I will define 2020 as the first year of the Linux desktop
Filed under #100daysToOffload and #linux
Depending on your definition you might argue against it – Linux only desktops are still a minority for example – but here are my arguments for why it is:
- All ordinary Windows installations now comes with the option of running WSL, and it is now really seamless and really fast!
- It is trivial to set up VS Code to develop in the Linux machine and with WSL2 it gives you the performance boost you are used to if you are used to Linux.
- Chromebooks are Linux based and can run Linux software.
- IT at work is supportive and goes out of their way to support it.
- Customers have stopped asking questions long time ago.
- And finally: I have seen developers starting to use Linux machines for a few years already. It kind of reminds me of how it felt like when devs started to adopt Macs around 2005/2006 or so when Ruby on Rails became popular. And just like when Macs became popular, mainstream adoption seems to follow: I've already seen a sales guy running Ubuntu Linux (by his own choice) over a year ago. Finally the reason why I'm writing this now is that I've recently realized that people can present using Teams from a Linux desktop in a meeting, and it Just Works™ and nobody thinks it is strange at all.
(BTW: I should note that howtogeek announced the Year of Linux on the Desktop in May 2019](https://www.howtogeek.com/414036/2019-is-the-year-of-linux-on-the-desktop/), but it seems to me nobody noticed including me so I try again this year.)