Ten Years Past GNOME's 10x10 Goal, The Linux Desktop Is Still Far From Having A 10% Marketshare

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Ten Years Past GNOME's 10x10 Goal, The Linux Desktop Is Still Far From Having A 10% Marketshare

Way back in 2005 the GNOME "10x10 Goal" was formed to "own 10% of the global desktop market by 2010." Now approaching ten years past that failed goal, GNOME or even the broader Linux desktop marketshare is still well off from seeing a 10% market-share...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=GNOME-10x10-After-10

[abott]

I think they might have regressed to under 10% market share as far as Linux desktops go. Lol.

[starshipeleven]

Thanks GNOME. Another decade of True Failure.

fixed.

[Candy]

The Linux Desktop != GNOME

I am not sure whethere there was someone who declared "GNOME" as "The Linux Desktop".

And ... "The Linux Desktop" is subject of the perspective of the user and his (and hers) personal preferences. This can be any Linux Desktop around. Be it XFCE, GNOME, KDE, MATE, MIR, and other choices.

Also ... What makes a good "The Linux Desktop" ? Javascript programs running on an basicly unused Desktop that eats memory and ressources ? Tracker and Indexing services (that the one likes and the other hates). Crappy Exposee screen flippings on all monitors ? Filedialogs that spawns on a 30" monitor from left top to bottom right (basicly fullscreen) ?

There are people who are happy with a windowmanager, a top panel and programs that do their thing. With normal Toolbars (like in the 90's) and nameful icons and menu entries.

[andyprough]

GNU/Linux certainly has the lion's share of developer workstations and of servers and of cloud-providing cpu's from my observations. Which may now be the majority of non-mobile CPU form factors on Earth.

Leave the provision of services for the gamers and Netflix watchers and pR0n viewers to MS and Apple. That market segment is dying a slow death anyway as they offer almost nothing of benefit for streaming entertainment over mobile, cloud-connected devices.

[kpedersen]

Gnome 3 is now further away from the 10% market share than Gnome 2 was in 2011 haha!

That said, the systemd/Linux desktop market share as a whole has certainly risen. Just now shared out between all three pretty crappy desktop experiences (Gnome 3+, KDE 4+ and Xfce).

Nice work FOSS! XD

(Perhaps one benefit it has given is people are less obsessive about big fat desktops and have given lighter (perhaps even tiling) WMs a chance. Unfortunately this is still not much use within the enterprise)

Edit: Normally I don't really want to belittle anyone's work, especially open-source but I feel Gnome 3 has done a real disservice to the open-source community.

[perpetually high]

Speak for yourselves, I love my GNOME 3 desktop. Can't please everyone, so I guess that's why you shouldn't bother.

Use the desktops (or tiliing managers) you want, contribute to the projects you care about, and quit whining and complaining every step along the way like you're owed something.

[Almindor]

I've been a Linux user since ~2000 and have used almost every WM/DM that came out since then at least as a "try it" period.

I've mostly preferred gnome 2 in the era it was dominant, but used Xfce for a while as well as i3 and <some-I-forgot-name-of>box. I've also went from the "loads of free time" high school/university student to a "really busy father of 2" in the last couple years.

I'm using Arch (started as Antergos since I was already in the "don't have time for that" period) with Gnome3 on Wayland for quite a while now and it's pretty smooth sailing. That said I'm only on 1080p so I understand if there are HiDPI or other scaling issues. Also this rig is AMD exclusive so pretty good on the drivers with no intervention.

What I'm trying to say is, I don't get the hate for Gnome 3. The start was rocky, some of their decisions were pretty bad I agree, but it's a pretty smooth experience with a few addons.

Also given how Ubuntu is now Gnome I'd wager that the desktop/laptop Linux user base % using gnome one way or another is way over 10% now... it's just that Linux itself will never be more than niche on the desktop ever. I honestly think that's a good thing tho...

[tildearrow]

Thanks GNOME. Another decade of True Freedom.

I cannot customize my desktop at all. Where is that "true freedom"?

[anarki2]

Shock horror.