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Why Linux Needs Corporate Backing To Succeed

August 14, 2008 by 10 Comments

Linux has a long and rich history. It is a powerful operating system. It has a loyal following. Yet, at the end of the day, it still finds itself being used on a paltry 1-2% of the desktop computer market. Why?

One of the reasons is the Linux community itself. And on a tightly related note, it is because it requires corporate backing. Yeah, I said it…

linux_1 Eeekk! Did You Say Corporate? But, That’s Evil!

For me to explain myself on this one, let’s back up a moment and look at the Linux community itself.

The Linux community is inherently very anti-commercialism. That spirit is part and parcel of the entire Linux movement. And that is a good thing, don’t get me wrong. It leads to a great OS being distributed for free and everybody likes that.

EXCEPT when it gets in the way. The noncommercial nature of Linux means that the community is responsible for it’s development. Again, good thing…except that it also leads to a lot of confusion. There are practically more Linux distros now than there are Linux users. Each distro does things a little bit differently. The typical desktop user would look at this scene and, well, their eyes will cross and they’ll run the other way. And the distaste for proprietary code in Linux means that many of the conveniences OS X and Windows users enjoy need to be set up manually by the Linux user after installation.

Linux Community Isn’t Exactly That Helpful

Linux users are the most high-and-mighty of the nerd community. We’ll laugh at the hardcore Mac followers and the “mactards” who hang on every word that comes out of Steve Job’s mouth. But, a lot of Linux users are just as snobby about their choice of operating system. And there is no “welcome mat” at the Linux door.

When a Windows user looks to convert to Linux, it is inevitable that frustrations enter because Linux doesn’t do things like Windows. And all too often, such a suggestion is met with a tongue-lashing for daring to suggest that Linux become a little more Windows like.

Another example would be the scolding a Linux die-hard might give to a person who uses Ubuntu Linux. Are you kidding me? Calling an Ubuntu user a “newb”, as if that is some kind of insult, is exactly the WRONG reaction you should have to a person testing the Linux waters.

Ubuntu As an Example

Picture 11 The fact that Linux die-hards react harshly to Ubuntu is a concrete example of why Linux fails to reach mainstream and always will – without corporate backing.

Ubuntu is, today, considered the de facto standard for Linux when it comes to newbie Linux users wanting to test the waters. It is because Ubuntu is among the easiest Linux distros to use. And what’s more, Ubuntu has a commercial sponsor in Canonical Limited. By having a company serve as the central development for the Ubuntu operating system, they have actually managed to make Linux into a usable operating system that a newbie can understand and use.

Canonical is doing with Linux what Mark Shuttleworth said needed to happen with Linux. Namely, they need to become more like Apple. They need to make Linux easier to use and “more beautiful”. Shuttleworth happens to be the guy behind Canonical.

Windows and OS X do well because they are easy to use and each has a central base for development, namely Microsoft and Apple. Each supports the product and provides a central focus for everything regarding that OS. Canonical is doing this with Ubuntu, which is why that distro is having the success it has.

The Linux community is dooming itself to failure due to its own nature. Facing that fact and getting some of that tough love is the only way Linux has a chance of being on a desktop near you. And, dare I say, I think it will take a commercial company to pull that off. I don’t think the unorganized nature of the Linux community can pull it off. And, no, the world will never just get smart and embrace Linux for the desktop. It needs to be user centric, and today it is not.

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  • Dave…you KNEW I would chime in…and here it is.
    I guess it depends a lot on what you define as successful. I read somewhere recently that estimated computer shipments, globally, for 2008 should be around 290 million. Let’s assume that, based on your figures, only 1% end up running Linux. That’s stil 2.9 million Linux machines. Considering Linux receives almost zero marketing and relies solely on word of mouth and it’s own merit, I would say that IS success. No? Then what would be successful? Globally, Apple has less than 10% share…I guess Apple must be a dismal failure as well. In fact, according to stats from w3schools (http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp) Mac is only marginally ahead of Linux globally…at less than 5%…fail?
    Also, Linux DOES have corporate backing. Dell pushes Ubuntu, Novell pushes SuSE, and don’t forget Red Hat. Linux may not dominate the desktop…hell, only Windows does, and not even MS’s latest offering (Which is also a fail). However, I would venture to guess that this very site is hosted on Linux, most of the sites you visit are hosted on Linux. A large % of e-mail you read every day goes through a Linux machine, the stocks you buy and sell, the “secure” online bank transactions and pretty much everything else you do online runs on or relies on Linux…success?

  • im suprised google hasnt jumped at the chance to have its own linux distro to rival microsoft and their hold on the market. They have the resources and have a habit of giving away stuff for free, and already have their own range of applications,email, and im sure they could do a deal with firefox or make their own browser too, that would be total domination. Obviously they are making their own OS for mobile devices but I think a google desktop OS would be good free alternative to M$, but probably a Linux fan’s worst nightmare.

  • Linux will be around as long as there are users like me who love to tinker with things. I’m not anti-MS or anti-Apple, I just like an OS that gives me more control over my operating environment. And I love the security of Linux. I don’t spend hours searching for malware and removing it. And I have found the Linux community most helpful at all times. When I was new, the support forums gave me guidance that was invaluable. Now, I return the favor by spending a lot of time each day helping out new users. I have never been flamed on a Linux forum.

  • Marianne Bogle

    In answer to the Google thing, Google has taken Ubuntu/Debian, programmed and wrote programs that are needed by such a large company and very basically have Googltu (or something similarly named).

    I also read somewhere else and of course can’t give you a definite where when I need it, that the 2% they give to Linux desktop is because no one knows for sure….That many of the computers that came out had Vista and instead of being transferred to XP, they became some kind of Linux machine…I sure know that’s what I did with two brand new laptops!

  • Do Linux users want more people using Linux? I don’t get that impression.

  • Mike

    Linux sucks with all the codes you have to enter . It wasn’t meant for newbies. To understand linux is like having a major headache . It will never make it in the corporate world or for home user’s

  • Marianne Bogle

    And not every linux distro is the same. And that is something you will be informed of in the Ubuntu forums.

    And yes, I do think that Linux users want more people using Linux, but definitely they would want you to use a distro that is user friendly for you. Mandriva (sp) has just come out with what I’ve been told is the most user friendly distro even above and beyond Ubuntu. That it like XP has the drivers and such, so you don’t have the looking to do.

    Linux seems to be getting further and further from the constant use of the terminal. When I began using Ubuntu 2 years ago, every time I needed help with something is was use the terminal for this and use the terminal for that…more and more things are coming with GUI’s.

    Also more and more repositories of great programs/applications to use with your linux distro desktop of your choice.

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  • I think some linux users don’t want it to become to mainstream, some are pleased that use the underdog and have an expert setup, I think some would feel less self important if everyone used it. That said most would want it to take off.