| Revision as of 13:25, 26 February 2013 editAddbot (talk | contribs)Bots2,838,809 editsm Bot: Migrating 6 interwiki links, now provided by Wikidata on d:q255188 (Report Errors)← Previous edit |
Latest revision as of 17:20, 3 January 2022 edit undoIAmChaos (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers14,335 edits section was split into new articleTag: Redirect target changed |
| (44 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown) |
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
|
|
#REDIRECT ] |
|
{{Infobox |
|
|
|
|
|
|title = Desktop Linux |
|
|
|
{{Rcat shell| |
|
|image = ] |
|
|
|
{{R to section}} |
|
|caption = The ] desktop environment, a popular Linux desktop environment |
|
|
}} |
|
}} |
|
|
|
|
'''Desktop Linux''', also called '''Linux on the desktop''', refers to specialized ]s with features designed for desktop ] users. These features include a graphical user interface and personal use applications. |
|
|
|
|
|
Some Linux distributions have targeted the desktop role specifically, while others include all the software available for the platform. In that case, the user will be given the choice to select either a "desktop" or "server" type when the operating system is installed. |
|
|
|
|
|
== History == |
|
|
{{See also|History of free software#Desktop}} |
|
|
Historically, ] and other ] operating systems have been utilized on ], ], and ]s in corporate or scientific environments. Beginning in the late 90s, a few ] companies, such as ], began to advertise their systems for low-end desktop computers. |
|
|
|
|
|
== Desktop environments == |
|
|
] desktop environment]] |
|
|
Linux offers many desktop alternatives. Common desktop environments include ], ], ], ], ] and ]. These are collections of desktop programs, rather than bare bones ] such as ], ] amongst numerous others. These environments present a ] using a ]. All of these environments allow the user to set many personal preferences and to perform common system management tasks. The ] window manager expands upon the concept of having multiple desktops by rendering each of the user's two dimensional desktops on the surface of a three dimensional cube. The variety of desktop environments is sometimes criticized for splintering focus and creating incompatibilities; the ] project works on improving interoperability between the different environments. |
|
|
|
|
|
All Linux desktop applications use the ] and thus benefit from features like networking (remote display) and quick mouse-only ]. Mouse selected text is automatically copied, and it can then be pasted using a middle click, without the need to resort to use of the keyboard.<ref name="About">{{cite web|url = http://linux.about.com/library/bl/open/newbie/blnewbie4.3.10.htm|title = Linux Newbie Administrator FAQ: X-Windows|accessdate = 2008-05-13|last = About, Inc|authorlink = |year = 2008}}</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
=== History and criticism === |
|
|
{{Main|Criticism of desktop Linux}} |
|
|
KDE was the first advanced desktop environment, but it was controversial due to the proprietary Qt toolkit used.<ref name=KDEvGNOME2007>]. (2007). . '']''.</ref> GNOME was developed as an alternative due to licensing questions.<ref name=KDEvGNOME2007/> The two use a different underlying toolkit and thus involve different programming, and are sponsored by two different groups, German nonprofit ] and the United States nonprofit ]. |
|
|
|
|
|
As of April 2007, one journalist estimated that KDE had 65% of market share versus 26% for GNOME.<ref name=KDEvGNOME2007/> In January 2008, KDE 4 was released prematurely with bugs, driving users to GNOME.<ref name=UserRevolt>Byfield B. (2011). . ''Datamation''.</ref> GNOME 3, released in April 2011, was called an "unholy mess" by ] due to its controversial design changes.<ref>. ''The Register''.</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
Dissatisfaction with GNOME 3 led to a fork, ], which is developed primarily by ] developer Clement LeFebvre. This restores the more traditional desktop environment with marginal improvements. |
|
|
|
|
|
The relatively well-funded distribution Ubuntu designed (and released in June 2011) another user interface called ] which is radically different from the conventional desktop environment and has been criticized as having various flaws<ref>. ''OMG Ubuntu''.</ref> and lacking configurability.<ref>. ''OMG Ubuntu''.</ref> The motivation was a single desktop environment for desktops and tablets, although as of November 2012 Unity has yet to be used widely in tablets. |
|
|
|
|
|
== Applications == |
|
|
]]] |
|
|
Most Linux distributions provide a ], such as ] or ], for browsing a list of thousands of ] applications that have already been tested and configured for a specific distribution. These free programs can be downloaded and installed with one mouse click.<ref name="Debian01">{{cite web|url = http://wiki.debian.org/Synaptic|title = Debian Wiki - Synaptic|accessdate = 2008-10-11|last = Debian|authorlink = |year = 2008|month = May}}</ref> A digital signature guarantees that the program was not modified after the download package was created and the ] automatically tracks and installs updates as they become available.<ref name="Debian02">{{cite web|url = http://wiki.debian.org/SecureApt|title = Debian Wiki - secure apt|accessdate = 2008-10-11|last = Debian|authorlink = |year = 2008|month = September}}</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
Besides the free Windows compatibility layer ], most distributions offer ] and ] for running both Linux and Windows on the same computer. |
|
|
|
|
|
== Year of Desktop Linux == |
|
|
|
|
|
Since at least 2000, articles declaring that ''"20XX will be the year of Linux on the desktop"'' or ''"year of the Linux desktop"'' (YoLD) have been published by a number of tech-related magazines and websites. This refers to an expected breakthrough in ] by business corporations and personal users. The reasons for these forecast gains include the installation of a Linux distribution on the desktops of workers for organizations or companies who may not be immediately or otherwise involved in the computing industry, or the acceleration of development for specific applications which find their greatest use on desktop Linux distributions. It can also refer to a breakthrough in the number of pre-installed Linux distributions on ]s being sold by PC manufacturers such as ] and ].<ref name="MaximumPC">{{cite web |url = http://www.maximumpc.com/article/2008_year_of_the_linux_desktop |title = 2008: Year of the Linux Desktop |accessdate = 2008-05-23 |last = Strohmeyer |first = Robert |authorlink = |year = 2007 |month = June}}</ref><ref name="AYSiu">{{cite web |url = http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntucat/the-linux-desktop-myth/ |title = The Linux Desktop Myth |accessdate = 2008-08-31|last = Siu|first = A.Y. |authorlink = |year = 2006|month = July}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=NVHVS3SP4QWBIQSNDLRSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=201807072&pgno=1&queryText=&isPrev=|title=7 Reasons Why Linux Won't Succeed On The Desktop |last=Wolfe |first=Alexander |date=2007-09-19 |publisher=Information Week |accessdate=2009-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9911/19/comdex.linux.idg/index.html |work=CNN |title=Comdex: Linux, Linux everywhere |date=1999-11-18 |accessdate=2010-05-01}}</ref><ref>http://www.pcworld.com/article/13908/linux_linux_everywhere.html</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
== Performance == |
|
|
The performance of Linux on the desktop has been a controversial topic, with at least one Linux kernel developer, ], accusing the Linux community of favouring performance on servers. He quit Linux development because he was frustrated with this lack of focus on the desktop, and then gave a 'tell all' interview on the topic.<ref>{{cite web|title=Linux: why I quit|url=http://apcmag.com/node/6735/|accessdate=2008-01-18|date=2007-07-24|work=APC Magazine|publisher=ACP Magazines}}</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
Other sources, such as mainstream press ] disagree with this assessment that there has not been enough focus on desktop Linux, saying in December 2007: |
|
|
|
|
|
<blockquote>...Linux has swiftly become popular in small businesses and the home...That’s largely the doing of Gutsy Gibbon, the code-name for the ] 7.10 from ]. Along with distributions such as ], ], ], ] and ], Ubuntu (and its siblings ], ] and ]) has smoothed most of Linux’s geeky edges while polishing it for the desktop...It’s now simpler to set up and configure than Windows.<ref name="Economist">{{cite news|url = http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10410912|title = Technology in 2008|accessdate = 2008-05-06|last = Economist.com|authorlink = |year = 2007|month = December|work=The Economist}}</ref></blockquote> |
|
|
|
|
|
== Measuring adoption == |
|
|
{{Main|Linux adoption}} |
|
|
Measuring the adoption of Linux on the desktop is a difficult proposition and has caused controversy as to how many users there actually are.<ref name="Schestowitz">{{cite web|url = http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/12068_3687616_1|title = Can Linux Adoption Ever be Accurately Gauged?|accessdate = 2008-05-23|last = Schestowitz|first = Roy|authorlink = |year = 2007|month = July}}</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
As Linux systems are typically downloaded, copied and distributed for free, the usual methods of tracking sales numbers do not apply in gauging numbers of Linux desktop users. This use of website counters to identify operating systems also does not produce reliable numbers, due to such factors as:<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
|
|
|
|
|
*individual websites do not attract a representative sample, due to their content.<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
|
|
*spoofing of addresses.<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
|
|
*problems tagging identification strings as to Linux or even distribution results in high numbers of "unknown operating system".<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
|
|
*identifying computers that operate from behind proxies.<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
|
|
*the multiplying effects of ]s which tend to create the illusion of more insecure PCs, running Windows systems.<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
|
|
*the fact that not all PCs are connected to the internet and used for web browsing.<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
|
|
*one download could result in none or whole site installations |
|
|
|
|
|
== See also == |
|
|
{{Portal|Free software}} |
|
|
{{Misplaced Pages-Books|Desktop Linux}} |
|
|
* ] |
|
|
* ] |
|
|
|
|
|
==References== |
|
|
|
|
|
{{Reflist|2}} |
|
|
|
|
|
==External links== |
|
|
* |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
{{Linux}} |
|
|
|
|
|
] |
|