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PayPalTake it with your usual dose of salt and scepticism but when looking over the Linux market share, at least on NetMarketShare it appears to continue rising.
While the latest from the Steam Survey shows a dip during June, the opposite is true here. We reported last month that NetMarketShare was showing a clear upwards trend. The sort of thing you can easily write-off across one or two months but now three months in a row it gives it a bit more credit.
Going from 1.36% in March 2020, up to 2.87% in April, 3.17% in May and now June's figure is in with 3.61%. Looking over past figures from them, this might be the first time we've ever seen it rise three months in a row without a break. This is not counting Chrome OS either, like some other stats end up bundling with Linux. Chrome OS has stayed around ~0.40%, with Ubuntu over this period rising from 0.27% in March to 2.57% in June which is crazy.
Still not clear what's driving this big uptick in Ubuntu users on their statistics and we can speculate until the end of days, still interesting to see though and quite possibly as a result of people working from home during the COVID19 outbreak.
What are your thoughts?
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
About the author - Liam Dawe
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked 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. You can also follow my personal adventures on Bluesky.
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Alm888 2 Jul 2020
Still not clear what's driving this big uptick in Ubuntu users on their statistics…Hmm… WSL2?
0 Likes
vipor29 2 Jul 2020
it could be because people finally got sick of windows and needed something fresh and less intrusive.ubuntu is a great start.let's see this at the end of the year and if this trend keeps going up then i think we may be seeing the linux desktop surging ahead.one can only hope.
2 Likes
Spyker 2 Jul 2020
This is netMarketShare, I can't believe people would use WSL2 to surf the web when they simply can do it from windows.Still not clear what's driving this big uptick in Ubuntu users on their statistics…Hmm… WSL2?
9 Likes
Naib 2 Jul 2020
Really good trend data.
personally I think there are three key parts
1) shutdown and furlough of staff.
Since large sections of the world economy has been on shutdown, corporate machines will not be connecting to the internet and thus won't be logged. This will "lower" the number of windows machines being counted.
Where I work, 70% have been furlough'ed and the rest of us have been working from home. I have been going into the office one day a week but from home my work laptop (win10) has been on and equally my linux desktop ... so what gets counted ;)
2) Since january there have been some serious windows mistakes, not just security flaws but systematic changes which would stop things working. This may be enough of a push for people to try linux
3) general adoption is creeping up. Think about the "spread" of linux, it will be a sigmoid like Corona... we are slowly eating into the incumbent
personally I think there are three key parts
1) shutdown and furlough of staff.
Since large sections of the world economy has been on shutdown, corporate machines will not be connecting to the internet and thus won't be logged. This will "lower" the number of windows machines being counted.
Where I work, 70% have been furlough'ed and the rest of us have been working from home. I have been going into the office one day a week but from home my work laptop (win10) has been on and equally my linux desktop ... so what gets counted ;)
2) Since january there have been some serious windows mistakes, not just security flaws but systematic changes which would stop things working. This may be enough of a push for people to try linux
3) general adoption is creeping up. Think about the "spread" of linux, it will be a sigmoid like Corona... we are slowly eating into the incumbent
11 Likes
Alm888 2 Jul 2020
This is netMarketShare, I can't believe people would use WSL2 to surf the web when they simply can do it from windows.People are learning about Ubuntu through WSL2. :)
4 Likes
Mohandevir 2 Jul 2020
Could we be witnessing the impact of the Lenovo/Dell/System76/etc... developer strategy? It's all based on Ubuntu and developers are not having much of an impact on the gamers count, from my understanding. They probably work from home, atm, and have access to their "workstation" every hour of the day... Just a guess and I'm not sure it makes total sense either.
Last edited by Mohandevir on 2 Jul 2020 at 1:09 pm UTC
Last edited by Mohandevir on 2 Jul 2020 at 1:09 pm UTC
1 Likes
FUCK Microsoft
3 Likes
Dribbleondo 2 Jul 2020
FUCK Microsoft
I was expecting more nuance, but hey, I don't kinkshame.
16 Likes
lejimster 2 Jul 2020
I'm so glad I don't have to deal with Windows anymore. I was reading they changed the ability to block updates (technically you can pause them,but sounds annoying as hell). It seems like M$ haven't learned anything. The beauty of Linux is you're in control. I update my systems when I want. It doesn't start updating when I'm gaming or doing something critical. I really would hate how the windows update service would hog a ton of resources doing stuff in the background!
So yeah it's nice to see Linux user uptick, although I think the explanation of people just not logged in to their windows work machines makes a lot of sense. But it might also be a truer indication of what people are using at home, when not forced into the M$ ecosystem at work.
So yeah it's nice to see Linux user uptick, although I think the explanation of people just not logged in to their windows work machines makes a lot of sense. But it might also be a truer indication of what people are using at home, when not forced into the M$ ecosystem at work.
7 Likes
Janne 2 Jul 2020
WSL2, Steam and Proton, news about Linux preinstalled and supported by Dell and Lenovo, explicitly bringing up Linux support in a VM for the new OSX - perhaps it's just the constant flow of positive news and exposure about Linux. It leads more people (mostly developers and devops I suspect) to take a closer look and try it out on the desktop.
7 Likes
helloCLD 2 Jul 2020
Is it possible that the apparent increase in Linux share is due to Windows users dropping their desktops/laptops entirely and going purely mobile? Meaning that Linux users aren't increasing, it's just the number of people using a web browser on a desktop or laptop is decreasing across the board?
5 Likes
Comandante Ñoñardo 2 Jul 2020
I think the key here is the increase in the P0rn consumption...
It very well known that p0rn sites are infected with viruses for Windows, so it is more safe to watch p0rn using a Linux PC... Consumers are finally understanding it..
Plus, you can use a Linux Live distro without leaving a trace in the computer.
It very well known that p0rn sites are infected with viruses for Windows, so it is more safe to watch p0rn using a Linux PC... Consumers are finally understanding it..
Plus, you can use a Linux Live distro without leaving a trace in the computer.
2 Likes
pytrys 2 Jul 2020
Is it possible that the apparent increase in Linux share is due to Windows users dropping their desktops/laptops entirely and going purely mobile? Meaning that Linux users aren't increasing, it's just the number of people using a web browser on a desktop or laptop is decreasing across the board?
Yep. As a former teacher I can say normies don't care about Linux or OS alternatives. They just use what they have on their machine.
And especially nowadays there is a big shift towards mobile devices, smartphones. I know plenty of people who do not have computer at all and they are pretty happy with their smartphone.
The whole PC market is shrinking and the most people live and use only the browser. OS doesn't matter in that case. Similarly the more people are just using their smartphone and browser there.
My 5cent, I can be wrong of course.
0 Likes
Linas 2 Jul 2020
There is a huge resistance to Linux adoption in workspace IT support departments. Most places I have seen it's either completely forbidden to run Linux on your work machine or "don't ask, don't tell" kind of situation where you get zero support if something goes wrong. Software is bought and deployed without any consideration for Linux compatibility making it a minefield to navigate through as a Linux user. My direct boss literally pretends not to know that I run Linux, saying that I run "a more exotic kind of setup" if asked by the IT guys. 
8 Likes
sketch 2 Jul 2020
when you work from home you work with the Os you choose
1 Likes
Mohandevir 2 Jul 2020
Is it possible that the apparent increase in Linux share is due to Windows users dropping their desktops/laptops entirely and going purely mobile? Meaning that Linux users aren't increasing, it's just the number of people using a web browser on a desktop or laptop is decreasing across the board?
Yep. As a former teacher I can say normies don't care about Linux or OS alternatives. They just use what they have on their machine.
And especially nowadays there is a big shift towards mobile devices, smartphones. I know plenty of people who do not have computer at all and they are pretty happy with their smartphone.
The whole PC market is shrinking and the most people live and use only the browser. OS doesn't matter in that case. Similarly the more people are just using their smartphone and browser there.
My 5cent, I can be wrong of course.
Quite true. General use is now in the mobile market. PCs are used for specific use-case where mobiles can't be efficient, like work and gaming, mainly. Streaming content is gone to the smart-tv's market or set-up boxes... The traditionnal PC market as been split in many device driven specific markets... And aside from Apple, it's all Linux based.
Let's hope that Valve will come with a new "device driven dedicated solution" for it's gaming catalog soon...
Last edited by Mohandevir on 2 Jul 2020 at 2:59 pm UTC
0 Likes
grigi 2 Jul 2020
There is a huge resistance to Linux adoption in workspace IT support departments. Most places I have seen it's either completely forbidden to run Linux on your work machine or "don't ask, don't tell" kind of situation where you get zero support if something goes wrong. Software is bought and deployed without any consideration for Linux compatibility making it a minefield to navigate through as a Linux user. My direct boss literally pretends not to know that I run Linux, saying that I run "a more exotic kind of setup" if asked by the IT guys.
Sounds like my last 15 years of work...
2 Likes
g000h 2 Jul 2020
I'm not sure exactly how this next suggestion might be affecting the statistics, but it is certainly worth thinking about:
In my work-place, the typical user is on Windows and leaves their computer *on* overnight. Rather than shut-down and conserve electricity, they are so lazy they just screen-lock and go home.
With COVID-19, the companies have no doubt stipulated that desktops are powered down, as they are not in daily use, and they wish to cut down service costs.
In my work-place, the typical user is on Windows and leaves their computer *on* overnight. Rather than shut-down and conserve electricity, they are so lazy they just screen-lock and go home.
With COVID-19, the companies have no doubt stipulated that desktops are powered down, as they are not in daily use, and they wish to cut down service costs.
3 Likes
KohlyKohl 2 Jul 2020
There is a huge resistance to Linux adoption in workspace IT support departments. Most places I have seen it's either completely forbidden to run Linux on your work machine or "don't ask, don't tell" kind of situation where you get zero support if something goes wrong. Software is bought and deployed without any consideration for Linux compatibility making it a minefield to navigate through as a Linux user. My direct boss literally pretends not to know that I run Linux, saying that I run "a more exotic kind of setup" if asked by the IT guys.
I remember at my last job I had to ask them to flip on Linux support for the Cisco VPN. They didn't want to right away but I talked them into it.
They refuse to support Linux at my current job.
3 Likes
stankalovich 2 Jul 2020
There have a been a few Linus Tech Tips videos that were very pro Linux. The impact of a channel with 11.2M subscribers (as of now) can't be ignored.
10 Likes
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