Comment by cpsns
4 years ago
> Year of Linux desktop!
After buying a chromebook a month ago I am completely convinced this came a few years ago and no one paid any attention as it wasn't the vision they had of the Linux desktop.
I was blown away by how nice ChromeOS is to use, how seamless everything is, and how well Crostini (I think it's called this) works at running Linux programs. ChromeOS is honestly the single best Linux experience I have ever had.
> After buying a chromebook a month ago I am completely convinced this came a few years ago and no one paid any attention as it wasn't the vision they had of the Linux desktop.
I noticed but I don't think this is a satisfactory Linux Desktop. It goes against many stuff Linux Desktop proponents could be fighting for, mainly privacy and controlling one's computing. The main point of the Chromebook is to make your computer a thin client to run your computing on Google's servers. I think computing should go the opposite way. It's fast and has no virus though.
As for the market share, I know nobody with a Chromebook around me, I don't think it's a big thing where I am.
As someone who used ChromeOS for a year or so, I think its kinda cool that mainstream people are using Linux, but 1: They don't know they are using Linux. Most users dont even know what Linux is. 2: Not open source. 3: Not privacy respecting.
ChromeOS counts the same way that MacOS being popular means that "Year of BSD desktop" has already happened.
Technically true, but not what is meant by that term.
Given that Linux mode is a directly supported feature of ChromeOS, I think it gets a little bit murky. A consumer grade device with Debian Buster/10 I can just run Emacs on? True it's not the Ubuntu+Gnome running natively future we wanted in our desktop domination (though Dell and System76 and Framework will sell you one of those these days), but Chromebooks aren't this totally locked down bastardized single-app technicall Linux device with that feature. Chromebooks also now run Android apps too.
https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9145439?hl=en
Eg Instructions on how to run Firefox on ChromeOS with Linux mode
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/run-firefox-chromeos
If 99% of people don't know what Linux is, and don't use Linux mode, should it really count? Most people just use what is essentially a browser that can also run Android apps.
2 replies →
fair enough, I do think it's arguable that users of ChromeOS would regularly do that, but I get your point.
Also, I had a System76 laptop for work once and absolutely loved it. I tried to buy it when I left, but they weren't happy about my reasons for leaving and refused to do so.