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Sounds reasonable. Linux let’s users shape their environment exactly to their wishes. Obviously then “their Linux” is something they identify with much more,

Sounds reasonable. Linux let’s users shape their environment exactly to their wishes. Obviously then “their Linux” is something they identify with much more, because they partly built that setup themselves, for their own, personal needs only. And because you can do that, you will also attract the kind of people who would like to do that, further amplifying the effect. As a personal anecdote, for me, this is really the main reason I prefer Linux.

8bitsrule 7y ago
That seems accurate. The advent of the 'personal computer' allowed many to get away from the (often necessary) restrictions (including expenses) imposed by the use of mainframes. The result was freedom to program and experiment with hardware and software. Proprietary systems (Windows, Mac) once again built in restrictions and limitations for various reasons. Linux doesn't. Its many distros are the response to widely different usage needs, ranging the gamut from turnkey to roll-your-own (Arch, Linux-from-Scratch). If you don't like some feature of a program, you can modify and re-compile the source code. The software repositories contain programs offering a few to dozens of different ways for users to accomplish their goals. Many users are drawn to understand the details of computing, and to experience the power that confers, as opposed to simply operating an appliance. In short, many Linux users are the same sort of people who made 'personal computing' possible in the first place.