The Missed Opportunity

First and foremost, the Linux desktop should have focused on conquering web developers. This audience had a golden opportunity several years ago when there was potential to steal a significant portion of users from macOS, which currently dominates that field. However, Apple Silicon definitively closed that window, and Linux missed its chance yet again.

This isn't the first time Linux has failed to capitalize on competitors' temporary weaknesses. Remember Windows Vista? That was another perfect opportunity that Linux couldn't seize. What makes this particularly frustrating is that, aside from desktop-related issues, Linux is already the reference platform for most web developers. The ecosystem revolves around features widely used in web applications: Docker, containerization, and related technologies. So why use macOS or Windows when you ultimately need an abstraction or virtualization layer to work with Linux anyway?

Is It a Technical Problem?

Is this a kernel issue? A hardware support or performance problem? Not at all. While these were legitimate concerns in the past, they're no longer obstacles. Hardware support in Linux is excellent today, often more stable than other operating systems, and certainly more performant.

I often see people endorsing Linux Mint and beginner-friendly distributions like Zorin OS as easy "bridges" to GNU/Linux for those who want things to work out of the box. However, I believe endorsing a distribution that uses Cinnamon DE—essentially a fork of GNOME 3—is fundamentally misguided. I don't want to blame people who dedicate their time to promoting GNU/Linux, but I consider this approach counterproductive.

The Real Problems

Here's why, in my opinion, GNU/Linux won't become a mainstream desktop environment anytime soon:

1. Too many Desktop Environments – The fragmentation creates confusion and dilutes development efforts.

2. No stable API for GUI programs – Without consistency, developers cannot build reliable applications that work for decades.

3. Flatpaks, Snaps, and similar solutions are terrible ideas – These containerization approaches add unnecessary bloat to desktop applications and make the system heavy. This wouldn't be needed if a single, solid, stable framework would have been available for devs.

4. Systemd is too complicated – While powerful, its complexity creates barriers for both users and developers.

5. Too many libraries for hardware I/O – Audio systems, input devices, and other hardware interactions lack standardization, creating a fragmented landscape.

6. Wayland is really complicated – The display server protocol, while technically superior to X11, introduces significant complexity.

7. Big tech deliberately snubs GNU/Linux – Large corporations lobby with Apple and Microsoft, limiting the GNU/Linux interaction with proprietary world. However, I see this as the simplest as the obstacle to overcome and there's already a remedy for this: use your owned programs and avoid vendors that keep you binded to non-FOSS platforms.

The Path Forward

Here's what GNU/Linux needs to do to achieve its desktop ambitions:

1. Pick a reference Desktop Environment and focus development efforts on it – In my opinion, KDE Plasma is excellent, particularly because of the robust Qt library.

2. Leverage Rust for system development – Even though Qt remains C++-based, Rust offers advantages for modern system programming. Rust + shared libraries would be a great basis for Desktop Apps and Environment development.

3. Make the DE easily programmable through declarative scripts – Enable users and developers to customize and deploy configurations simply.

4. Implement clear separation between applications and data – Make the system easy to backup with distinct boundaries. Enforce this model through a reference framework, leveraging the UNIX philosophy where everything is a file.

5. Abandon desktop application containerization – Focus instead on library API stability and comprehensiveness, as was done in the past years with classical system libraries. Build applications on a common framework.

6. Immutable filesystems are unnecessary if packages are stable – Stability should come from solid engineering, not architectural bandaids.

7. Create a common, shared, robust API for hardware interaction and IPC – Standardize the interfaces between applications and system resources.

8. Stop fragmenting with purposeless distributions – Avoid wasting effort on distributions like Linux Mint that don't add meaningful value. Create one reliable, distinct, well-known alternative to other operating systems. Alternative distributions should be limited to special use cases: gaming consoles, digital signage, thin clients, and similar specialized applications.

9. Make the interface adaptable to touch devices – Support tablets and smartphones with the same underlying system.

10. Maintain long-term compatibility once a foundation standard is reached – Do not allow breaking changes. Maintain compatibility for years, as other successful platforms do.

A Note on Hardware

For hardware vendors: copy Apple's approach to hardware devices. Focus on reliability. Most Mac users choose macOS because of the exceptional, decade-ahead quality of the hardware. I'm not referring to CPU performance or any particular component, but rather construction quality, longevity, and the practical details that matter daily: excellent audio quality for video conferences, good webcams, fingerprint and face unlock, high-quality displays, silent keyboards with sharp feedback, haptic touchpads, solid chassis construction, and outstanding battery life.

Conclusion

This is what the FOSS community needs to succeed in the desktop world. Until these issues are addressed, GNU/Linux will remain a desktop system just for me and a few others who can tolerate these gaps because of the superior comfort and quality it provides for development work, or... it'd be a thing for some Youtubers just looking for a bunch of views. The technical foundation is solid, but the ecosystem needs consolidation, standardization, and a unified vision to truly compete for mainstream desktop adoption.