What Linux needs to do to be more popular

Linux distros are downloading in the background as I write this for a new group test of the operating system for a mag and one obvious thought is why Linux isn't more popular. Why is it that people choose to spend money on Windows PCs and even more money on Apple Macs when Linux is free and runs well on cheap hardware? There are several reasons and an obvious one is that all PCs are sold with Windows, so people get it by default. However, that can't be the reason why only 1% of PC users choose Linux because PC buyers also get Internet Explorer by default, but large numbers choose to use Firefox and Chrome instead. Here is what Linux needs to do to become more popular.

Firstly, there are far too many versions. Fedora, for example, is available in KDE, Gnome, LXDE, and XFCE desktop variations and in 32-bit and 64-bit forms. That's eight different versions and there are hundreds of different Linux distros, which means there are literally thousands of variations of Linux. There must be more people working on Linux than on Windows and for what? A 1% market share! It doesn't make sense.

The number of Linus distros confuses people who want to try Linux because they don't know which one to choose and there are so many to choose from. It also means that software developers can't support them all and software is often provided in just a handful of formats. If you don't choose one a popular Linux you'll find it hard to install software that isn't provided by the distro through its software package manager. Software written for one distro often doesn't work in another, which is very irritating.

Another irritation is that very few Linux distros can play videos or music, such as online streaming video from YouTube, movies on DVD, MP3 audio files and so on. A small number of Linux distros have got this sorted, such as Ubuntu and those based on it, but with others you have to spend time searching at Google looking for codecs and patches and upgrades and then typing in long and complex commands into the Terminal just to get audio and video working. People don't want this.

To make Linux more popular, the number of distros needs to be cut down to half a dozen. With Gnome and KDE desktops, 32 and 64-bit versions, this is still 24 different versions! However, it would be a big improvement on the current situation. With half a dozen versions, developers can get behind them and provide the support people want. Of course, it's never going to happen and all those other Linux distro creators aren't going to give up what they are doing.

Linux needs to get rid of the Terminal. This would force Linux developers to create software that can be installed, run, and configured with a few simple mouse clicks on buttons, menus and other graphical controls. Many Windows users and Apple Mac have never used the command prompt. It's not necessary, so why can't Linux developers get rid of it too? Of course, there are too many hard core Linux users that would never give it up.

Linux also needs to sort out its video and audio playing. Some have, but too many distros require you to search Google for the obscure commands required just to play your music or watch videos. Ubuntu and others have the problem sorted, so why can't other distros do this too?

Linux is a niche OS used by a few technical people and it will remain so until they start testing it on real people, not Linux experts. People that can point and click on a menu or button, but haven't a clue when it comes to the command line or how to solve video and audio problems.