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Linux Market Share Reaches New Peak: July 2024 Report
OSTechnix ^ | 20 August 2024 | Sk

Posted on 08/20/2024 5:54:51 PM PDT by ShadowAce

Linux Desktop Market Share Climbs to 4.45%

The Linux operating system has reached a notable milestone in desktop market share, according to the latest data from StatCounter. As of July 2024, Linux has achieved a 4.45% market share for desktop operating systems worldwide.
Desktop Operating System Market Share WorldwideDesktop Operating System Market Share Worldwide

While this percentage might seem small to those unfamiliar with the operating system landscape, it represents a significant milestone for Linux and its dedicated community. What makes this achievement even more thrilling is the upward trajectory of Linux's adoption rate.

Table of Contents

Linux Desktop Market Share Between July 2023 and July 2024

Linux's journey over the past year tells a story of slow but steady progress. Here's a breakdown of Linux's market share, month-by-month, between July 2023 and July 2024 by StatCounter:

Month and YearLinux Desktop Market Share
July 20233.12%
August 20233.18%
September 20233.02%
October 20232.92%
November 20233.22%
December 20233.83%
January 20243.77%
February 20244.03%
March 20244.05%
April 20243.88%
May 20243.77%
June 20244.05%
July 20244.45%
Linux Desktop Market Share Between July 2023 and July 2024

This data reveals some interesting patterns:

  1. Linux started the period at 3.12% and ended at a peak of 4.45%, showing overall growth.
  2. There was a noticeable jump between November and December 2023, from 3.22% to 3.83%.
  3. The 4% threshold was first crossed in February 2024.
  4. Despite some fluctuations, the general trend has been upward, with July 2024 marking the highest point.

These numbers represent millions of users worldwide choosing Linux as their primary desktop operating system, indicating a growing interest in open-source alternatives.

Why more People are Switching to Linux?

Several factors contribute to the growth of Linux adoption.

Firstly, there's a growing sentiment that Microsoft, with its Windows operating system, is faltering. Instances like Microsoft urging users to train their AI for free have left users feeling disgruntled and seeking alternative solutions like Linux. Adding fuel to the fire, the impending end-of-life for Windows 10 in October 2025 is causing many to consider a switch to Linux.

Secondly, the gaming landscape is changing, and the launch of the Steam Deck is playing a pivotal role in attracting new users to Linux. This handheld gaming device operates on a Linux-based system, introducing a whole new demographic - gamers - to the capabilities of Linux, and they're enjoying the experience.

Some other significant factors that contribute to Linux's increasing popularity are:

  1. Improved User-Friendliness: Distributions like Ubuntu and Linux Mint have made significant strides in creating intuitive, user-friendly interfaces.
  2. Privacy Concerns: As awareness of data privacy issues grows, more users are turning to open-source alternatives like Linux.
  3. Performance on Older Hardware: Linux's ability to breathe new life into aging computers continues to attract users looking to extend the lifespan of their devices.
  4. Growing Software Ecosystem: The availability of popular software and compatibility layers like Wine has made Linux a more viable option for many users.

Linux may Reach a 5% Market Share in 2024

As a Linux enthusiast, I find the recent surge in Linux's popularity truly exciting! With the current trends, Linux may even reach a 5% market share in 2024.

According to the statistics from the past ten years, It took eight years for Linux to go from a 1% to 2% market share (April 2021), 2.2 years to climb from 2% to 3% (June 2023), and a mere 0.7 years to reach 4% from 3% (February 2024). This exponential growth pattern suggests that 2024 might be the year Linux reaches a 5% market share.

The beauty of Linux lies not just in its technical prowess but in the spirit of its community and the factors contributing to its growth.

Actual Linux Market Share could be Higher

Please note that the aforementioned statistics are gathered through website trackers employed by platforms like StatCounter. Given that a significant portion of Linux users prioritize privacy and employ user agent switchers and anti-tracking tools, the actual number of Linux users could be substantially higher.

Adding to the intrigue, a sizable 7.14% of desktop operating system market share falls under the category of "Unknown". It's highly plausible that a significant portion of this "Unknown" category comprises Linux systems operating discreetly.

Also, ChromeOS is derived from the open-source ChromiumOS, which is itself based on the Linux kernel. If we include ChromeOS's market share of 1.41% in the overall Linux market share, the total would be 5.86%. This means that Linux has already surpassed the 5% market share milestone.

Overall Desktop Operating System Market

While Linux's growth is noteworthy, it's important to view it in the context of the overall desktop operating system market:

Linux's 4.45% puts it firmly in fourth place, ahead of Chrome OS but still well behind the market leaders.

Linux's rise to 4.45% market share represents a significant achievement for the open-source community. While it may not be threatening Windows or macOS for market dominance, its steady growth demonstrates that there's a real appetite for alternative operating systems among desktop users.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: linux
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Adding to the intrigue, a sizable 7.14% of desktop operating system market share falls under the category of "Unknown".

I am one of those who mask my OS/information.

1 posted on 08/20/2024 5:54:51 PM PDT by ShadowAce
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To: rdb3; JosephW; martin_fierro; Still Thinking; zeugma; Vinnie; ironman; Egon; raybbr; AFreeBird; ...

2 posted on 08/20/2024 5:55:10 PM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux - The Ultimate Windows Service Pack )
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To: ShadowAce

“I am one of those who mask my OS/information.”

I would say that unknown is mostly Linux users who wish to remain private.


3 posted on 08/20/2024 5:59:50 PM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: ShadowAce
Congratulations to Linux!

I really should increase my supply of "spare" computers. Need more Linux boxes. I had Windows Subsystem for Linux almost somewhat working for a while under Win11, then gave up on it.

4 posted on 08/20/2024 6:14:26 PM PDT by TChad
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To: Openurmind

I was thinking rpi users. Countless millions of those.


5 posted on 08/20/2024 6:15:45 PM PDT by fretzer
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To: fretzer

Well even Raspberry Pi OS is a Debian derivative.


6 posted on 08/20/2024 6:27:14 PM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: TChad

Take one of those and get Mint cinnamon. If any are 32 bit boxes go get this as the best for those. Mint Cinnamon 18.3 32 bit.

https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3445

A soon as you have it installed go shut off the updates, you wont need them and they don’t support it anymore anyhow. You will find that will not matter. And your Firefox browser will be outdated. Just run a command line update and upgrade to bring all the apps up to date with their new changes.

You will have a 32 bit machine that plays like a new one.


7 posted on 08/20/2024 6:43:46 PM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: ShadowAce
I am one of those who mask my OS/information.

Can you generate a fake OS? Tell the world you are on BEos, a VAX, or OS/2 Warp?
8 posted on 08/20/2024 6:56:12 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: ShadowAce

Thank you Ace, this is cool news... :)


9 posted on 08/20/2024 6:59:10 PM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: Dr. Sivana

“Can you generate a fake OS? Tell the world you are on BEos, a VAX, or OS/2 Warp?”

I’m curious what he is doing too... :)


10 posted on 08/20/2024 6:59:53 PM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: ShadowAce

Well, next year millions of users of computers less than 5 years old will have to make the choice of

1) laying out $500 to $1500 for a new computer that can do what their existing computer can.

2) use a machine that no longer gets security updates and patches and which is boycotted by software companies

or

3) upgrade to Linux.


11 posted on 08/20/2024 7:08:12 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: ShadowAce

And what about LINUX users that run a copy of Window in a Linux shell?


12 posted on 08/20/2024 7:27:26 PM PDT by Fai Mao (The US government is run by pedophiles and Perverts for pedophiles and perverts.)
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To: ShadowAce

A number of newer laptops are essentially sealed boxes - it is a major chore to install a new battery or switch out the drive for a bigger/faster one. So GNU/Linux gives users a workable alternative to having to upgrade hardware - just get on youtube, learn a few basics, and pitch Windows in the ditch where it can rot in peace - and switch your computer to GNU/Linux which usually performs excellently on older hardware (compared to Windows).

Also, GNU/Linux is getting easier and easier to install, even for non-techies. Note that it is NOT fool-proof.

GNU/Linux is divided into distros, and each distro has one or more options of desktops available. A distro indicates the basic packaging system (Debian/Fedora/Arch/etc.), while the desktop environment (DE) designates the user interface.
Browsers like Firefox and Chrome are available, as is the LibreOffice suite for general office work, along with numerous games and music players and video players and much more.
The single greatest difference, in my opinion, is in the package managers. With Windows, you just head off into the wilds of the Internet and track down whatever software you want, frequently having to shell out money for it. You install it and hope you can get drivers to work. On the other hand, the GNU/Linux user space makes use of repositories that hold the free-to-use software for your distro. The software you find in the repositories has been specifically compiled to run on your distro, so there are surprisingly few real driver issues except for Nvidia graphic cards and a few odd network adapters. I have had almost zero driver issues in the past nearly twenty years. The kernel contains the drivers, and the kernel is updated frequently, so in the odd case where a driver seems to be missing, generally an update will install it soon.
DE’s include:
Gnome is similar in looks to Windows11, and is used by many.
KDE is a slick-looking system with lots of configurables. The plethora of options can be overwhelming, but it is quite stable and has a good package base.
Cinnamon is lightweight and solid.
Mate (my choice) is lightweight and quite solid.
LXDE and LXQt and the rest all have their fans.

Also, most GNU/Linux distros have live USB images which let you install on a thumbdrive so you can boot and test the hardware before you install.


13 posted on 08/20/2024 7:52:59 PM PDT by Montana_Sam (Truth lives.)
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To: Montana_Sam

That was a very honest and accurate summary, thank you.

Windows folks are up against the wire. They really need to get on this ASAP if they are going to do it.


14 posted on 08/20/2024 8:07:38 PM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: Openurmind

Yes but rpi is arm, they may only be counting x86 desktops under linux.


15 posted on 08/20/2024 9:01:36 PM PDT by fretzer
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To: TChad

We use WSL on Win 10 as our dev platform. Our team develops embedded sw in C and Python using gcc. We use VSCode and gitlab all within WSL (we run an in-house edition of Ubuntu inside the WSL container). We can even access the build server through the corporate VPN from home. Onboarding is a bit of a chore but we document everything on a wiki on our gitlab repo page so new team members can get set up.


16 posted on 08/20/2024 9:12:11 PM PDT by RitchieAprile (available monkeys looking for the change..)
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To: ShadowAce

With my yearly budget of engineering software in the $10s of thousands the OS is not important to me. I just want something so I can stop giving that wannabe nazi Gates any money.


17 posted on 08/20/2024 10:14:49 PM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: TChad

I need to get my Proxmox box into service and fire up as many Linux containers as needed. (Next weekend’s project!)


18 posted on 08/20/2024 10:29:18 PM PDT by The Duke (Not without incident)
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To: ShadowAce

FreeBSD .01%? I’ve got four of them here /snicker

Wife is on Linux Mint. Gates aggravated me one time too many. She’s happy.

Got a Raspberry Pi 4 too. Linux.


19 posted on 08/20/2024 10:30:36 PM PDT by dagunk
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To: Openurmind

It will still be several years before say Office will only work in Windows 11 or higher.

I do not want to switch to Windows 11 as I do not trust Bitlocker which encrypts your hard drive.

If you do not remember your Bitlocker password or the Microsoft account password where maybe hopefully the Bitlocker account is stored then all your files like family photos, tax records... all files are gone!
The backup drives may also be affected.

Many millions will have a new pc but do not realize they have a encrypted one until they try to log in.

I have a WD Essential 2TB external drive that has Bitlocker. I have no password as I never did encrypt. I have a 2015 Gigabyte desktop pc with Windows 10 Pro and no TPM chip or secure boot. Bitlocker is not an option.

My 2018 HP z240 SFF desktop pc has secure boot and no TPM chip.
Neither pc can be upgraded to Windows 11.

I have a license for Windows 11 Home 22H2 which has no Bitlocker option. I have used it in a VirtualPC window and used a workaround to install it.

Future Windows 11 24H2 will have Bitlocker for both Home and Pro versions.

I tried various solutions found on the internet but nothing works. Many postings of people saying the same thing that they did not encrypt the internal or external drive.

Microsoft showed it had the ability to get around Bitlocker when that crowdstrike problem happened but it will not be available otherwise.


20 posted on 08/21/2024 12:30:25 AM PDT by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
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