How did Linux get so popular and such a huge userbase?
>>51958899
fags like me who don't like the direction windows is going
>>51958899
It was a good, free Unix clone.
Back in the day, Unix licenses were a bitch. Why not use something comparable that you didn't have to pay for?
People like an underdog.
People liked the philosophy of freedom
It is fun.
It is technical.
People can contribute and take parts as they please
It is cheap
It is not windows
>>51958988
/thread
also servers, lots of servers.
>>51958899
>How did Linux get so popular and such a huge userbase?
When, where did this happen?
>>51959068
Super computers for example. Windows and Mac have literally 0% market share in that field.
It does everything I like to do and I don't have to fight it to get what I want done. I can probably do everything I want to in windows too but I'd have to use mingw or cygwin and a few cli tools from gnu anyways.
Also nice knowing I'm getting spied on less. Would be nicer to have slightly better video drivers but that's being fixed soon enough.
>>51959226
I'd imagine most supercomputers run on a proprietary OS.. excluding parallel computing
>>51958899
It's flexible, it squeeze into any machine and run well without crashing, devices which need to run for a long time without supervision love that, that's the reason a colossal number of servers run Linux.
>>51959786
You would be wrong
>>51959068
Even if we discount servers and embedded applications Linux still have 1-2% market share depending on who you ask. That's millions of personal computers and certainly not to be sniffed at.
This is coming from a rabid windows user, with a windows 10 tablet and a Lumia 930 to be replaced by a 950.
I want Linus to yell at me and tell me I'm retarded.
>>51958899
BSD got tied up in legal bullshit in the '90s so Linux was the only option for poorfags who didn't want to trade in their Porsche for a piece of UNIX kit.
>>51959786
You are incredibly wrong
>>51959226
that's a pretty terrible market share to point at, considering there are very few real supercomputers in the world
More people helped it get better and easier to use.
The UNIX philosophy was invented by the greatest minds in computer science. Linus took that ideology, combined it with some GNU tools that were thoroughly tested, and kept the thing open so smart people could contribute to the kernel. Now you take a proprietary OS like Windows, which is developed by a profit driven company, ergo they have no incentive to deliver the best product possible that suits the needs of everyone. Their only goal is to make as much money as possible, and spend very little while making that money. Bill Gates had a good idea and he is a smart fellow, but his OS never going to rise up to Linux at this point, even if he open sources the whole thing. Except maybe for games, but who has time for those?
>>51960003
is this a troll copypasta from somewhere
It has less than 1% market share.
Windows 98 literally has a bigger user base.
Stay mad and bad.
>>51959922
I want that to happen at least once before I die.
+1 shill for System76
+1 shill for linuxpreloaded.com
>>51960101
unless you've gone out of your way to avoid it, there's a pretty decent chance at least one device you own runs some variant of linux
>>51958899
>How did Linux get so popular and such a huge userbase?
Outside of /g/, it didn't
>>51960945
>only counting the one area linux doesn't dominate
nice cherry picker you have there
>>51960945
>laptop os
>Linux
HaHaHaHa
>>51961046
Linux is perfect for a laptop though, heavier programs are usually Windows exclusive (CAD, video editing stuff, etc.) and better suited for usage on a desktop.
>>51960945
>xp higher than vista and 8
it will never end
>>51958899
>How did Linux get so popular and such a huge userbase?
I guess it depends on what you consider huge.
Android is big, but regular people don't think of that as Linux for some reason. Some on /g/ don't want it associated with Linux because the malware.
As far as servers go, I don't think the numbers are accurate. Linux has a lot if web servers and data center servers but sometimes BSD is counted as Linux. All the intranet servers aren't even counted. What that would do to the numbers I don't know.
Linux seems to be more used in larger commercial distribution like customized for a datacenter or a smartphone. So its probably used because its free as in no initial monetary cost.
>>51959786
Kids imagine. Adults google facts.
>>51961090
>windows 8
read the chart again and you might notice why
>>51961092
i dont count android as linux because android app are not native linux applications, you can run app natively on linux, mac, windows, templeos or what ever as as it has virtual machine written for, linux was chosen because it was free, if windows would be free they could chose it and would not make it a windows phone, you still would develop android app using android api and run them in android virtual machine, linuxfags are just delusional counting android as linux
>>51958899
Because it just werks. Ever tried to install nginx or Hadoop on Windows? Even something as simple as Ruby? Good luck.
>>51959226
Rather illustrates why Linux is horrible for any other use. Those who use supercomputers have million dollar government grants to develop one-off software to run their task. I don't have millions of dollars to make a working desktop environment.
No one wants to program for Linux because it's so terrible. The best open source software in the world is Windows-only for a reason.
>>51961222
tensorflow is available on Windows now?
>>51961222
> The best open source software in the world is Windows-only for a reason.
thats because developers are retarded and use pure winapi instead of crossplatform toolkit like qt/wxwidgets, when using qt development is exactly the same for both platforms
>>51961134
>i dont count android as linux because android app are not native linux applications
I didn't know that, don't have any Android devices. I'm not sure if it really matters though because a OS is not the applications that run on it.
>>51961134
Android is Linux because it has Linux in it. You cannot get any more Linux than using Linux directly.
>huge userbase
>>51961270
if i run android app on windows does it make my os linux?
>>51961290
While technically it does, that doesn't change the fact that Windows forms the fundamental system there.
>>51960945
>imply linux users don't block statcounter
>>51960945
>even windows 10 is higher than OSX
it's a relief to see 7 still on top, even with MS pushing all the 'windows 10 is the best thing ever, we'll switch you now. or tonight, your choice.'
how recent is this data?
>>51961262
>>51961303
exactly, core os doesnt matter for android so why do linuxfags count android as linux? these two are not related
>>51961251
>qt/wxwidgets
That's because those suck. I'm not referring to the API but rather using those applications on Windows is subpar.
>>51961290
if I run a Windows app in WINE does that make my OS Windows?
>>51958961
isnt that ment to be BSD?
>>51961355
that makes you a criminal
>>51961349
>these two are not related
Android is a Linux-based operating system.
>>51961381
no its not, its a java-based virtual machine, and java is not linux either
>>51959786
You'd have to be a huge dungbrain to run proprietary shit on a supercomputer
>>51961348
>>51960945
I found this one from november.
>>51961397
It runs on a Linux kernel.
>>51961426
it runs on windows nt kernel too
>>51961355
Your OS would still be whatever Unix OS you're running which will not be Windows.
>>51961433
>>51961349
The vast majority of Android systems run on Linux. The association of Android with Linux is so strong that the other possibilities are anomalies more than anything.
>>51961404
Then everyone's a dungbrain because firmware, bios/uefi, processor binary blobs, etc.
>>51961433
Android runs on windows NT?
retarded faglet
Show me an android phone that runs with the NT Kernel.
>>51961433
sort of, colinux is a bit of a special case though, and it's not what android uses
>>51961463
quick google search http://www.bluestacks.com/
thats basically virtual machine for windows, you can run android app without linux
>>51961496
how about windows phone running android apps? there were plans for it, dunno what happened to them, but if they will release this, will this make windows phone a linux phone?
>>51961554
you dont run android app on linux kenel
>>51961554
bro, neo-/g/ has come and gone
we neo-neo-/g/ now
we get blatant yahoo-answers tier OPs these days
>>51961134
>i dont count android as linux because android app are not native linux applications
Linux is the kernel. android is linux, that's just plain facts and not a opinion..
>>51961578
android is not linux, its a virtual machine, similar to to that from java, both can run on linux, windows and everything else, do you count java programs as linux too? because you know both java programs and android app runs on similar virtual machine
>>51961602
it can run on nt kernel too, so why do you associate android and linux together?
>>51961275
>.wmv.gif.mp4.mp4.flv.webm.gif
>>51961635
sorry but linux is below 1% share, you cant just take other os and combine it with your abomination, hats not how it works
>>51961635
my pc is an android device, i can run android apps natively
depends if you mean ever in history or recently
in history: neat free OS with way more features than others at the time, was fun to tinker with
recently: ubuntu shills, steamos, everyone and their mom (windows users even) spouting about how it's better
that's about it. It's great, and I love it. Arch is super fun. Debian was fun as well. It's interesting that just using a computer can be fun. It had never really occurred to me on Windows. I was already stressed or angry from solving problems and running into issues and such, and back then I wasn't even trying to do all that much. Probably just trying to play games back then.
>>51961134
>>51961290
>>51961543
I can run Win32 applications on Wine, does this mean my Mac is actually an Windows Phone?
>>51959948
this
this is also why Windows became popular
there was a time where UNIX cost a ton and BSD wasn't quite an option yet, so Windows was able to get popular with their actually significantly cheaper OS
>>51960036
was gonna disagree with you until I saw the last sentence.. hard to say
>>51961092
>>51961931
i think in that context they mean "android is not gnu/linux", which is true
Windows is always going to lose to Linux in desktop threads.
Check mate, winblows fags!
USL v. BSDi is what made Linux popular. Otherwise BSD would have dominated.
Disclaimer: I am typing this from FreeBSD
>>51961966
True. Android is Linux, but Android isn't GNU/Linux.
>>51961363
Not that time.
>>51960101
It has more market share than windows. Not the desktops though.
Stay mad bruh
>>51958899
Because it's simply the best OS kernel out there. Nothing else really competes at this point, Linux is overall far better at doing the kernel thing than anything else by now.
And then it's *also* GPL'd, which also solves quite a few issues for companies, not just end users.
This is why it now runs the most popular server / embedded (Linux), personal computing (Android) OS' in a gazillion variants.
>>51961363
NetBSD and FreeBSD still hadn't formed at that point due to legal issues. The GNU Herd project wasn't working at that point (and nobody exactly uses it at this point).
Linux was simply released at the right time and it does pretty much what proprietry kernels do, minus the price tag.
>inb4 microkernels and monolithic kernels are different
At the end of the day, they achieve the same thing.
>>51962417
Part of it, but it's also the case that the GPL won much more private and corporate support in general.
The GPL reduces maintenance and development costs if others also use their software in products or externally, and hence has a ROI. The BSD license does not really.
>>51959835
>Even if we discount servers and embedded applications Linux still have 1-2% market share depending on who you ask.
Market share means nothing when the OS is entirely free. There really is no accurate way to measure how many people use Linux as a daily driver.
>>51961603
This pointless discussion would be avoided if people just called it GNU/Linux like it should be. Android is Linux, because it uses the Linux kernel. Android is not GNU/Linux, because it doesn't use the GNU userland. Any questions?
>>51962494
Google has published figures about how many Androids are activated / approximately in use by what they see, haven't they?
Those are people's daily drivers. They run Linux. They just aren't GNU/Linux.
Also, various incomplete metrics about the web's servers reported / guessed OS exist. The web's user base is mostly served by Linux machines (big websites and clouds and stuff => Linux), and probably like 80% of the web is hosted on Linux.
>>51961424
>Linux confirmed for having more market share than Vista
2016 YEAR OF THE LINUX DESKTOP
>>51960945
>implying I execute third-party javascript
>>51962573
> YEAR OF THE LINUX DESKTOP
No. But we've been in the years of the Linux (Android) personal computers since approximately 2012 or so.
Yes, for *more general* personal computing, humans have been spending a lot more time on Android in 2015 than on Windows. Linux is dominant on both ends of what people usually do, too (the Android client OS, and the Linux server OS).
>>51958899
>huge
>popular
I love how everyone here on /g/ think you're actually serious.
>>51961424
It's better then NT and Vista so it be be awesome!
>>51959786
Nope.jpg
>>51960136
You mean before he dies.
>>51962417
>At the end of the day, they achieve the same thing.
Nope, monolithic kernels achieve existence, unlike microkernels.
Americlaps were too poor to buy Windows and too stupid /afraid to torrent it so they went over the edge
is linux monolithic or the other whatsitcalled?
>except for games
You mean the only thing that actually matters? This is why GNU plus Linux will never be relevant ever. It is developed by and for literal autists whose concept of fun is compiling codeand getting 0.01% marginal efficiency and then bragging about it on circlejerk usenet forums. When everyone else's concept of fun is games.
You know it, I know it, everybody knows it. The only thing holding Windows afloat is games, because that's honestly the only thing it has over Linux. Yet elitist Linuxautists pretend that games don't matter.
Sad really.
>>51963826
oh look someone turned out 14 finally
also what is steamOS
>>51963877
>steam OS
Really now?
>>51963898
what ? the biggest game distribution platform is acknowledging linux and that doesnt matter? It only takes one big player to make step , the others will follow
>>51961509
That's some old, abandoned shit that doesn't alter the statistics in the slightest.
The fact remains that for all practical purposes, android is Linux-based. There is no such thing as a perfectly functioning android version that runs without Linux.
>>51961656
Don't be a stupid faggot that can't tell a kernel apart from a processor architecture
>>51959969
>what is every big company that generates and manipulates big data
>>51959786
then you have no idea
>>51958899
>Free as in freedom
>many distros from ones that work out of the box to ones that let you customize literally everything including the kernel behavior. And everything in between
>Systems often run smoother than windows does, including faster boot times
>able to customize the appearance to make it look as bad as windows or as good as mac if not way better
>Huge variety of software (WMs, DEs, file managers, etc) so your environment truly becomes your own
>It's interesting to tech minded people, a linux power user has more freedom than a windows power user
>People are sick of Microsofts shit and want an alternative
>it's free as in price as well
>fairly easy and straight forward to install, getting easier every year
You could argue that gnu/linux is objectively better than windows. The only thing windows has at this point is decent proprietary software that a lot of big institutions feel obligated to use. Take that away and there are dozens of distros that would replace it.
>>51958899
Because people get tired of Windows and OSX. Simple as that.
In the 70s to 80s BSD was the shit. In the late 80s early 90s AT&T was broken up and they wanted to take over computers so they sued the two groups funding the development of BSD, the university of Berkeley and BSDi. Due to the ongoing lawsuit people who wanted to use and contribute to something Unix-y were driven to other open source projects and Linus just happened to be making an open source operating system kernel so they mostly went to work on that. The GNU project had already existed for like 10-15 years so there was already a fairly mature userland available so the devs ported the linux kernel to gnu and gnu/linux took off.