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It appears that during the Coronavirus lock-down, the Linux market share according to website NetMarketShare has seen quite a large bump.

While calculating the market share of a desktop operating system is never going to be exactly correct, sites like NetMarketShare are one of the best ways to look at it. According to their stats the Linux share has bumped between around 1.5% and 2% for some time. That changed when they recently put up April's stats, which shows the Linux market overall according to them at 2.87%.

The biggest winner appears to be Ubuntu when looking over what Linux versions they track. Ubuntu alone seemed to go from 0.27% in March up to 1.89% in April.

What would be the cause of such a bump? Well, entirely possible it's due to more people using Linux personally at home where they would perhaps be using Windows workstations in their job. Really we could speculate forever on this - so over to you, what do you think?

Nothing to go popping open the champagne over though, while it's a big jump it would only truly be worth celebrating if it sustains the higher position. At least when looking over the Steam numbers too (see our Steam Tracker), we're trending upwards there.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Editorial, Misc
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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32 comments
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KuJo May 7, 2020
QuoteWhat would be the cause of such a bump? Well, entirely possible it's due to more people using Linux personally at home where they would perhaps be using Windows workstations in their job.
That's the situation with me. In the office I have to use Windows. At home I use Linux Mint. :)
(And sometimes a Commodore Amiga ... :D )


Last edited by KuJo on 7 May 2020 at 7:31 am UTC
Purple Library Guy May 7, 2020
Quoting: KuJo
QuoteWhat would be the cause of such a bump? Well, entirely possible it's due to more people using Linux personally at home where they would perhaps be using Windows workstations in their job.
That's the situation with me. In the office I have to use Windows. At home I use Linux Mint. :)
(And sometimes a Commodore Amiga ... :D )
Exactly my situation, too. Well, minus the Amiga.
g000h May 7, 2020
I think there is also the fact that kids are out of school, and wanting computer access. Also Mums and Dads are at home, and wanting to use the computer too. It wouldn't surprise me that this extra home computing activity (school closed, office closed) means that multiple computers are being used at home, not just a single computer. At least some of those computers are probably older machines which have been refreshed with a Linux install.
Slackdog May 7, 2020
Good new indeed! I'm lucky enough to be able to use Ubuntu both at home and at work :)
detrout May 7, 2020
At least at my workplace Microsoft is restricting volume licensed versions of windows in favor of subscription based licenses as of March 31, 2020

Being harder to "borrow" a work CD for home use might also cause an increase in Linux market share.
Purple Library Guy May 7, 2020
Quoting: detroutAt least at my workplace Microsoft is restricting volume licensed versions of windows in favor of subscription based licenses as of March 31, 2020
Whoa, for real? They've been trying for many years now to move to a subscription model. Wonder if they'll manage to finally commit suicide make that transition this time.
Cyba.Cowboy May 8, 2020
Well my tablet single-boots Ubuntu, my new laptop single-boots Ubuntu; and the wife is using my old laptop, which is single-booting Ubuntu again... Between the two laptops and the tablet, that's three devices - it all adds up.


Last edited by Cyba.Cowboy on 8 May 2020 at 11:44 am UTC
jarhead_h May 9, 2020
Honestly, I think that a good number of people are starting to think that Bill Gates really is evil afterall, and therefore nothing good can come from his OS, ultimately anyway. Plus lots of people simply have had more time on their hands and just decided to play around with Ubuntu because they were bored.
Eike May 9, 2020
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Quoting: jarhead_hHonestly, I think that a good number of people are starting to think that Bill Gates really is evil afterall,

Mostly tinfoil heads, lately.
Cyba.Cowboy May 9, 2020
Quoting: Eike
Quoting: jarhead_hHonestly, I think that a good number of people are starting to think that Bill Gates really is evil afterall,

Mostly tinfoil heads, lately.

Just like John Cena the person, Bill Gates the person is one of the best things in this world... His company, not so much.

And it's not a case of "tinfoil hats" - Microsoft makes no secret about just how much of your personal information it tracks intimately within its software, almost all of which cannot be deactivated unless you have a "volume" license.

I don't know what other people have against Microsoft, but for me, it's their insistence that its users should have absolutely no privacy whatsoever, unless they purchase a "volume" license... That's simply unforgivable.

After nearly ten years of being Microsoft free, I don't miss it one bit...


Last edited by Cyba.Cowboy on 9 May 2020 at 7:45 am UTC
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