Linux desktop environments - Misplaced Pages

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Desktop Linux, also Linux on the desktop, is the application of the GNU/Linux operating system on a desktop computer.

History

Historically, UNIX and other Unix-like operating systems have been utilized on servers, mainframes, and workstations in corporate or scientific environments.

Beginning in the latter 90's, a few Linux distribution companies, such as MandrakeSoft, began to advertise their systems for low-end desktop computers. However, it was not until Apple released the first version of Mac OS X, a UNIX-like system, that Linux began to be seen as a serious alternative to Microsoft's Windows operating system on desktop computers, in both corporate and home environments.

Since the turn of the 21st century, a growing number of Linux, and even BSD-based, distributions have originated with a dedication to the desktop market. Perhaps the most famous/popular of these distributions, as of 2007, is Canonical's Ubuntu distribution.

Advantages

There are none. Stick with Windows and get your work done ffs. Being a zealot about a friggin operating system is sad.

Disadvantages

Plenty. No Steam support for one.

Installation

Main article: Linux

The experience of installing a Linux distribution on a desktop computer varies from person to person as well as from distribution to distribution. While a number of ways to use a Desktop Linux distribution exist, the barriers of entry remain high for many speculative users.

Year of Desktop Linux

Since at least 2001, a meme known as "(year) will be the year of Linux on the Desktop" has been published by a number of tech-related magazines, referring to the prior year's experiences of supposed "gains" for Linux adoption by business corporations; these gains can vary in reason, such as the installation of a Linux distribution onto 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 usages on desktop Linux distributions, or the pre-installation of specific Linux distributions onto personal computers being sold by PC manufacturers such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, or other corporations. The meme, which is used on an annual basis, has been roundly criticized as redundant and overreaching.

External links

Category:

Linux