Dubbed the “Kinetic Kudu,” Ubuntu 22.10 is here with the latest and greatest GNOME 43 desktop environment by default (yes, with support for GTK4 apps), which comes with numerous new features and enhancements for fans of the GNOME/Ubuntu desktop, yet the look and feel remain unchanged from previous releases.
[…]The default audio server is PipeWire instead of PulseAudio with WirePlumber as the default session/policy manager. Kinetic Kudu also ships with an up-to-date toolchain and subsystem consisting of GCC 12, GNU C Library 2.36, GNU Binutils 2.39, systemd 251.4, Mesa 22.2, Netplan 0.105, LLVM 15, Poppler 22.08, CUPS 2.4, BlueZ 5.65, Unicode 15, NetworkManager 1.40, as well as debuginfod support and an updated AppArmor component that now lets sysadmins restrict access to unprivileged user namespaces.
While I’m personally not really using Ubuntu itself anymore, my gaming PC is still running Linux Mint, meaning I will still benefit from this new release. Ubuntu is still massively popular despite stumbles over the years, and countless popular distributions are all based on it.
It’s weird that less than 1% of “desktop” users chose to use Ubuntu. It is just inexcusable.
Geck,
Linux popularity is heavily dependent on demographic. It’s very widely used by developers. TBH even for gaming, I actually think it’s impressive that more than one in a hundred steam users are on linux:
https://itsfoss.com/linux-market-share/
Why take offense to other people’s choices? Shouldn’t it be enough to be able to use the OS that makes you happy without sitting in judgement of others?
Any stats with the breakdown of Linux distributions?
adkilla,
A big part of the problem is that web browsers are programmed to report “linux” but not specific distros. So while there’s a large pool of corroborating evidence for “windows” versus “linux” versus “macos” from tons of sources, there’s a lack of information for further subdivision about linux distros…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems
There are some sources that publish linux distro popularity by assuming page hits about a distro equate to the distro’s popularity, but I feel that such metrics are extremely questionable. It’s subject to fraud, and even if the hits aren’t manipulated, equating page hits on a niche website to popularity is very flawed.
https://www.tecmint.com/top-most-popular-linux-distributions/
According to the distrowatch data, “MX Linux” is the most popular distro, more than ubuntu and fedora combined, which is a joke.
Here’s another take on distro market shares that combines different sources…
“Top Linux Subcategories by Market Share”
https://truelist.co/blog/linux-statistics/
These numbers seem quite plausible to me, but it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of cherry picking data based on how well it aligns with what I expected the data to be. I’d really like to see more independent corroborating data, but it’s hard to come by. If pressed, that last link is probably what I would source, but I find it somewhat difficult to put forward distro numbers that are authoritative and directly comparable.
It’s OK to be vocal. When other people are doing stupid things. That is what great people do. They don’t keep silent. And no it’s not impressive that one in a hundred chose to use Ubuntu. It’s like saying it’s impressive one in a hundred still drinks water. It is really not. On top of that saying it’s due to the choice. It is really not. Unless you are saying ignorance is a bliss.
Geck,
Honestly though you have no moral nor practical standing on what’s best for others. What you are doing is not objective, it is highly judgemental and it certainly comes across that way to the people you are judging. I say this as a fan of linux myself: the elitist attitude was a huge turn off for me, one that I had to overcome before deciding to join the linux community. If you want to be helpful, welcoming, and encouraging for people to try alternatives, then that’s great…do that! But back off on the judgement, no one needs it nor benefits from it.
But to call people stupid for using and preferring a different OS is not only insulting and wrong, it is itself a stupid argument. It burdens the rest of the FOSS & linux community with accusations that all of us are elitist assholes, which is also untrue but it’s terribly unhelpful when some keep adding fuel to that fire.
https://www.osnews.com/story/135335/microsoft-releases-windows-11-22h2-formally-dubbed-the-2022-update/#comment-10426041
That’s not actually what I said. You can dismiss this if you like, but as a developer I actually feel linux has made and is making huge strides. And even though I’m not a gamer, I feel linux has made huge strides there too. When I grew up linux gaming simply was not viable, but now many popular titles are on linux…and not mere hacks but legitmately supported. To me, this is very impressive! I don’t worry about my kids feeling excluded for having a linux desktop; they can play many of the same titles that windows users have.
Most of us will have experienced a real lack of choice at some point. I am critical of things like forced bundling and vendor locking, which are absolutely real problems that we need to stay vigilant for. Raise awareness of it, speak out against the companies doing it and become a true champion for choice…but this implies actually respecting people’s choices, otherwise it’s just disingenuous.
Don’t be ignorant. That is don’t chose to be ignorant. And don’t spend your precious time on internet trying to convince others to be ignorant too. It’s stupid and inexcusable.
Geck,
Ignorant and stupid how exactly? I for one don’t think giving respect to others is ignorant and stupid. If anything I actually believe authoritarianism where people insist on imposing their own views upon others is the greater evil for society.
@Alfman
It’s like saying you can only talk about bad effects of smoking and be vocal about it. But you must do nothing that would enforce changes. The same in regards to environment, or …. You are a tad to idealistic in this regard. Aren’t you? Or maybe you are just wrong on this one? On top of that a lot of people claim if Microsoft will abuse their position to enforce something. We will totally switch to GNU/Linux. But they never do. And Microsoft more or less always goes through with it. What this people hence are actually asking is. Please somebody enforce GNU/Linux on us. Hence best to do just that. Help them. As that is the right thing to do. It’s not like Windows was about a free choice.
Geck,
We’re talking about operating systems though; It’s not wrong or bad for people to have different OS preferences. Use whatever suits you and that’s that. We have no moral authority over others especially for operating systems of all things. If you think that you do that is religious zealotry, and I want no part in it.
You can’t be better than that which you object to by doing it yourself.
@Alfman
It’s not enough is one person stops smoking. The goal is for majority of people to stop smoking. If they want it or not. As this indeed is a debate about operating systems. I agree that Microsoft with Windows doesn’t have to exit the market. But the share of GNU/Linux on desktop should be higher in 2022. That is when Ubuntu was first released in 2004. At that time one could argue that situation in regards to graphic drivers, drivers in general, gaming, general software support … was lacking. But this got resolved and is not a problem anymore today. GNU/Linux on desktop still being at around 1%. That is just inexcusable. Arguing that free choice will ever resolve this is naive. Current situation comes down to abuse. Not choice. This needs to get corrected. I don’t really care how. But if nothing else will get done then to enforce GNU/Linux on desktop by quotas. And to increase the share by at least ten times in short period of time. Saying this must not be done. Well. You will just have to cope with it in the end. Somehow. Forced to use GNU/Linux on desktop and having root access. Just like the rest of whiners incapable to make this chose by themself. Depending on others to choose for them.
Geck,
If you were a dictator you could do that, but I am glad it’s only a fantasy in your head.
We need to press for fair changes that balance the field, like a end to forced bundling. Taking away choice and forcing your will on others is no utopia and is the antithesis of FOSS.
Quotas are accepted as modern and democratic tool for tackling abusive market and society situations and practices. The key goal here is to do a market correction and increase the share of GNU/Linux on desktop and decrease the share of Windows. I don’t see on how your proposal on preventing bundling could achieve that. And on how you can claim that preserving Windows monopoly could be considered fair and to balance the field. Your proposals just prolongs current dystopia. You are in the end a supporter of Microsoft dictate. Hence if you are OK with Microsoft dictate i do imagine you will cope just fine. Confronted with a bit of that from GNU/Linux on desktop camp too. When the field will get even. Instead of current situation where you basically support Microsoft in their abusive practices. And claim but GNU/Linux on desktop must not result to that. It must be by free choice. Whatever that really is. Like lets say one company would pump sugar in your kid and you would just watch that indefinitely. As you would claim the kid must say when it’s enough. Until then the company can continue to do that. Any nobody must do anything to prevent that. As that would be dictatorship. Sure. Bottom line. The time has come for GNU/Linux on desktop to apply some force. For all the whiners with their excuses to give in. In my opinion it won’t take that much force.
Geck,
That is not the goal of a free market. Your goal seems to be a controlled market, the diametric opposite of a free market. From what you are saying I gather you don’t believe in free markets though. You only want a market that you personally control regardless of what others want or need. You hate when others want to control you by force, and I do as well, yet the philosophy you can come up with is to control them? Can you see the hypocrisy?
Let me ask you a broader question, what is your opinion of dictatorships and why?
If you want to refute my position then I ask you to at least get it strait because this is a straw man. I think I’ve been pretty clear that I want to level the playing field so that owners can choose which OS has the most merit for themselves without depriving them of choice & free will.
When saying free market. An idea of having a bunch of entities competing with similar product and for consumer to chose. Saying that this was ever intended for not to be regulated or controlled in some way or form. AFAIK that was never the case. There was always some level of regulation or control involved. On top of that it’s know from the start. If we are talking about western capitalism. That monopoly is number one thing that kills free market. Most often through abuse. Hence until it exist i don’t know to what choice you are referring to. And no wonder it doesn’t work doing it like that. It’s by design for it not to work. When doing it like that. All in all you will be pushed outside your comfort zone. That much is true. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. Not just in operating systems space. If i remember correctly you care about the environment. There too. You will be pushed outside your comfort zone. Until then don’t expect any real results. Most likely a lot of whining and finding excuses will be involved. But ultimately such choice will be made for you. You will only participate in it. It’s highly likely not you that will make the choice in the first place. Real beauty of the free market. Isn’t it?
Geck,
Sure, but good regulations empower owner freedoms and choice instead of stomping them as you’ve been proposing.
I agree, we haven’t been doing enough to curb abuse by dominant corporations and I think the public can generally agree on solutions that empower owner freedom. However I think it’s fair to say that when your solution is to explicitly strip owner rights, it comes off as tyrannical.
You ignored my question to you about dictators. I asked it because you are using the same justifications as dictators and I am curious whether you realize it.
If you are for free market. Then you are against monopolies. Claiming monopolies should be protected against dictators and tyrants. In my opinion you got this all wrong. But feel free to claim whatever is it you claim.
Geck,
That’s another straw man. In your continued misrepresentations of my position I’m left to conclude that you are doing this intentionally to mold me as a stereotype in your world view, but you are wrong. I do not endorse the tyranny of any side, regardless of if its from an old tyrant or a new one.
Geck, you see yourself as great, but really you’re acting like the the owner and cook on the Amy’s Baking Company episode of Kitchen Nightmares. Instead of looking for feedback and resolving problems, you’d rather verbally assault the public and ask experts to confirm you’re right. Life is far more like a restaurant than you like. The seats (market share) are empty because desktop Linux is still a bad product for the average person. Reality doesn’t work the other way around. If it were good, the market share would be higher. It’s not a chicken or egg paradox, it’s just bad and you don’t want to listen to complaints. The numbers themselves objectively prove it. (btw the “if it were just preinstalled” myth has been busted numerous times. E.g. Dell sells some developer models, but they clearly aren’t popular enough outside of the developer niche)
dark2,
Gosh, I can see that I’m going to get myself squeezed by both sides of this debate, but I cannot really agree with you either. Consider if you were to join a game of skill (monopoly, risk, chess, etc) mid-game, your skill can be outweighed by increasingly significant positive feedback loops whereby those on top gain such an advantage that they can comfortably stay in control even while playing worse than you. The same is true of normal markets. Market share and quality are two different metrics. You cannot prove one from the other.
I want to emphasize this is no excuse for “bad products”, however the fact remains that small players do face real catch-22 obstacles. Linux (and others) do experience these through no fault of their own.
@dark2
And then you go claiming GNU/Linux on desktop is still bad for an average person. In my opinion such people don’t have to be taken serious anymore in 2022. That is their opinion. You are entitled to it. That much is true. Beyond that it’s OK if such people are forced into using GNU/Linux in some form. Regardless if they do or don’t want to. For example doing a job in public library. And being forced to use Ubuntu 22.10. In my opinion that would be acceptable.
@Alfman
Yep. Squeezed.
Geck,
It stinks of hypocrisy.
This about that more logically. Employees who are neither owners nor decision makers are not the ones who are holding back adoption and are not the ones you need to convince.
Edit: “Think about that more logically.”
@Alfman
If you don’t take flat earth people seriously. In my opinion that is not hypocrisy. You know what is? On one hand defending Microsoft and their abusive practices. Suggesting solutions that will never work. And on the other hand saying if GNU/Linux on desktop changes their ways. To be more forceful. Going beyond being subjected to some whining and lame excuses. In gaining market share on desktop. For that to be the worse thing. In the end you will just have to cope with it. Just like you manage to do that with Windows. Life isn’t always fair.
Geck
This is a straw man. I do not defend abusive market practices. Given the context I have to say I wouldn’t defend abusive market practices from the linux side either.
I disagree with any moral standards that intentionally disregard people’s right to choose. However let’s step into what that would actually look like. You propose government quotas as your solution so how exactly does that work? It is not up to you. It’s up to politicians and ostensibly the electorate. Both of our political parties (at least in the US) are heavily controlled by corporations and many representatives will even own microsoft stock. So what is your pitch to them? Given your intention to explicitly overturn choice, it goes against western values and isn’t likely to land well in the public sphere. So what does your pitch look like? Why would a politician or voter go with your proposed market manipulation? And do you think the linux foundation would be able to beat microsoft at market manipulation, vendor locking, corruption, exclusivity agreements, etc? Bear in mind that microsoft would be able to sue to overturn policies that are unfair to them, so it would have to pass muster at the supreme court as well.
I think there are better ways to balance the playing field without turning linux into the enemy of freedom.
Maybe Microsoft will buy Canonical and abuse their monopoly position to force Ubuntu on people. Like currently with Windows. The situation at least won’t be worse. As for the politicians. Some bribery and lobbying for sure. But then again if all public services would need to have an install base of 20% or to lose a part of funding. If that is on how it works to achieve that. Why blame GNU/Linux for that? This is official procedure for public sector. How else would you reduce the share of Windows in public sector then? By choice? And Microsoft would let it with their existing apparatus and practices? It’s ugly but not doing anything for decades at all is worse.
Geck,
Yes, a true meritocracy would be best. Nobody should be forced to use anything (be it linux or windows), they should be allowed to use what is best for them and every platform needs to compete on merit rather than force & coercion!
To the extent that we have any strings to pull in the government, we should be calling for policies that promote meritocracy. And if we don’t have any strings to pull, then your market dictatorship solution is a non solution anyways.
Note that above i wrote bribery. Although the other side might result to such practices. I don’t feel this is strictly needed. And as for perception. Making Apple share schematics and spare parts. To use USB-C for charging. This was all done through legislation process. Otherwise Apple would never do it. And in the end is perceived positively. Despite the fact lobbying and politicians and legislation was involved. In the end this is modern and democratic approach. Contrary to your claims a dictator was involved. As for you relying GNU/Linux on desktop to penetrate public sector. By choice. That is like saying pigs can fly. First acknowledge there is a monopoly. Then acknowledge the fact when you have a monopoly there is no choice involved. Realistic option to get in public sector hence is through democratic process, politicians and legislation. Like with lets say Tesla and emission credits. Without that good luck in regards to meritocracy. And just for the record. I often found dictator alike persons when dealing with meritocratic structures. It’s quite common.
Geck,
There’s a stark distinction that you are glossing over. Using a democratic legislative process to promote owner rights is NOT the same as using it to strip owner rights.
I made no such claim. Are you putting words in my mouth on purpose or is there a simpler explanation? Are you not a native english speaker?
Because it’s Canonical. Friends don’t let friends use Canonical products. XD
No. Everyone should experience the pain and suffering which is Ubuntu. Half-baked ideas and broken updates are the only thing they know, and it binds them together. XD
Reality is Ubuntu is still the GNU/Linux distribution most suitable for general public.
Mint ?
@Kochise
Is it?
That would be Fedora.
But you’re probably correct. The general public likes their OS breaking after updates or upgrades. They’ve cracked the code of Window’s success! It’s shared trauma!
You have it backwards. It’s weird 1% of desktop users choose Ubuntu.
You’re correct in that, it’s inexcusable people choose to use Ubuntu.
XD
It’s true that in the 1% people are very opinionated.
For some reason, they are very confidently wrong. If it wanted to start a conspiracy, I’d say it’s MS behind the Ubuntustans as a way to discredit Linux as a consumer OS since it’s such a crap distro.
Or maybe Microsoft has a plan to force Ubuntu upon people. And to replace Windows. We’ll see.
How much do you get paid, by the way? I have some time, and I could shill a few hours a day to pick up some beer money.
You i guess could. But most people most often don’t.
Do you have a minute to talk about the Cult of Arch Linux? I mean, Church of Arch Linux.
No? Okay let me go ahead and tell you.
Arch Linux is an elite Linux distro for the elite Linux elite.
It is a light, simple, modern distributed operating system with a minimal and user-centered nature that allows you to customize and control the system a lot so elite users can customize different parts of the system creating an elite system for the elite Linux user while benefiting from an elite integrated system.
Have I mentioned this is for the elite? By using Arch Linux, you’ll be on your way to being elite. This is probably something you’re not getting from your current non-elite Linux distro, but you can get it from the elite Arch Linux distro which is designed to be elite for the elite by the elite.
I’ll leave some reading material here for you, and I’ll check back later to see if you have any questions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Linux
https://www.makeuseof.com/what-is-arch-linux/
https://itsfoss.com/why-arch-linux/
https://linuxgui.com/history-overview-of-arch-linux/
https://operavps.com/what-is-arch-linux/
https://wiki.archlinux.org/
I use Arch by the way.
People don’t buy OSes, they buy computers. Everyone here assumes the general public consists of OS geeks who experiment with installing new OSes on their computers. Nope.
In reality, if they are remotely aware, they know that “Macs” and “PCs” exist, and they may know that a “Steam Deck” thing exists that can run most of your Steam library.
Ubuntu’s problem is that most people don’t know it even exists, aka the fact it has zero retail presence. And no, having to look for “developer editions” of Dell laptops doesn’t count as “retail presence”.
Not all of us.
There are a few who know most people should buy an iPad.
I agree that relying on people to do the switch won’t work. In regards to general public. The decision needs to be made for them. As indeed general public can’t be considered as being a geek.
When Ubuntu appeared on the scene, the Linux community was still primarily technical and the “Linux Desktop” was not very good. KDE and GNOME had been out about 5 years. I would say they were the “best” desktops on a UNIX-like operating system at the time ( though off course OS X was out by then ) but they were not great yet.
In terms of major efforts, Red Hat was the first distribution to really push a desktop but the audience was explicitly technical. Even Corel Linux ( remember them ) was explicitly for business and meant to advance Corel’s office products ( WordPerfect, Quattro Pro, and graphics artist kit ( CorelDRAW ).
Ubuntu was the first distribution that I recall that really made it a stated goal to make a desktop for “everyone”. For Ubuntu, the “desktop” was the core business ( though I am not sure they really knew what “the business” was going to be in those early days ). Ubuntu was an objectively better desktop back then and Ubuntu pioneered and backed a lot of improvements to make desktop Linux usable. The popularity of Ubuntu was not surprising. Given the mission of Ubuntu to be for “everyone”, it is not surprising that Ubuntu was also an early leader in pushing a vision of Linux on phones ( I mean “Linux” like the Linux ecosystem – not just an invisible kernel like with Android ).
The Ubuntu vision has changed. To my eye, Ubuntu does not care about the desktop anymore. They are business focused with products for IoT and for the cloud. Sure, they still have a desktop and it may even be the version of Ubuntu with the biggest footprint in the world. Canonical the company though does not seem to care about the desktop anymore.
While the energy was bleeding out of the Ubuntu desktop, it was building in many other places across the Linux universe. Many distributions grew out of Ubuntu itself with the explicit goal of being better desktops ( Mint, Elementary, Zorin, Pop! just to name a few ). Many of these distributions made their mark with design more than technology.
Ubuntu itself is just Debian with a better user experience. If your goal is a better user experience than Ubuntu, why start with Ubuntu as a base? Many don’t.
Manjaro brought a great desktop experience to Arch Linux with an even bigger package repository than Ubuntu ( another of its traditional strengths ). Now, there are many distributions starting with Manjaro as a base or even Arch Linux itself. Other distros have started not just a new desktop but the whole distribution from scratch ( like Solus did with Budgie ).
While Ubuntu never really built much a business model around desktop Linux, others have started to. In particular, you now have companies like System76 and their COSMIC desktop. System76 wants to make a better desktop experience for the same reason that Apple does–to sell hardware.
And all this desktop competition means the bar has been raised everywhere even on the “technical” user desktop. Ubuntu was the standard bearer for the GNOME desktop during the time that they enjoyed their greatest surge in popularity. That role has arguably transferred to Fedora ( Red Hat essentially ).
Finally, a Linux desktop for “everyone” increasingly means a desktop for gamers ( at least casual ones ). While I certainly know that Linux remains a tiny fraction of the gamer market, I would say that a significant fraction of the Linux desktop user market wants their distro to work well for gaming. This is an area where Ubuntu is just plain behind and the distros that focus on gaming ( Garuda, Nobara, Regata ) are not based on Ubuntu.
I am sure that Ubuntu is still the leader on the Linux Desktop in terms of instances running. That said, it feels like this is rapidly changes and, for all the reasons above, it makes sense.
I wouldn’t agree that Ubuntu is not desktop oriented anymore. Ever since 2004 you could basically do the same thing. And that is download an Ubuntu release and got to use GNU/Linux suited for general public. This never really changed. In my opinion this is something we need to appreciate and give credit to.
I’m trying to read about PipeWire but I’m wondering if this is eventually be a decent audio subsystem for musicians like me that need low latency out of the box like CoreAudio on macOS.
I’ve tried for years to use Linux for audio, but it requires so many “hacks”.
I had high hopes for Haiku which could have been a way better alternative for this.
Now, my setup is a Windows 10 workstation, an iPad and an old low profile PC running Ubuntu, where I use mostly Kodi and Dolphin.
In theory yes. With PipeWire you should get both PulseAudio and JACK out of the box. This i guess could be considered as CoreAudio equivalent. Best to test it out on how it performs on your hardware and in regards to your needs.
Pipewire finally brings linux audio to the 21st century, performance and feature-wise, even though it’s still in beta. Projets that were unusable in linux due to audio dropouts now work out of the box. Highly recommended.