Clickbaity title on the original article, but I think this is the most important point to consider from it:
After getting to 1% in approximately 2011, it took about a decade to double that to 2%. The jump from 2% to 3% took just over two years, and 3% to 4% took less than a year.
Get the picture? The Linux desktop is growing, and it’s growing fast.
Article doesn’t actually explain what distribution people are downloading and installing. How do we know it isn’t the growth of SteamOS and the Steam Deck driving this?
SteamOS is also linux desktop, so I’d expect it to be included.
Don’t Steam Decks get counted as SteamOS?
Right and so is Android but we don’t consider people with an Android phone to be “Linux users” even though they’re technically using Linux.
SteamOS is straight up x86 gnu/Linux (immutable arch based)
Android while still Linux based has many differences
Yes but what I’m getting at here is much more cultural than technical. While we all applaud the growth of Linux that doesn’t necessarily translate into more people who are actually “Linux users” like the type of folks who would join this community.
Someone who simply runs SteamOS on a computer or handheld just so they can play games (basically a game console) doesn’t actually care that they’re running Linux and doesn’t actually learn anything about Linux, so I wouldn’t consider them a Linux user anymore than I would for an Android user.
By your logic people who only use Windows to game aren’t Windows users.
This is a stupid purity test you’re running on.
I’d argue that Android is not a desktop OS, but SteamOS is.