Most servers around the world run Linux. The same goes for almost all supercomputers. That’s astonishing in a capitalist world where absolutely everything is commodified. Why can’t these big tech companies manage to sell their own software to server operators or supercomputers? Why is an open, free project that is free for users so superior here?
To which my first thought is: who cares, because almost no normies are buying desktop computers any more. I say that as a desktop OS user.
It’s not a popular observation around here but the facts are stubborn. I so wish we nerds would wake up, put our own personal experience aside, and concentrate our energies on how to bring FOSS to the mobile platform. Going forwards, it’s all that will count. It’s already all that counts.
Mobile is not all that counts. I don’t know anyone without at least one laptop or desktop in the house (typically more) and gamers alone contribute more billions of $$ to entertainment than sports and movies combined. There’s hundreds of millions of normal people who are still using MicroSlop Windows which has turned into a surveilance nightmare almost as bad as mobile platforms simply because it’s the lowest effort/barrier to entry (pre-installed).
I absolutely want to concentrate energy on FOSS on mobile - with you there, but Steam Proton has made gaming so simple on Linux and the last 10 years of quality of life OS/Kernel improvements means FOSS can already compete on “desktop” and win. I"m saying don’t dismiss it because if you can prove to people they can have a bulletproof and seemless experience for FREE without having to pay subscriptions and get privacy in the deal, they are more apt to consider a Linux phone (assuming it works).
P.S. I should also mention that most everything we improve or build for desktop Linux can be used on mobile (within mobile plat limitations). Win hearts and minds where you can - Linux isn’t just for servers.
This is, sadly, the response I was bracing for. You are in a bubble. The rest of the world, certainly outside the US middle class, looks absolutely nothing like your life. The numbers are clear. Outside of offices, computing now means Android and almost nothing else (yes that includes iOS).
I don’t understand the hostility, nor the downvotes to my original point. You’re going sideways a bit trying to deliver your message to a captive and mostly agreable audience where I was attempting to answer OP’s question asking for insider information about why all the servers and supercomputers run Linux and pivot into adoption and advocation for Linxu in general.
I agree that we need to embrace FOSS on mobile. I’d LOVE to have a viable Linux-distro phone that actuall works. I spend money and effort in this space, already. The vast majority of the world gets connecitivity via mobile devices. I know that and probably most in this community do too. My original point (heavily downvoted in a linux sub of all things) is that Linux IS READY and can WIN the desktop. That’s it… that’s all. Yet it seems you’ve taken umbrage that I didn’t agree with you 100%. In fact, we could really just consider linux on mobile as a smaller desktop with more input constraints and a smaller screen + need to utilize mobile radios properly (this is typically the hard part to open source). And I agreed with most of your statement, correcting on one point that implied Linux was only suitable for Servers. Which is a bit ironic because to win mobile it HAS to win on the desktop. Steam and stable / high UX distros have made this actually viable in the last 2-3 years where Windows users can migrate with the lightest of disruption and capability yet get all the resiliency, security and privacy.
You’re not winning anyone over with the attitude. I don’t get the edgelord response like I personally affronted you for having a nuanced interpretation. Geninuinely asking - what makes you think attacking me with your italicized ad hominim is working, especially when it’s the hottest of takes? Are you getting out your anger on someone? Makes you feel like you’re “winning” a comment thread on a tiny internet forum? Who hurt you, man! :-) In all seriousness, in the real world, we’d likely be chattering on about this over a beer, so I truly don’t get it.
Happy to continue the conversation, in the hope we can find common ground. Not everyone’s an idiot because they don’t agree with you 100% or see things from another angle. In fact, I’d like to discuss this:
Firstly, chill, it wasn’t meant to be personal, sorry if the tone was hostile.
I was addressing you as an avatar of something I see a lot here (perhaps to be expected) and that frustrates me: a well-intentioned, probably very intelligent geek who talks earnestly about something (desktop computing) that I believe is now all but irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. It frustrates me because the irrelevance seems obvious to me - from the stats, from looking around me in everyday life. And because every day we waste talking about desktop OS is a day lost in the already losing battle to save free computing.
PS: I didn’t downvote you. I don’t downvote, as a matter of principle.
OK and no worries - try not to let your frustration turn into hostility with likely allies and potential converts. BTW, I realize that I do the same when I’m ultra passionate about something and think I’m 100% right so I am aware and struggle at times to retain positivity. It’s like a full time job! LOL
I still disagree about the relevancy as clearly outlined in our chat, but I absolutely recognize your perspective (you’re largely correct) and the need to push into mobile being paramount. I hope my points about leveraging desktop, gaming, and QoL improvement wins we already have are able to temper your frustration by influencing from another view. I think we largely want the same things here - I guess I’m just cautioning that we should use every lever we have to build FOSS’s future even if the “now” is already mobile. Certainly when someone reaches out to this fine community asking a “why” question, giving us all an opportunity to be welcoming and educating. All the best, lemmy friend.
What a generous and thoughtful post.
Having a PC is also very mainstream in the EU. What you’re describing aligns with my understanding of how things are in the global south.
With respect, I think this view is really quite out of touch.
About the Global South, we agree. Most people there have never seen a PC and never will. Already, the Global South is most of the world. The combined population of Europe and North America, i.e. the whole West, is now less than 10% of the world population.
But beyond that, who are these “mainstream” people you see buying PCs for personal use in the West, today, beyond students (PS: and gamers)? What are they buying them for when you now do literally anything on a mobile OS with more convenience (and indeed the mobile OS is increasingly a requirement)? Do you really think that in, say, 5 years, the obvious trend will have spontaneously gone into reverse?
I don’t want any of this to be true either, but true it patently is.
According to Eurostat, a majority of people in most EU countries used a laptop or desktop computer to access the internet in 2025.
I disagree with this claim. Some things are more convenient on mobile operating systems than desktop operating systems, but small screens and the lack of physical keyboards are significant limitations.
Alright! I’m with you! Where do we start? I’m serious!
Buy a Linux phone: pinephone, librem, jolla. Then developers will build apps for the platform
Which one do you personally own? Do you recommend it?
Edit: I see that Jolla is in a preorder state.
I’m running a volla Quintus. It’s a bit pricey, but is made within Europe, and offers a preloaded Ubuntu touch option.
It does everything perfectly in terms of what you need a phone for, and can load waydroid; which is essentially an android VM for any apks you can’t do without.
I did order a Jolla phone, but ended up cancelling the order after 10 weeks or so, as I never received any updates even after attempting contact. I didn’t necessarily have a bad experience, it was just a non starter in my eyes, but can’t recommend them due to their infancy as a production firm; they’re already drowning under the demand they have, which doesn’t bode well for future development (imo ofc).
Conversely, I was able to pay for my Quintus with IBAN (avoiding visa & MasterCard’s cuts.) and it arrived in the UK from Germany after around 4-5 days.
As for the user experience, Ubuntu touch does everything you need it to do; I can make phone calls, text people, but it is very light on the app side; you won’t find native apps for stuff like Facebook or WhatsApp etc… but open source software tends to be more prevalent; an example being the cinny app I use to connect to my matrix server (which I use as a replacement for WhatsApp due to privacy concerns; but that’s a whole different conversation).
The big thing holding Linux phones back (and de-googled android like LineageOS for example) is the lack of banking applications. I don’t know of a bank that offers their own apks, which makes loading them via waydroid pretty impossible too. I’m in the process of switching banks to one of the few remaining UK banks that still offer web based banking to navigate around this; but until mass adoption occurs, I doubt it’s a situation that will change much.
Thank you for this thorough reply!