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Linux desktop is nowhere due to the thousands of distributions and disparity in development effort. A linux phone is simply unthinkable. Biggest strength in and

Linux desktop is nowhere due to the thousands of distributions and disparity in development effort. A linux phone is simply unthinkable. Biggest strength in android/ios is the centralized leadership and vision. This enables consumers to make an easy choice, which attracts developers, who all seek predictability and maximum exposure. But even if the linux community centralizes around a singularity, it will still be no-compete, since android/ios have superior momentum. You can't race against Bolt when you have a late start and Bolt is already 5 meters from the finishing line. What it would take is a paradigm shift. Apple sunk Nokia (and the whole mobile world) by innovating. Android/ios are locked down ad platforms running on superior hardware that the user merely "rents" from the supplier. A device that features an unlocked OS that doesn't limit itself to its form factor is going to drown everything else. Android already has begun to do half of that - it has initial desktop mode support. Some manufacturers like motorola and samsung have their own awesome-looking take on desktop mode. It's only a matter of time consumers embrace this and throw their useless laptops. Current phones have as much or more ram than my last office PC, so think of just this: hook an usbc cable to a random monitor, presto - desktop computer in your pocket you can do work on. Just take a look at this demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIh07q_9Ib0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIh07q_9Ib0

matkoniecz 5y ago
> Linux desktop is nowhere this is as untrue as "Year $YEAR will be year of Linux on desktop" was so far (posting from laptop running Linux) > A linux phone is simply unthinkable Linux phones exist already > You can't race It is not always necessary to win completely and crush competition to reach goal
- watwut 5y ago
  Linux phone exists, but they are super niche product bought basically only by people who want Linux on phone specifically. They are not competitive in general market.
  - matkoniecz 5y ago
    Oh I agree. I was responding to "A linux phone is simply unthinkable" that is ridiculous and blatantly untrue.
- konart 5y ago
  >this is as untrue as "Year $YEAR will be year of Linux on desktop" was so far (posting from laptop running Linux) This will be untrue when linux will have noticeable* share of installs. Not just you and some other tech guys who amount to grand total of 2-3% of desktop systems. [*] - at least 10-15%.
  - ryukafalz 5y ago
    Who cares if its marketshare is above some arbitrary number so long as there's enough interest to keep development going? It doesn't matter to me what other people are using, I find Linux desktops to be the most comfortable thing for me, so I use them! If other people are satisfied with Windows and everything that goes along with it (forced auto-updates, ads, etc) - fine! You do you. I'm happy with what I have though.
    - konart 5y ago
      I haven't touched windows as a software developer since around 2008, so I don't know what's going on in there really. So long as I can launch games in my steam lib I'm fine. My main working OS was Ubuntu (~2006-2010) and Arch(20010-2013). Then I got tired of my Android phone and switched to iPhone and mac book. (if that matters somehow) As for you question - you were saying, quote: >this is as untrue as "Year $YEAR will be year of Linux on desktop" was so far (posting from laptop running Linux) when answering to > Linux desktop is nowhere I was merely pointing out that your preferences has nothing to do with general situation. And the general situation is that Linux is almost nonexistent on desktop. Hence no 'Year $YEAR will be year of Linux on desktop"' being not true so far. The phrase was and is about linux taking some meaningfull portion of market for itself, not about a you using it. Obviously linux was on desktop since 90s You do you, nobody is trying to take it away from you.
      - ryukafalz 5y ago
        > you were saying, quote I mean, you're not quoting me there, but... :) > Hence no 'Year $YEAR will be year of Linux on desktop"' being not true so far. The phrase was and is about linux taking some meaningfull portion of market for itself, not about a you using it. Eh, the phrase has always been ill-defined. It could be interpreted as talking about marketshare - but it could also be interpreted as the point where Linux is technically as or more capable than its competitors as a desktop OS. That point has come and gone. (And really, the phrase tends to be used more as a potshot at Linux users than anything actually meaningful.)
- sto_hristo 5y ago
  Well i'm also posting from a PC running linux desktop. But i can deal with it. The vast majority of consumers can't and will not. Also, if i had to create a desktop application, i'd target windows/macos primarily, as most other developers do. And even though those pure linux phones exist, they're hardly usable. Sure, it's just the beginning, given time it will evolve. But the problem of effort disparity will inevitably manifest itself again, and you'll get 1000s of distros to choose from and none will stand up to to that single android device. > It is not always necessary to win completely and crush competition to reach goal I agree. I like to run for the fun of it and don't care for racing. But if you're going to compete directly against android phone or a windows desktop, you have to play to win.
Const-me 5y ago
> Just take a look at this demo Consumers didn't care about that. Windows had it in 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyVHCFsiq8c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyVHCFsiq8c
- rhn_mk1 5y ago
  Windows' failure means that consumers don't care about running a desktop without all the software that they have. Windows software doesn't typically provide desktop builds on ARM, whereas on Linux, there's very little software that you can't take from AMD64 to ARM, especially if all you need is in the distribution's repository.
deleted 5y ago
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seba_dos1 5y ago
> hook an usbc cable to a random monitor, presto - desktop computer in your pocket you can do work on. That's exactly what "Linux phones" already do pretty well. Just take a look at this demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qB_5g2ZJYk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qB_5g2ZJYk ;)
- sto_hristo 5y ago
  While i haven't seen this particular demo, i've seen others. It is indeed awesome and the way to go. I just hope effort this time around centralizes around a single os (distro), otherwise the linux desktop situation is going to repeat itself.

matkoniecz 5y ago

> Linux desktop is nowhere this is as untrue as "Year $YEAR will be year of Linux on desktop" was so far (posting from laptop running Linux) > A linux phone is simply unthinkable Linux phones exist already > You can't race It is not always necessary to win completely and crush competition to reach goal

watwut 5y ago
Linux phone exists, but they are super niche product bought basically only by people who want Linux on phone specifically. They are not competitive in general market.
- matkoniecz 5y ago
  Oh I agree. I was responding to "A linux phone is simply unthinkable" that is ridiculous and blatantly untrue.
konart 5y ago
>this is as untrue as "Year $YEAR will be year of Linux on desktop" was so far (posting from laptop running Linux) This will be untrue when linux will have noticeable* share of installs. Not just you and some other tech guys who amount to grand total of 2-3% of desktop systems. [*] - at least 10-15%.
- ryukafalz 5y ago
  Who cares if its marketshare is above some arbitrary number so long as there's enough interest to keep development going? It doesn't matter to me what other people are using, I find Linux desktops to be the most comfortable thing for me, so I use them! If other people are satisfied with Windows and everything that goes along with it (forced auto-updates, ads, etc) - fine! You do you. I'm happy with what I have though.
  - konart 5y ago
    I haven't touched windows as a software developer since around 2008, so I don't know what's going on in there really. So long as I can launch games in my steam lib I'm fine. My main working OS was Ubuntu (~2006-2010) and Arch(20010-2013). Then I got tired of my Android phone and switched to iPhone and mac book. (if that matters somehow) As for you question - you were saying, quote: >this is as untrue as "Year $YEAR will be year of Linux on desktop" was so far (posting from laptop running Linux) when answering to > Linux desktop is nowhere I was merely pointing out that your preferences has nothing to do with general situation. And the general situation is that Linux is almost nonexistent on desktop. Hence no 'Year $YEAR will be year of Linux on desktop"' being not true so far. The phrase was and is about linux taking some meaningfull portion of market for itself, not about a you using it. Obviously linux was on desktop since 90s You do you, nobody is trying to take it away from you.
    - ryukafalz 5y ago
      > you were saying, quote I mean, you're not quoting me there, but... :) > Hence no 'Year $YEAR will be year of Linux on desktop"' being not true so far. The phrase was and is about linux taking some meaningfull portion of market for itself, not about a you using it. Eh, the phrase has always been ill-defined. It could be interpreted as talking about marketshare - but it could also be interpreted as the point where Linux is technically as or more capable than its competitors as a desktop OS. That point has come and gone. (And really, the phrase tends to be used more as a potshot at Linux users than anything actually meaningful.)
sto_hristo 5y ago
Well i'm also posting from a PC running linux desktop. But i can deal with it. The vast majority of consumers can't and will not. Also, if i had to create a desktop application, i'd target windows/macos primarily, as most other developers do. And even though those pure linux phones exist, they're hardly usable. Sure, it's just the beginning, given time it will evolve. But the problem of effort disparity will inevitably manifest itself again, and you'll get 1000s of distros to choose from and none will stand up to to that single android device. > It is not always necessary to win completely and crush competition to reach goal I agree. I like to run for the fun of it and don't care for racing. But if you're going to compete directly against android phone or a windows desktop, you have to play to win.

Const-me 5y ago

> Just take a look at this demo Consumers didn't care about that. Windows had it in 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyVHCFsiq8c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyVHCFsiq8c

rhn_mk1 5y ago
Windows' failure means that consumers don't care about running a desktop without all the software that they have. Windows software doesn't typically provide desktop builds on ARM, whereas on Linux, there's very little software that you can't take from AMD64 to ARM, especially if all you need is in the distribution's repository.

deleted 5y ago

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seba_dos1 5y ago

> hook an usbc cable to a random monitor, presto - desktop computer in your pocket you can do work on. That's exactly what "Linux phones" already do pretty well. Just take a look at this demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qB_5g2ZJYk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qB_5g2ZJYk ;)

sto_hristo 5y ago
While i haven't seen this particular demo, i've seen others. It is indeed awesome and the way to go. I just hope effort this time around centralizes around a single os (distro), otherwise the linux desktop situation is going to repeat itself.