- Joined
- Sep 26, 2018
- Messages
- 5,521
- SL Rez
- 2002
Well Linux in general has four big problems which prevent it from becoming a mainstream desktop OS since ages:
1. no binary/API stable driver interface in the kernel, therefore bad general hardware driver availability
2. no distribution which is the common and agreed Linux standard
3. no Microsoft Office available
4. no important computer brand ships it at massive scale as preinstalled OS.
Point 1 is a fundamental decision made back then ages ago by Linus Torvalds. They do prefer simply to have as many drivers in the kernel as possible, and to maintain it there. Their argument: if the maintainer vanishs, they are still able to keep it in running state and adapt it to internal kernel changes.
Point 2 for example is the reason why Steam comes with its Linux runtime, which is more or less their own maintained version of Ubuntu libraries. Because developing software for Linux and distributing would mean otherwise to have to compile and support it for most distributions separately, and stuff like Snap are not a good solution to that problem either.
Point 3 is self explanatory. When Steve Jobs went back to Apple in 1998, one of his first moves was to get Bill Gates to invest in Apple and to sign a deal with Microsoft, where they agreed to sell Office on Apple. Because already back then Jobs knew if you want to get a foot into the enterprise market, so corporate offices, you have to have Microsoft Office, otherwise you're screwed. And no, I mean natively available, not via emulation layers like WINE/Crossover.
Point 4 is easy - that's Linus Torvalds own explanation why Windows is so wide spread, because it's preinstalled on so many computers while Linux is not. And people are lazy, they just take what's there from the start. Or buy a Mac instead.
1. no binary/API stable driver interface in the kernel, therefore bad general hardware driver availability
2. no distribution which is the common and agreed Linux standard
3. no Microsoft Office available
4. no important computer brand ships it at massive scale as preinstalled OS.
Point 1 is a fundamental decision made back then ages ago by Linus Torvalds. They do prefer simply to have as many drivers in the kernel as possible, and to maintain it there. Their argument: if the maintainer vanishs, they are still able to keep it in running state and adapt it to internal kernel changes.
Point 2 for example is the reason why Steam comes with its Linux runtime, which is more or less their own maintained version of Ubuntu libraries. Because developing software for Linux and distributing would mean otherwise to have to compile and support it for most distributions separately, and stuff like Snap are not a good solution to that problem either.
Point 3 is self explanatory. When Steve Jobs went back to Apple in 1998, one of his first moves was to get Bill Gates to invest in Apple and to sign a deal with Microsoft, where they agreed to sell Office on Apple. Because already back then Jobs knew if you want to get a foot into the enterprise market, so corporate offices, you have to have Microsoft Office, otherwise you're screwed. And no, I mean natively available, not via emulation layers like WINE/Crossover.
Point 4 is easy - that's Linus Torvalds own explanation why Windows is so wide spread, because it's preinstalled on so many computers while Linux is not. And people are lazy, they just take what's there from the start. Or buy a Mac instead.
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