Want to join the UK’s fastest growing dedicated IT community? Enter here to browse the UK’s top usergroups, societies and associations.

GNU/Linux Eclipses Windows – for Eclipse Users

May 28, 2009

Posted by: Glyn Moody

Eclipse has long been one of my favourite open source projects, despite, or maybe even because, it's not as widely appreciated as it should be – though more now than it was three years ago when I described it as Open Source's Best-Kept Secret.

Eclipse is a great open source project for many reasons. I admire the way it was started by IBM and released by them once a strong enough community had grown up around it.

It's also good to see how the ambitions of the project have grown far beyond ithe initial aims of producing a great, free development tool for Java. Finally, I'm a big fan because as a result of that growth and maturing, it's now a serious rival to Microsoft's development offerings.

Given that Eclipse has changed a lot in recent years, the 2009 Community Survey provides a useful opportunity to find out where it stands today. Of course, it's not representative of the wider computer world, since it's biased in all kinds of ways, but in nonetheless contains some very interesting results.

For me, the highlight is the following:

Developers appear to be shifting away from Microsoft Windows to Linux and Mac OSX for their development operating system. 26.9% of respondents cite Linux was as primary desktop operating system, representing a 7 percentage point increase from 2007.

Though Windows is still the dominant development OS at 64%, it has decreased 10 percentage points from 2007. The most popular Linux variant of choice among developers is Ubuntu, which accounts for over half of Linux respondents. Mac OSX has increase to 6.9% from 3.5% in 2007.

These are developers, not end-users, but even so, the percentage changes are significant, particularly in the light of the deployment figures:

Linux is taking an increase share of the deployment operating system environment. 42.7% of the respondents selected Linux as their deployment environment; an increase from 37% in 2007. Ubuntu (12%) and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (10.2%) are the leading Linux distros.

Similar to the developer desktop, there has been a decrease in the use of Windows as a deployment environment from 47% in 2007 to 40.5% in 2009. Also, there appears to have been a decrease in the use of Sun Solaris/OpenSolaris as a deployment environment from 8% in 2007 to 5.2% in 2009.

I think it's true to say that GNU/Linux was always stronger in deployment than on the desktop for Eclipse users, so it's good to see progress made in the latter sector. It's also pretty impressive that GNU/Linux has now surpassed Windows for deployment.

Registration is free, and gives you full access to our extensive white paper library, downloads, speciality areas and more.

Stay up-to-date with the latest, breaking IT news, most-read articles and expert insight, direct to your inbox.

ComputerworldUK’s RSS feeds sends the latest news, reviews & analysis direct to your desktop!

The reason these are important trends goes back to my opening comments. Eclipse is a very important open source project, and is likely to become widely used among companies. If the above figures for desktop and deployment are maintained as take-up increases, together they represent very important beachheads in the overall desktop and server markets. That's probably another reason I really like Eclipse: the more it succeeds, the more it carries open source of all kinds with it.

Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca.

Follow highlights from ComputerworldUK on Twitter
Sign up for our Daily Newsletter
The UK IT News widget Get it for your site!

<<newer entry | back to blogs index | older entry>>

Advert

Email this article to a friend or colleague:

PLEASE NOTE: Your name is used only to let the recipient know who sent the story, and in case of transmission error. Both your name and the recipient's name and address will not be used for any other purpose.

This article is now being printed.

What are your views on this subject? Use the form below to post a comment on this article up to 1000 characters.

Click below to add 'GNU/Linux Eclipses Windows – for Eclipse Users' to your blog.

If you do not have a ComputerworldUK Account and would like to use this feature, please Register.

If you are a registered, logged-in user, this will post the title and first paragraph of this story to your blog to share with your readers.

What is this?

Comments received

dudley said on Friday, 29 May 2009

We need open source desk top system in the U.S.. Microsoft slows the learning process and dictates how people use their personal computers. I am glad to see the growth in open source

It is great to see open source grow said on Friday, 24 July 2009

So many people haven't given open source a chance. They are of the belief that there is only one operation system. Buy a book on Ubuntu and read,learn, and enjoy the freedom of Linux.

replica handbags said on Wednesday, 23 September 2009

SAIC informed Bama <a href="http://www.mybagsroom.com">replica handbags</a> Ya Qu replica handbags Qu scar television advertising and other direct <a href="http://www.mybagsroom.com/louis_vuitton_handbags-luxury.html">replica louis vuitton</a> marketing replica louis vuitton products scar direct TV ads exaggerated <a href="http://www.mybagsroom.com/gucci_handbags-luxury.html">replica gucci</a> the replica gucci effect, using absolute as well as medical, pharmaceutical confusion of terms, before <a href="http://www.mybagsroom.com/chanel_handbags-luxury.html">replica chanel</a> contrast, after replica chanel effects, etc. to ensure a serious distortion of product role, mislead consumers.

SAIC reported on <a href="http://www.ebagsell.com">replica handbags</a> direct replica handbags advertising of fruit thin TV slimming <a href="http://www.ebagsell.com/louis_vuitton_handbags-luxury.html">replica louis vuitton</a> products direct replica louis vuitton TV ads, contains a lot of <a href="

SHENGXIANG said on Wednesday, 14 October 2009

http://www.watchmvp.com replica watches
http://www.watchmvp.com wholesale watches
http://www.watchmvp.com cheap watches

SHENGXIANG said on Wednesday, 14 October 2009

<a href="http://www.watchmvp.com/Omega.html">Omega watches</a>
<a href="http://www.watchmvp.com/Breitling.html">Breitling watches</a>

replica handbags said on Saturday, 24 October 2009

Most people are afraid of online fraud and the security of the online store, http://www.goooodbag.com/ with years professional experience dealing with high quality replicas, Adopting Secure Socket Layer,a truly reliable and secure store offer very high quality <a href="http://www.goooodbag.com">Replica Handbags</a> like replica louis vuitton handbags,replica gucci bags,women's bags,replica wallets,fake purses etc at reasonal price,wholesale replica handbags at discount price.
7 Star Reliable and Secure <strong> <a href="http://www.goooodbag.com">Designer Replica Handbags</a> </strong> </br> online store.