As the old year is replaced by the new, here’s Jack Wallen’s wish list for Linux and open source in 2026 — from the desktop to the developers who keep it alive.
2025 is coming to an end.
Regardless of how you felt about the year, it would be a challenge to argue that it wasn’t a good year for Linux and open source. The big question now is, what happens in 2026?
Will it be the year of the Linux desktop?
I know, I know: the question has been asked for a very long time. However, this go-round seems different. There’s something brewing, and it could be big. To that end, I thought I’d share with you my hopes for Linux and open source for 2026.
Are you ready for it?
Let’s go.
- Keep the momentum going: This should be foremost on the minds of the Linux community. 2025 saw a rise in awareness about Linux. The end of Windows 10 played a big part in that change. Distributions like Zorin OS saw record-breaking downloads after the end of Windows 10, and it’s important that the momentum continue. The Linux and open source community all of a sudden had a goal (to win over Windows 10 users), and somehow they figured out how to make it a reality.
It’ll be important to continue that trend and not get complacent. There are still many people clinging to Windows 10, machines that cannot run Windows 11, or both. To give up on the efforts of winning them over now could easily swing that pendulum away from Linux. Keep it up, everyone.
- Retire X: I know it’s been a struggle. I know there are still apps desperately clinging to the X Window System, but it’s time to let it go. Wayland is the future, and there’s no going back. The problem with keeping X around is that it’s holding things back. If we could finally cut ties with that aging system, the Linux and open source community could finally know what’s happening and stop working on solutions to keep both systems running.
Yes, I know there are some users who still depend on older apps that haven’t (or can’t) make the jump to Wayland, but it’s time to find a replacement or convince the developers to make the switch. X needs to go away so Wayland can truly flourish.
- Make marketing a goal (not a problem): This is something I’ve been harping on for years. If the Linux and open source community has an Achilles heel, it’s marketing. I could understand the lack of proper marketing 10 years ago, but things are different now. Linux is now a serious contender for the desktop, and it’s time the masses know that.
Every company and organization behind a Linux distribution needs to start playing the game seriously and come up with an ad campaign for 2026 that proves to the masses that Linux is not only a viable alternative but also a superior one. The campaign needs to be clever and created such that it targets average users. Do not use this to preach to the choir because that will not help expand the user base.
- Stop spreading the wrong memes: I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to jump into Facebook threads in Linux groups where they share memes that make Linux look challenging. For instance, there’s one meme that displays the evolution of Windows, macOS, and Linux. Windows goes from 95 to 11, macOS goes from OS 9 to OSX, and Linux is presented as evolving from the command line to the command line. That does not help the cause. If average users believe Linux still requires the command line, they’re not going to be willing to give the open source OS a try.
Those memes should have represented Linux as going from the command line to something like KDE Plasma, Pantheon, or Budgie… to a desktop that can put Linux on display in a way that can wow people. The problem is that some of those social media groups think it’s cool to present Linux as a challenge and that they’ve mastered that challenge, instead of Linux mastering user-friendliness.
- Get beyond the anti-cheat mess: Yes, 90% of Windows games can now run on Linux, thanks to Steam. However, there’s still the issue of anti-cheat, and it’s an ugly problem. Systems like Easy Anti-Cheat and BattleEye are capable of running via Steam’s Proton compatibility layer, but they require being enabled by the developer. Even then, they operate in user-space, which makes them easier to bypass. This is why many competitive multiplayer games break or block Linux users.
This issue needs to end now. Once the anti-cheat issue goes away, the barrier to entry for gaming on Linux is gone. Having 100% of Steam’s games playable on Linux will make it harder for Windows gamers to reject Linux as a viable gaming platform. Let’s make this happen in 2026.
- More desktops in businesses: If more businesses would finally see the value of running Linux on the desktop, more users would be exposed. When people are exposed to Linux, they understand what we’ve been talking about all along. I’ve been wishing this for years, and I think we’ve finally reached a point where it’s a truly logical step forward.
Before any business balks at this, there are companies (such as System76 and Tuxedo Computers) that are creating business-class machines that could not only replace what employees currently use but will run far better, smoother, and more reliably than those Windows machines. This isn’t hyperbole; it’s fact. It’s my wish for 2026 that more businesses (big and small) take the plunge into the world of open source desktops.
I believe 2026 can be a banner year for Linux and open source. With just a little work, it can finally (and truly) be the year of Linux.
Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic, ZDNET, The New Stack, and Linux New Media. He’s covered a variety of topics for over twenty years and is an avid promoter of open source. Jack is also a novelist with over 50 published works of fiction. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website.
Be First to Comment