The market share of Linux on the desktop continues to increase. Until recently, it stood at 2%, and it has even been below that figure. During the confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic, the number increased, and since there is no official explanation, it was possible to speculate that there are more Linux on our home computers than at work. Still, the increase was not too striking either.
Yes, it has started to attract more attention in the last two years. In mid-2023 it exceeded 3% of the market share, and already at the beginning of 2024 we get closer at 4%. He latest report from sratcounter tells us that we have already far exceeded that figure, and in July we have become 4.44%. Although the truth is that, personally, I see that figure a little adulterated.
Linux on the desktop reaches 4.44%… or 5.85%
What we discuss in articles like this is the market share in desktop operating systems. That's where, of course, Windows, macOS, desktop Linux and others like BSD come in, leaving out servers, smart devices and the Internet of Things (IoT). But it is not chromeOS a desktop operating system? Yes, it is, but they put them separately based on the type of use, philosophies and so on. None of that convinces me. Therefore, we can leave it at that now Linux is used by 4.44% of desktops or 5.85% if we add 1.41% of chromeOS.
The list in July would look like this:
| System | Percentage |
| Windows | 72.1% |
| OS X/macOS | 14.92% |
| Unknown | 7.13% |
| Linux | 4.44% |
| chromeOS | 1.41% |
Back and forth on why
Nobody has an answer as to why. Linux is rising in desktop market share. Some, including myself, may think that the Steam Deck has something to do with it. It is a console or handheld PC that uses SteamOS, based on Arch. There are many people who have purchased it and, at the very least, it can contribute something to the increase.
The only certainty is that desktop Linux is now better than ever, at least in terms of numbers. If we uploaded more, maybe more developers would take us into account and we wouldn't have to use WINE, Proton, Bottles or web applications to get certain things done. Dreaming is free.