From: ronb02NOSPAM@gmail.com   
      
   On 2026-01-28, rbowman  wrote:   
   > On 28 Jan 2026 13:52:47 GMT, CrudeSausage wrote:   
   >   
   >> On 28 Jan 2026 02:54:49 GMT, rbowman wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On 27 Jan 2026 22:29:00 GMT, CrudeSausage wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>> The numbers don't lie. Ubuntu was the catalyst for a great number of   
   >>>> people giving Linux a chance and the free CDs weren't the only reason.   
   >>>> Unlike most Linux distributions, both the installer and the installed   
   >>>> product worked as they should and it made Linux easy for most people.   
   >>>> That's not to say Debian and others weren't easy enough _before_   
   >>>> Ubuntu's release, but Ubuntu finally attracted the mainstream users   
   >>>> who weren't as dedicated as we all were to getting the operating   
   >>>> system working for us.   
   >>>   
   >>> Leading to the Year of the Linux Desktop, right? You may have a better   
   >>> chance of witnessing the second coming.   
   >>   
   >> It wasn't the second coming, but suddenly Linux was an operating system   
   >> which could appeal to regular people as much as the geeks.   
   >   
   > Distrowatch's methodology is shaky but assuming page hits have some   
   > correlation to usage, as expected Ubunutu hits the list in 2005. By 2011,   
   > a derivative, Mint, was topping the charts. However the page hits on all   
   > distros had increased.   
   >   
   > Recently MX Linux was the leader but was replaced by CachyOS in 2025.   
   > That's why I take the rankings with a big grain of salt. Are people really   
   > using CachyOS or are the page hits "what the hell is CachyOS?'   
   >   
   > Maybe Ubunutu attracted more attention. 2005 was still Windows XP which   
   > wasn't alienating people. Was it just the free CDs?   
      
   People who interested in Linux didn't have the easy access to Linux they   
   have now. As mentioned in another post, you could buy Linux magazines that   
   included various Linux distributions, but that was hit and miss. When Ubuntu   
   came out with the free CDs, suddenly everyone could get multiple CDs to pass   
   around.   
      
   As for Distrowatch — yeah, it's not accurate. People who have settled on   
   distribution aren't likely to visit Distrowatch that often. So the number   
   are skewed. But I do notice that, when Linux Mint releases a new version   
   (the same goes for others), the "hit points" go up, sometimes dramatically.   
      
   --   
   "Not just insane... Trump insane."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)