The Stars are Aligned: 2026 is the Year of Linux on the Desktop

We’ve been joking about “the year of Linux on the desktop” for three decades now, but it really does feel like the stars are aligned for 2026 to be that year. For it to finally grab a non-niche marketshare in the desktop/laptop computer market.

On the one hand, products from the established big players seem to be growing increasingly hostile to the average consumer.

• Windows 10 is officially end-of-life. I never loved Windows 10, but it was a decent OS (if you disabled much of the on-by-default telemetry) for the average consumer. And of course, it was pretty much the only serious choice if you wanted to play most PC games.
• Windows 11 is doubling-down on forced AI integrations and telemetry.
• Many devices running Windows 10 are incompatible with Windows 11. Microsoft wants you to throw these away and buy something new.
• MacOS 26 (Tahoe) looks and feels like a toy operating system. Performance issues and bugs continue to pile up and undo the incredible work that Apple hardware teams have done with Apple Silicon and the otherwise exceptional Apple hardware.

On the other hand, the vibes surrounding desktop Linux seem to be better than ever.

• Omarchy Linux has some substantial hype in the developer world.
• Valve is continuing to build on their decade+ effort to make Linux a first-class OS for gaming and they are pushing the boundaries for Linux ease-of-use. The new hardware from Valve looks to be a great entryway into PC Gaming/Linux for outsiders.
• Framework is becoming increasingly mainstream and has great options at all price points, including the new super-powerful Framework Desktop. Their repair-friendly approach to hardware is proving to be a bright spot with consumers in an age where tech waste is piling up around us.

Will Linux launch into second or first place in PC/laptop marketshare? Of course not. But I think the cards are there for Linux to prove it’s a real, viable, consumer-friendly third option.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re well aware of Linux and how awesome it can be. It’s up to us nerds to evangelize the platform. Be friendly to newcomers. Linux doesn’t have to be a place exclusively for developers and power-users any more. It really can offer the best of both worlds.

I love my mac hardware and many parts of MacOS, but I will be doubling down on Linux in 2026.