Who/What is responsible for very low installations of Linux desktops?

[Amit]

I was looking for the linux driver for a recently released scanning device,
but I couldn't find it.

I have a networking device too but it has no linux driver. It runs on
Windows only.

You may not agree with me but I think you should check some new hardware
(no need to buy) and see if linux driver is available for it or not.

Another argument is that companies don't release linux drivers because the
linux market is not very big, but the linux market is not very big because
of GPLv2.

I sent my message in this list because I think that it is futile to develop
linux desktops when the linux kernel is so restrictive.

Actually, instead of working on linux desktops (which anyways is not going
to become very popular), linux desktop developers can actually use their
time to do a job that may pay $125K+.

Linux desktops have been in existence since the last 25 years or so but
still the market penetration is very low.

Some people may argue that Microsoft doesn't allow linux to flourish, but I
don't buy that logic.

I only wanted to make linux desktop developers aware that linux desktop
development is actually a futile exercise because of linux kernel's GPLv2
license, and the developers can make a lot of money by doing a regular job.

I know that it is quite possible that no one will agree with me.

Amit


On Sun, May 17, 2026, 7:17 PM Nate Graham <nate at kde.org> wrote:

> Hello Amit,
>
> This may not be the best place for the discussion. You've reached the
> KDE Development mailing list, which has no sway over the Linux kernel or
> its licensing.
>
> I'm also unsure that your premise is likely to be true; device
> manufacturers that don't want to distribute the source code of their
> drivers generally embed the proprietary parts in the on-device firmware,
> and provide only a small open-source interface that the kernel can talk to.
>
> But that's a discussion to be had elsewhere.
>
> Nate
>
>
>
> On 5/17/26 7:28 AM, Amit wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > GPLv2 license of Linux kernel is responsible for very low
> > installations of Linux desktops (only 4% to 6% of the global desktop
> > computer market).
> >
> > People in general don’t want to use Linux desktops because it is
> > difficult to find device drivers for a majority of devices.
> >
> > The device manufacturers don’t want to develop the drivers for Linux
> > because then they will have to release the source code (because of
> > GPLv2), and they don’t want to release the source code because the
> > competitors can then read the source code and figure out their
> > hardware innovation/invention.
> >
> > So, companies don’t develop device drivers for Linux because they
> > don’t want to release the source code, and this results in not many
> > people using Linux desktops.
> >
> > Amit
>
>
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