GNU/Linux and FLOSS Growth at Robert Pogson

Despite the popular “web stats” (which show something but it’s not adoption of operating systems) GNU/Linux and FLOSS continue to eat into the dominance of that other OS and non-FREE software on desktops and servers. Where GNU/Linux is offered to consumers, it is bought. Many organizations large and small now use GNU/Linux.

“It wasn’t just five years ago, the percentage of Linux being used in business was around 1%. When you made claims of growth, not one person in IT would listen. But as everyone knows, the landscape of IT changes faster than most. One minute you’re staring down the barrel of extinction and the next you’re being hoisted atop the shoulders of business claiming you a hero.”

see Driving forces behind Linux and open source growth | TechRepublic.

Jack Wallen touches on some large forces but there are many others:

Canonical’s liaisons with OEMs like DELL which has actual salesmen and retail shelves,
IBM which serves many large businesses and organizations providing technical support for migration and operation, eliminating an important barrier to adoption by business,
Governments’ budgetary problems which are partially solved by using FLOSS for operating systems and desktops/notebooks/tablets/smart phones,
Governments getting together to solve problems of IT, cutting out single sources of supply which charge arbitary prices, and
last, but not least, GNU/Linux adoption in schools, primary, secondary and tertiary, solving the problem of shortage of knowledge globally and spreading influence of FLOSS mindshare into organizations large and small, even homes.

In short, GNU/Linux is a cooperative project of the world and no non-FREE machinations can hold it back. Knowledge is free and while money and promotion by non-FREE businesses like M$ can keep that other OS and non-FREE software on the playing field, it can no longer exclude FREE software. I recommend Debian GNU/Linux to those thinking to move to GNU/Linux on any kind of computer.

My Mission

My observations and opinions about IT are based on 40 years of use in science and technology and lately, in education. I like IT that is fast, cost-effective and reliable. I do not care whether my solution is the same as yours. I like to think for myself.

My first use of GNU/Linux in 2001 was so remarkably better than what I had been using, I feel it is important work to share GNU/Linux with the world. I have been blessed by working in schools where students and school systems have benefited by good, modular software easily installed in most systems.

I have shown GNU/Linux to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers over the years and will continue in some way doing that until I die in spite of the opposition.

1 Response to “GNU/Linux and FLOSS Growth”

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1 ram Dec 9th, 2012 at 10:10 pm

Five years ago GNU/Linux had much more than a few percent of the business market. Almost all my customers were already using Linux then, and now virtually all of them use only Linux.

While my customer set is not the ‘consuming public’ it does represent a good cross section of the minerals exploration and development sector, and also of the professional media creation sector.