Bitcoin Forum

Come to think of it.

* Both free, versatile, powerful, in short awesome
* Both faced with a competition either inferior or insanely priced, and in any case unfree as hell.
* Both with a base of enthusiast supporters all absolutely sure that "this year will be our year, we will take over the world!". Every year.

Except Linux has been around 23 years now. It has been adopted by maybe a 2% of tech enthousiasts, and behind the scenes by many big players as an invisible base for their services -but common people apparently still love to defragment and scan for viruses. Although many know there is something called "linux"; just as many have heard of bitcoin recently.

Still, the mental effort required for the change is commonly believed to be too much -although the transition has arguably been made as easy as it could possibly be.
So apparently, without a (really) big company to push for adoption, universal success among common people is unlikely.

(Oh: among crypto, Bitcoin is Debian -and Ripple looks a lot like it could be Ubuntu)

I'm not convinced.

Linux now has pretty broad adoption, but it is difficult to report. Look at most of the people in this forum -- in this demographic, people are at home with Linux on the desktop.

If there's a problem that can be solved by knocking up a quick script, people here will invariably turn to Linux.

In this demographic, desktop Linux appears to have pretty broad market share. And it appears to be increasing.

Then of course, servers -- only a vanishingly small % would seriously consider running Windows servers, and that number doesn't appear to be growing.

Android adoption seems to be > than iOS too. Android is Linux.

I see there being a bit of a "digital divide". Those who are computer literate, able to use general purpose computers to solve problems (and recognise and appreciate the freedom needed and given in order to be able to do so); and those who are not (and just need to look at ads on Facebook). Those who aren't, are also not likely to be early adopters of a cryptocurrency.

As people begin to recognize the importance of being on the right side of the divide, adoption is likely to grow. However, some people will never be able to cross over.

It's the same as the Web in the late 90's -- a small % of people who used it, with mass adoption following as people recognised the importance of being "web literate". Some people were left behind.

That said, barriers to adoption are constantly decreasing too. Many flavours of Linux have been easier to install and use than Windows for a long time now. And it will become easier and cheaper to adopt cryptocurrency in the future too.

EDIT: And I don't get the Ubuntu hate. It's not closed source at all..... Mark has done wonders for the Linux ecosystem.

Haven't tried linux but I'm about to. Is this really true and true for Ubuntu?

Its a good analogy, and one I've used myself, but so far, we, as in crypto currency adopters, are not learning any lessons.

Its quite obvious that to make something popular with the mainstream, it needs to be similar enough to something that already exists.  

Once, that has been done, then you need to make sure that the public have a quick and easy help path to ensure that they never gets spooked.

Make sure there is plenty of big companies taking the reigns, and before you know it, bitcoin will be everywhere, even if it does have a different name!

The problem though is that Linux had an easy way to sell itself - its free, as in Beer!

Now that is a problem worthy of a mystery developer .. ;)

but atm doesn't bitcoin open up the pathway to save money (no tax, fees etc.) or even make it as the fiat value rises?

EDIT: Given that the fiat value rises   :-[

Been true for a long time (assuming you don't have really esoteric hardware with drivers that were only released for Windows, but even those days are mostly gone).

It was close to 10 years ago now when I finally switched -- I remember reinstalling Windows every 6 months to 1 year as it was the only way to keep performance up. At the time, (XP), you had to insert a *floppy disk* during the install in order for Windows to recognise the RAID drivers on boot. There was a whole bunch of other stuff that made it a right pain in the ass -- being an enthusiast geek, I lost whole days to Windows. And then you had the tools - codecs- etc hunt to set up your system.

Linux generally just works.. disk in, click, click... done. Open software centre / package manager, everything is there. IMO things have mostly "just worked" better than Windows for 10 years now.

And that's just for normal usage. When it gets to "have a bunch of data, need to analyse it"... or "need to knock up a script to do XYZ", you're on the perfect platform. On Windows, the first step was always "what do I need to install now, where do I find it, is it safe, and do I really have to pay?". It's just a bad system.

Open source as a technological philosophy will fully overtake capitalism as a matter of course, likely apparent all at once.
When? Now already and yet gradually, until we see a glimmer of singularity. A leap in quantum computing at latest, Id wager would serve as a catalyst. Perhaps the next big war media frenzy will cause it. Who knows?

Linux is the hidden motor behind the Internet. Perhaps cryptos will have the same faith for payments.

It's really true for most of the major linux distros.  But if you're going to try linux, go with Linux Mint.  Not only is it better than Ubuntu (and their mainline spin is based on Ubuntu, although I use the straight Debian spin) - easier to install, better desktop choices, includes all codecs, etc. - but Linux Mint takes bitcoin donations.

And don't buy into what the OP is saying - he's uninformed.  Linux owns the server market, the embedded device market, and of course the phone and tablet market (Android):  and by huge margins.  The only reason linux is light in the desktop market is the very serious arm-twisting that Microsoft and Apple lay on the hardware manufacturers:  the advantage of the first mover.

I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.

Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called Linux, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.

There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called Linux distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.

Ìf 2% of the world used Bitcoins that'd be good enough for me...

But to be fair, I think your giving Linux not nearly enough credit as it deserves.

Thank you RMS.  ::)

If Bitcoin would be as successful as Linux, then we are in for a ride. I don't think you understand how BIG Linux is, if you look at the big picture.

The reason why nobody (comparitively) uses Linux over Windows is because Windows is simply more supported. I have never once in 10 years wanted to change my operating system (except for removing the activation messages).

Maybe this year will be the Year of the Bitcoin ;)

Yeah, OP is full of shit, I like his made up 2% stat about Linux adoption that he pulled out of his ass.


Can you IMAGINE what bitcoin price would be if 2% of the world used bitcoin? That would be amazing. I would be rich off my ass, and the world would be a better place - what more could I ask for?

I certainly HOPE Bitcoin reaches the level of adoption that OP made up for Linux, although if anyone has any actual stats to present (separately for the desktop, server, and mobile device market) that'd be great.

Linux is the most used operating system in the world, just not in desktop, but in everything else. Server is linux dominated, embeded and mobile is linux dominated (think how many people use Android), supercomputers is linux dominated, etc... Only in desktop linux does not dominate.

Don't forget all the embedded systems that have long ago abandoned the bloated GNU libraries for lighter replacements :P.

We're talking about generic Linux here, go spread your GNU elitism elsewhere.  Sure, it is a big factor on the desktop, but GNU can't claim dominion over all Linux systems, and even on the desktop, 98% of the functionality is available from other non-GNU libraries.  Yes, GNU played a large roll in getting the Open Source movement rolling, but now they have an egotism problem and will become irrelevant if they continue to rest on their laurels.

The world doesn't ABSOLUTELY NEED linux ...
The world DOES ABSOLUTELY NEED cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin).

I started to use Linux pretty much when I started to use bitcoins. This is because I find Linux security far better than Windows and I cannot afford having my private keys stolen by some typical windows trojan.

So...
The world needs a currency that actually works...
But the world doesn't need an operating system that actually works?
 ::) ::) ::)

Yes it does.
Time to bring back the Lisp machine.

"sucks" != "does not work"

Come now, that's just splitting hairs  ;D

In the domestic scheme yes Linux is not widely used but enterprise has a large presence. The same will go for bitcoin,

Remember the old saying: "Nobody got fired for choosing Microsoft"?

You know what? I'm just not sure if that's true any more.

The free software movement is happening a lot slower than I anticipated, but there's no doubt that it has made huge advances.

linux mint 15 is better than windows 8

Someone should make a "Criptocoinz [sic] vs. email" thread...
It'd be more like apples versus pears, rather than this apples versus oranges stuff

Server and other does not matter, it is a different story. Banks do not need bitcoins between them.
And even if they did adopt the idea, they would just fork a chain they control. As they would do to use it as an embedded hiddel layer in a commercial app. Just like Ripple did, after all. Nothing good for Bitcoin comes from the equivalent of "server" and "embedded" uses.
I was talking about mass direct user adoption, which apparently didn't happen for Linux. I am using numbers from http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp (http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp). Being a site for programming enthousiasts, I figure it must be at least double than the real usage. And most importantly, the number is not increasing since 2010. And Android does not count: as someone noticed, what I was really refering to is GNU/Linux, which Android isn't -it falls under the "embedded" category for my purposes; a layer which enables something else. And that in case of cryptos, it would be probably a blockchain premined by Google.

Discolsure: I do not hate Rpple or Ubuntu; in fact, Ubuntu is almost the only operating system I have used in the last years.

With linux you have to do a choice, as in either Windows or Linux.

Most users have one laptop/desktop computer and they want to be able to do the same stuff as their friends.

Myself I'm mainly using Windows as it's what I'm accustomed to and most games are for windows. If more games were ported to Linux I might have gone with that option.

With BTC you don't have the same barrier. You can use BTC under any operating-system and the competition is mainly CC and paypal. When barriers against using BTC goes down, usage will go up. As more and more vendors accept BTC, more and more users will start using it.

I am not one to think that BTC will "overturn goverments and markets", but it might very well overtake paypals position and then some.

don't mean to be a hater, but i think this kind of attitude is what scares the laymen from geeky stuff like bitcoin and linux

and it may help your blood pressure to assume the GNU part when a person says "linux" unless she specifically says "linux kernel", even if it makes mr. stallman's beard turn ever more grey (with respect RMS).

What?

You can install Linux alongside Windows, it takes at most 1 min or so to change from one to the other.

You can run one inside the other inside a VM (some do so, if the office doesn't allow them to install a new OS)

You can even install Ubuntu from inside Windows as a program, with Wubi (or any distro with Unetbootin).

Just because the common people don't know how easy it is doesn't mean it isn't. There is no choice to be made if you don't want to; just as with bitcoins. It's only the difficulty to start using something new and different, not pushed and supported by some huge corporation.

Don't think you get my point. Sure you can switch back and forth, but you really don't wanna do it.

I'we done multiple boot-settings in DOS for different uses(yeah, I'm that old), (not to mention OS/2) and the win/linux boot thingy, but it's basically a bit of a hassle. What you wanna do is install the OS and go. No need to remember different commands and styles of doing stuff. Hardware is cheap and strife is expensive.

BTW: I am doing linux at my small laptop, and will prob use linux if I build a mining rig. But for everyday use I want my familiar programs and the ability to dl and use almost all programs/games I fancy.

With BTC you dl a program and use it - nothing else is changed.

GNU/Linux sucks as desktop, and I think is getting worse with the time. I remember using Debian and KDE like 5 or 6 years ago as the main desktop OS. Today ? No way.
It's good for developing/sysadmin/etc using some good wm like i3. But for desktop if you're an average Joe ? No way. Right now I'm using Windows 8 and I wouldn't change it, GNU/Linux just make me very improductive.
Obviously, I have some tools in cygwin, and some distributions in vmware if I need something, but that's like.. 20% of the day ?

Of course it absolutely needs Linux. This very forum for instance is powered by a Linux based web server. Linux dominates servers that power the Internet.

My fiance who is a pharmacy student uses Linux just fine.  So does my 6 year old sister.  It is you expectations you have learned by many years of Windows usage that are holding you back, not Linux.  I'm not saying you should change, just acknowledge it is you, not Linux that has a problem.  I will say the same for myself.  I am unable to be fully productive on a Windows system because it is not what I am used to.