Linux is one of the least used operating systems on desktop computers. Various sources estimate that 74.14% of desktop computer use Windows, whereas, only 2.91% use Linux. In this article, I will explain why linux is not popular.
In general, new computers with Linux are extremely rare, and Linux is very bad for gaming. For someone to use Linux they would need to go out of their way to download and install it. But, there is no strong reason to switch to Linux, so most people never do.
Linux is not as actively sold as Windows for desktop computers. But, Linux is very popular for advanced computer architecture such as for super computers, and servers. Below, I will cover:
- How popular is Linux [& who uses it]
- How much of the desktop marketshare Linux has
- Why not to use Linux
- Advantages of using Linux instead of Windows
How Popular Is Linux [& Who Uses It]
I was very curious about why this was so I compiled some data, from a few Reddit threads. Where the question was asked: why is not popular. In total 37 people responded. Here’s a table that shows the results:
| Reason why Linux is not popular | Percentage of votes |
| People don’t know about it, or care about installing it | 40.54% |
| New computers don’t come with it installed | 35.15% |
| Limited games and apps work on it | 13.51% |
| Linux is not marketed very much | 10.81% |
The two most reported reasons are that people don’t know about Linux, or they don’t have a strong reason to install it. The inventor of Linux, as you may know, is Linus Torvalds.
He is quoted in an interview as saying the main reason is that people don’t want to install an operating system. Here’s a video that explains this.
It appears in the interview that the makers of Linux aren’t too fussed about how widespread Linux is. And have no plans to increase how much of the desktop market share Linux has.
tually no change in how many computers are running Windows, MacOS, Linux, and ChromeOS.
How Much of the Desktop Marketshare Linux Has
Linux is not very popular for desktop and laptop computers. Only 2.91% of all computers use Linux. Whereas, 74% of all computer use Windows. Whereas, the next most popular MacOS, is used on 15% of computer.
Below, is a table that shows this data in more detail.
| Operating system | Percentage of computers using it |
| Windows | 74.14% |
| MacOS | 15.33% |
| Linux | 2.91% |
| ChromeOS | 2.35% |
Over the past 15 years, the trends has been exactly the same. There as been vir
Linux has 2.91% of the marketshare for operating systems. If you go to buy a new computer, all of the options are almost always Windows, or MacOS. Most people are primarily concerned with just using a computer, and with good reason.
The truth is:
Windows and MacOS work perfectly fine. And there is no strong reason to switch to Linux. It also requires someone to go out of their way to install Linux. They would need to download it to an external storage device like a USB driver, or an external hard drive.
After that Linux also typically requires some tinkering especially when attempting to connect to WiFi. However, there are some versions of Linux that are designed to be more user friendly and to work immediately such as Linux Mint.
Most Popular Linux Distros [Linux versions]
Interestingly, Linux is very different to Windows and MacOS. It has a bunch of different versions. These are distributions. These are completely unique versions of Linux.
By comparison, Windows and MacOS have only one version which they update each year, doing from Windows 7, to Windows 10, and recently to Windows 11.
Windows 11 recently came out, I explained how it compares to Windows 10 in this article about whether Windows 11 uses more resources than Windows 10. It shows testing data that compares how much of the CPU, and RAM they use, and how fast they are compared to each other.
Most Linux distributions are designed for a specific purpose. Such as, being very secure and reliable, or being good at testing software. The most popular Linux distributions are:
- Redhat Enterprise Linux (REL) – Stability and reliability, for large companies
- Ubuntu – Very versatile
- Kali – Cybersecurity, info security research
- Mint – Everything works out of the box, it’s easier to set up
Why Not to Use Linux
Linux is not widely used on computers. However, many people still use it. So, here is why not to use Linux.
Overall, Linux does not have support for popular apps, and works very poorly for gaming. So, for the everyday user is is inferior. Linux is primarily suitable for large companies, as well as, professionals who work in specific fields such as cybersecurity.
The fact that Linux does not work for gaming, is a big reason why it’s not that popular, as a large, percentage of computer users use a computer for gaming.
This is because Linux is not popular. So, game developers do not find it viable to create a version of their game that is compatible on Linux.
There are just so many fewer people that use Linux to justify making games compatible with it. But, this could change if Linux was suddenly pre-built into new computers.
However, so far Linux has stated the are currently not interested in doing so. And are content with the current adoption of Linux. This has been the case for the last 15 years in the operating system market.
Advantages of Using Linux Instead of Windows
For a very long time, Linux has not come pre-installed on new computers, and for this reason Windows is far more widely used that Linux. But, are there any advantages of using Linux instead of Windows? Here’s everything you need to know.
In general, Linux is only suitable for large companies, who require an enterprise level solution, that integrates many different aspects of their business. Or, developers, and cybersecurity professionals, who use it to create stable and secure computer solutions for large companies.
The reason is large companies require an operating system to be integrated with other systems. For example, a large warehouse will have many hundreds or orders that sent and received every day.
Tracking all of the numbers, and integrating it into accounting software is complex and difficult. For this reason, and complete software solution based on Linux is often custom built by company. Linux is extremely versation and can be custom built to meet a businesses needs to reduce double handling, reporting, and accuracy for businesses.
Other than that, it’s mostly just for hobbiests, and developers, who have interest in tinkering with. In some professions it is used exclusively, and therefore, people are required to have a basic to intermediate level of skill using it. But, overall this is the vast minority. And the majority use Windows of MacOS.