It’s not stamp collecting.
Sure it can be a pastime, but increasingly, it is more on par with reading, writing, and arithmetic. A skill you will want to have.
So why learn Linux? There are plenty of reasons, but ultimately it comes back to benefits to you, the user.
For starters, just plain utility as an operating system. It is a very capable and useful OS that taken in aggregate has no peer. Here I’m thinking cost (free in many flavors), freeware offerings, the kernel (security), personal modification of the OS functions, to name just a few.
Yes Unix certainly is waving its hand wildly from the back of the room. But as just mentioned above, all those things wrapped into one package? There is only one and it’s called Linux.
Free Stuff = High Adoption Rates
You, arguably, will not find an operating system as stable and capable as Linux. Add to this fact that is it FREE in many of its flavors, can readily run on sub-par or outdated hardware, has a great security architecture built into its very core, is open-source, can be adapted to individual usage needs, and well supported…and you have a pretty compelling case.
And since 2012, you can buy a Raspberry Pi in different Linux flavors for under $50. Yes there are alternative operating systems for it, but my money is on Linux being the main contender given it’s utilitarian, and historically bloat-free mentality.
So the potential is there to expand Linux’s footprint into very inexpensive computational hardware. So why doesn’t everybody drop windows for this veritable cornucopia of tech paradise? Well there is one understandable reason.
The Command Line
The Linux command line lives on the operating system’s hardware/software interface (the terminal). It is both the source of incredible operating system capability and the absolute bane of the casual user.
The command line takes patience and effort to learn and understand fully. It can be incredibly frustrating, particularly when one is coming from the post-DOS Microsoft Windows world.
Without some adeptness at using the command line, a user is left adrift, mouse-in-hand, graphically playing whack-a-mole in a file system maze. It is unforgiving of people who don’t read directions or user manuals.
Because for all it’s progress and windows-like ‘graphiness’, Linux at its core is still primarily a text based environment originally designed by computer scientists FOR computer scientists.
For instance, case matters in file naming conventions. Capital and lower case letters are different ASCII characters. That means that Linux allows you to have a file named “Documents” and another named “documents”. Sounds like a small point, but it highlights this different outlook.
In short, it takes time to learn Linux in a world where we are already rushed and rarely rewarded for non-monetary extracurricular effort.
So why do it?
Only 2% of the desktop operating system user base is on Linux, while Windows remains at a strong 88%.(1)
But those numbers may be a bit deceptive.
In much of that context, the desktop is for personal use or for administrative work in business settings. Administrative pursuits are increasingly at risk from a job security perspective. And no one signs a paycheck for your to review personal email or social media on your home computer.
Most people earn their living for value-add services to employers, a state continually reassessed.
So if your world touches tech directly, whether through systems support, implementation of any sort of enterprise software, creative use of technology, including artistic work, Linux should be on your list.
And Linux is adaptable and stable, something technology budgets love, and by inference, the bosses overseeing those budgets. So it helps to know it, even when you don’t know when you’ll be called to leverage that knowledge.
In addition, Linux is the likely future of general computing, despite a steep learning curve. This is in no small part because younger generations are becoming more ‘native’ in terms of technology adoption, and doing so at younger and younger ages.
Coding and familiarity with a variety of apps as part of daily life is not unusual for the younger set. Seeing a toddler playing with a tablet, even if only just chewing on a corner, is far from the fluke now. Tech literacy rates will continue to climb as the market demands it and education curriculum answer that call.
Consider that right now….
– 88% of smartphones run on Android…and Android runs on Linux. (2)
– 67% of web servers run on Linux. (3)
– 90% of Fortune 500 companies rely on Linux in some manner (3)
– Windows 10 includes a Bash Shell (command line) in it’s OS and now a full Linux kernel within the operating system. (5)
– Tesla status/entertainment displays run on Linux. (4)
– The big automotive manufacturers (a HUGE driver of GDP) are setting smart tech standards for future vehicle systems and self-driving…all of which are Linux based. That will demand downstream industries to comply. (4)
Where there is business demand, there is value. And where value is needed, benefit is earned. Make that benefit something you personally benefit from!
(1) Netmarketshare.com, Desktop market share for operating systems from 2020/04 – 2019/03.
(2) haydenjames.io “81% of Smartphones Are Powered By Linux“.
(3) Fortune. “How Linux Conquered the Fortune 500”.
(4) Wired, “Linux Took Over the Web, Now It’s Taking Over the World”.
(5) The Verve, “Microsoft Will Ship A Full Linux Kernel in Windows 10