this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2023
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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You are absolutely right today is a far cry from 15 years ago, but just looking at raw marketshare Linux is like 3% of gaming machines. large portions being steam deck. Linux is excellent in a lot of ways but having what I would call mainstream popularity is not one of them. Though with continued effort on the part of the community to make everything better and MS for making everything worse, who knows what the future holds.
I have a very very positive picture for future of Linux in my mind.
For the entire history of Linux, it was basically an OS reserved for IT-guys.
But nowadays, I see some change coming.
I, for example, don't come from the IT space at all and use Linux casually, because I find it easier to use and more original than Windows (while not as locked down as MacOS), love the community, and much more.
But, there is always the hen-egg-dilemma.
Almost no casual users use it because it sometimes is a bit too techy (e.g. troubleshoot something with the terminal), and at the same time, nobody designs the OS in a way it appeals to normies, since only techies use it.
But, I, like many others, try to change that. I often suggest new features for better accessibility, and sometimes talk about it in RL to clear up some of the misconceptions. With success! :)
I jumped on that waayyyyyyy to early convincing people to install Ubuntu or Mint on their machines in 2007. I learned a lot unscrewing up a lot of machines. The winding path of learning.