The year of the Linux desktop
Linux has come a long way, but it has always struggled to gain mainstream adoption as a desktop operating system. Will this year finally be the year of the Linux desktop?
The problems at Microsoft
Microsoft has been shooting themselves in the foot time after time with Windows, with features that no one asked for and integrating AI into everything.
I used windows 10 for as long as I could remember (and Vista & XP before that…). I never really had a lot of complaints until Windows 11 came around.
I also had a pretty beefy computer so I couldn’t complain about performance. The moment Windows 11 was officially released, it was a mess. I still had the luxury of having Windows 10 on my laptop, I just needed to make sure to not mess up my computer so that the IT department would install a new Windows image, which was Windows 11.
Why I switched to Linux
I bought a new laptop, it came preloaded with Windows 11. After not even a full year it was becoming really slow. Running one instance of VsCode seriously impacted the performance of my computer. And that for a pretty decent laptop (i7, 32GB ram).
Youtube recommended me a video from Pewdiepie about his journey using Linux (I thought that guy made gaming videos?). The next video that autoplayed was another video about Linux.
“F*ck it, lets try it”
After some research, I landed on Manjaro.
After some distro hopping from Manjaro to Arch I finally landed on CachyOS.
And I have to admit, Linux has never been better.
I’m currently rocking Niri with Dank Material Shell.
Linux is already everywhere
Are you reading this on an Android phone? Or maybe a Chromebook? Well then you are already using Linux! Android is built on top of the Linux kernel.
Are you using Docker? Then you are using Linux! (Or at least a compatibility layer for it.)
Linux also runs the vast majority of the internet, IOT devices, embedded systems, supercomputers, routers, switches, smart TVs, and so much more.
There are “only” a few devices left that are not running Linux, and those are the desktops of the average user.
What’s so great about Linux?
Customization
You are free to use whatever you want! Want a minimal tiling window manager? Use i3 or Sway.
Want to go full rice? Use Hyprland or Niri.
Do you like a traditional desktop experience? Use Gnome, KDE, Cinnamon, Xfce, LXQt, MATE, Budgie, …
Community
If something doesn’t natively run on Linux, someone already made a compatibility layer for it. Trust me, everything runs on Linux (except maybe Adobe products…).
Multiple desktop environments
You are free to use multiple desktop environments. I’m currently daily driving Niri, but sometimes I use KDE. You can just do this from your login screen.
Performance
My laptop got a second life. Also old laptops can get a second life worth with Linux.
Package managers
Linux uses package managers, and let me tell you, it is a game changer.
I was used to always google an app i wanted to install (because who uses the Microsoft store?), then dodging 3 fake download buttons to finally download the installer to then install the app.
Well, not anymore. Just open your terminal and run sudo pacman -S <package> and you’re done.
App stores
Most distros come with an app store, which is a graphical interface for the package manager. It’s a great way to discover new apps and install them with a few clicks. No fake download buttons, just pure and simple software installation.
So when is it really the year of Linux?
I think the normal person doesn’t really care about the desktop environment. They just want an operating system that works. Unless governments decide to switch to Linux, 90% of users will just keep using Windows. The people who will eventually switch are already the more tech savvy people, especially programmers and gamers.