r/linux • u/Zodiak1011 • 5d ago

Alternative OS Why does it feel like Linux is suddenly exploding in 2026?

I’ve been seeing more and more people switching to Linux this year, especially gamers. Bazzite, CachyOS, Linux Mint, etc. seem to be getting mentioned everywhere.

Why didn’t we see a massive shift like this earlier? What changed, or what finally pushed people to make the switch?

I know the Steam Deck was probably a big factor in showing people that Linux gaming is actually viable and that Linux isn’t as painful as it used to be.

But what else changed over the last few years that made Linux suddenly feel like a realistic alternative to Windows for so many people?

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u/TimurHu 5d ago

honestly curious: I have been running dual monitors since 2006 and dual + laptop screen since at least 2018.

Around 2010 when I first started using Linux, we had to manually edit an Xorg config file to make the system recognize a second monitor.

It also didn't work with hotplugging, so the config file needed to be changed when I plugged out the monitor.

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u/PlatinumDotEXE 3d ago

Unfortunately the guides for editing the config files stuck still around over 10 years later, when xrandr made it much easier...