What Will Linux Be Capable Of, 3 Years Down the Road?

An anonymous reader writes "In a prediction of the open-source future, InfoWeek speculates on What Linux Will Look Like In 2012. The most outlandish scenario foresees Linux forsaking its free usage model to embrace more paid distros where you get free Linux along with (much-needed) licenses to use patent-restricted codecs. Also predicted is an advance for the desktop based on — surprise — good acceptance for KDE 4. Finally, Linux is seen as making its biggest imprint not on the PC, but on mobile devices, eventually powering 40 million smartphones and netbooks. Do you agree? And what do you see for Linux in 4 years?"

Think Antarctica

[Facetious]

I'll go out on a limb here and guess that Linux will still look like a penguin.

Linux on the desktop

[Anonymous Coward]

1998 Nope

2000 Nope

2002 Nope

2004 Nope

2006 Nope

2008 Nope

2011 YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

maybe it'll be like ms word?

[Skadet]

Will it be capable of, correcting grammar?

Outlandish?

[PCM2]

Wait ... are you saying that the Linux kernel will remain free in the future, but that people will pay for extras on top of that, including commercial software in some cases? That is just ... insane! What barking madman would even conceive of such a concept?

Incidentally, how do you go from what that article actually says:

Expect to see a three-way split among different versions of Linux. Not different distributions per se, but three basic usage models: ... For-pay ... Free to use ... Free/libre

...to "Linux forsaking its free usage model"? What are you, running for Congress?

Finally, I understand...

[Cocoa Radix]

So THIS is what the Mayans have been predicting. Linux calls forth Armageddon in 2012. Wonderful.

Re:Pick me! Pick me!

[Shadyman]

Sounds like somebody needs an upgrade.

What it will look like to me in 3 years..

[mule007]

root@localhost:~#

Re:It'll look like FreeBSD did 3 years ago

[Anonymous Coward]

They'll remove SMP support?
Why would they?

Re:KDE

[pjt33]

KDE is a desktop environment. It's in the name, for crying out loud!

Re:Think Antarctica

[jgarra23]

Four years from now will be the year of Linux on the desktop!!

By 2012, Linux will....

[Slugster]

By 2012, Linux will pass the critical "100 different unpronounceable text editors" criterion, where adoption will begin to accelerate at a geometric pace as the common person forgets about all the useful Windows-based software and hardware at the store and entertains themselves solely by writing new window managers.
~

Re:Linux on the desktop

[Anonymous Coward]

Indeed. This is the most duped story on Slashdot. All you have to do is change the year, list the most current desktop environment, and click submit. Here is the declaration:

int swndupe(wchar_t* str, size_t size, UINT year, wchar_t* desktop);

You can use dupe() for stdout.

dupe(1998,"GNUStep"); [slashdot.org]

GNUStep becomes Screenshot-worthy, 09 August 1998

Check out this first screenshot of a GNUStep desktop! The GNUStep project seems to be moving ahead steadily, and it may become a major contender in the desktop wars.

Feel free to find you own!

2012 will be the year of the Desktop Linux!

[Chyeld]

And the US Supreme Court will rule that software is not patentable, software is copyrightable but EULA's are 100% unenforcable. And DRM will be outlawed.

And Microsoft, the RIAA, and most of the telecom industry will be broken up for various illegal activities, and forced to reform as smaller non-profit organizations with strict oversight.

Maybe I'll even have a date by then.

Re:Hopefully it'll be huge

[Anonymous Coward]

Here...

I should be graduating in 2012 with a degree in Computer Science and Engineering, so hopefully I'd be able to get a job.

fixed that for you

And what do you see for Linux in 4 years?

[John Hasler]

100,000 packages in Debian.

Re:2012 will be the year of the Desktop Linux!

[chill]

You had me going until that last one. I almost believed you.

Re:more importantly, is there linux w/o linus?

[Anonymous Coward]

If/when Linus dies/retires, does Linux adoption falter?

The Linus Community must immediately embark on a two pronged strategy:

CLONING!!!

SELECTIVE BREEDING!!!

In order to secure the future of FOSS we must make sure that Linus will be available to all future generations. Cloning will provide a proven Linus solution, and Linus bred offspring will provide adaptability against future Bill Gates clones or the re-emergence of a cryogenic frozen Gates or Balmer (or Godzilla for that matter).

Re:maybe it'll be like ms word?

[actionbastard]

Tux has detected that you would like to write a letter. Would you like to use vi or emacs?

Re:Think Antarctica

[mrsteveman1]

That was my fourth thought, the first 3 correspond to the 3 years in between now and then.

Re:Compiz FTW

[Tubal-Cain]

I don't see much diffrence between 95 and 98's UIs...

That's an easy question.

[QuietLagoon]

Three years down the road, Linux will still be suffering from too many distributions and continuing to think that is an advantage.

Re:About like it does now.

[LaminatorX]

I wrote that token-ring driver, you insensitive clod!

I think I've *heard* of that distro

[sentientbrendan]

>If the majority of games can work on even one distro out of the box, the other distros will lose users.

It's called *WINDOWS*.

>It is the simple model of evolution at work

Indeed.