OpenSUSE is gaining ground, distro downloads are increasing

It was released recently, information was released that OpenSUSE is having a large number of downloads which are increasing and a new version of the stable Leap 15.5 will be available soon.

And it is that as such no official reason has been leaked as an explanation of this increase in downloads and it is possible that this is a reflection of the dissatisfaction of Ubuntu users with the emphasis on Snap in the distribution, including the Firefox Snap package.

Besides that also a large number of disenchanted RedHat users are suspected with the discontinuation of CentOS Linux and thus looking for another stable RPM-based distro probably also explains this rise in popularity of OpenSUSE.

According to a tweet from the openSUSE project, it has seen a sharp increase in its downloads recently. If you want to dig a little deeper, download statistics are available.

The amount of use of #openSUSE distributions has significantly increase according to https://t.co/lBIvcRHCGU. A lot of people who try a distribution based on @DistroWatch ratings. Leave a review & tell people how you like #Leap, #tumbleweed or #MicroOS - https://t.co/xC2Ovt7rrT pic.twitter.com/2tHlczFsia

— openSUSE Linux (@openSUSE) March 13, 2023

The situation is likely to revive the debate over the fragmentation of the Linux ecosystem pointed to as the reason for the failure against Windows on the desktop.

In a broad sense, speaking of Linux is referring to any operating system that is supported by said kernel; This is one of the aspects that marks the particularity of this OS since the user can choose between 319 variations or distributions if we stick to the list of LiveCDs.

For everyone, this large number of options is already confusing and especially with the release of new distributions, plus Linus himself admits that this is the reason why the operating system is struggling to establish itself in the computer sector. desktop.

And it is that speaking of this, we also cannot ignore the recent alliance between GNOME and KDE, the powers of the Linux desktop, which have come together to build an ecosystem of applications that transcends different distributions and creates an open market for everyone. .

The idea: replace traditional Linux desktop application delivery methods, such as DEB and RPM package management systems, with an approach based on the Flatpak package system.

The reason: Flatpak apps run on all Linux distributions. The approach should help reduce the fragmentation of the ecosystem pointed to as one of the reasons for the failure of Linux against Windows on the desktop.

The truth is that A large part of Linux users prefer not to have problems when they want to install an application and that they have to carry out processes that require investing more time. Besides SUSE may be closing in on rival Red Hat in beta testing, the distro has a big plus in that it has a stable enterprise distribution core, which can be a big draw for users who prefer not to be in a model of new releases in short periods of time.

Without further ado, we can say that the recent increase in openSUSE downloads may be an excellent point which the project and developers can take advantage of and take into account the reasons why users from other distros are making the jump to openSUSE.

Arch Linux may also be in the sights of many, but the biggest conflict facing the distribution is that it is not a distribution that can be recommended for new Linux users, much less for novices, since its installation process can scare away more of one (although the truth is that it is relatively simple, but the reality is that many of us prefer to avoid spending time on issues like these that are resolved using an installation wizard).