a website that tracks the market share of web browsers, operating systems, and search engines, is reporting that Linux on the desktop has over 4% market share for the very first time (Statcounter records ChromeOS as a separate operating system despite being based on Linux). Statcounter doesn’t provide any explanation about why the market share has increased but we can speculate what’s going on.

Linux’s march to its 4.03% market share has been a steady process ever since the final months of 2020 when Linux held just 1.53% of desktop market share. One of the biggest contributors to the growth of Linux is likely the stringent hardware requirements of Windows 11.

  • @squid_slime
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    509 months ago

    I’d of thought steam and proton would of been a large contributing factor

    • @TangoUndertow
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      9 months ago

      I think the spotlight on KDE from Steam Deck definitely helps. It’s polished as shit, and it acts like Windows by default, and that is a good thing.

      • @[email protected]
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        49 months ago

        And the most of distros defaults to shitty gnome, slowing down Linux adoption. Steam finally showed that anybody can use Linux, with proper WM.

          • Undearius
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            89 months ago

            I found the opposite with Gnome which is why I switched over to KDE.

            And that’s the beauty, we are free to choose. I’m glad Gnome works well for you.

        • @TangoUndertow
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          29 months ago

          This! Gnome is absolutely a foil to adoption. Everyone I’ve seen try to start with Ubuntu has bounced right off back to Windows. You’re already wrapping your head around a new OS, you do not need an entirely new desktop paradigm.

          So happy Valve went with the setup they did.

    • @[email protected]
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      9 months ago

      It was for me at least, only moved to Linux after spending a long time with the steam deck

      • @squid_slime
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        19 months ago

        think youd of eventually used linux without the intervention of the steam deck?

    • @BitingChaos
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      49 months ago

      I’d of thought

      would of been

      Interesting grammar.

      Where are you from?

      • @squid_slime
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        39 months ago

        Interesting good or interesting bad? I’m from UK Devon

        • @[email protected]
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          9 months ago

          I’m guessing he’s just pointing out that it is incorrect grammar and wondered if you were a native speaker.

          Replace “of” with “have”, and you’re golden 👍

          • @squid_slime
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            69 months ago

            i would have gone the rest have my life using “of” instead have using “have”

            • @[email protected]
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              39 months ago

              It takes a lot have practice and a lot have commitment. But by the end have it, you’ll be much better havef

    • @[email protected]
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      9 months ago

      gaming was THE missing piece for me since i first tried desktop linux long ago. and it has improved massively in many other ways since then.

      i suspect many other people think alike me too.

      • @TangoUndertow
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        29 months ago

        Definitely this is huge. Proton and the respective Wine advancements are exactly what needed to happen. And the headlines about some games running better on Linux really gives it a good look.

    • Sabata11792
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      19 months ago

      Im building up to switch over thanks to proton. I will still have to dual boot for edgecase games though.