My top 5 Linux predictions for 2022

What's ahead in 2022 for Linux? I don't have a crystal ball — and there are a lot of things I'd like to see — but here are my top 5 predictions of what 2022 will bring for Linux.

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Gaming in Linux is going to become more popular this year.

Linux is stable and performant, which is great for gaming. PC gaming has always been on Windows, because it's widely used. Software like DirectX and video drivers written specifically for Windows meant there was really only one option.

But, Steam for Linux has made amazing strides recently.

There’s the Steam Deck, which runs Arch Linux, so the software in Linux is catching up. This means more options for PC gamers to take advantage of what developers have known and loved about Linux for years.

I predict we'll see significant growth in Linux users on Steam in the coming year.

I mentioned Arch Linux above. I predict a rise in Arch-based Linux distributions in 2022.

Arch is one of my favorite distributions. It's stable, powerful, and very configurable. It's a great way to get a rock-solid Linux system exactly how you want it. Plus, it's a rolling distribution, meaning you always get the latest and greatest software patched in whenever you update. No big upgrade procedures needed.

However, Arch is not easy to install and configure — it can be quite painful. There are distributions based on Arch that take away that pain, like Manjaro.

Manjaro is very easy to install and use, plus it has all the benefits of having Arch Linux underneath. It's been gaining popularity very quickly as an easy-to-use, powerful system. Distributions like Garuda and EndeavorOS are also based on Arch, and are gaining popularity as well.

Arch-based Linux is the best of both worlds: easy to use and performant. That's why I predict we’ll see a lot of growth with Arch-based distros in 2022.

I predict Flatpaks are going to win the year in 2022. If you've ever tried to install Zoom, Skype, or something similar, you know there's a lot of configuration involved. Installation systems like Flatpak and Snap make for an easy install, which is why they're becoming so popular.

But, Snaps have had a lot of issues. The Flatpak system seems far more reliable and less problematic.

This helps new Linux users a lot, and with Linux itself becoming more popular, I see Flatpaks rising as the standard in 2022 and beyond.

OK, the writing is on the wall with this one. Wayland is getting better and better every day, and in 2022, I think it will continue to be the desktop of choice.

There are so many great benefits to Wayland, and it's constantly improving. New users love it, and I predict it's going to rise in popularity big-time in 2022.

I predict more developers will be using Linux in 2022. Now, you're probably rolling your eyes right now since Linux only exists because of developers, and it's been a top choice for decades, right? But there's a twist . . .

The developers I'm thinking of are using Windows. That's right, WSL, or Windows Subsystem for Linux is making great strides. You can have a full, real Linux system running inside of Windows. It's not a VM or an emulator, but a true Linux system in a console.

So all the things people love to use Linux for — like containers, image processing, machine learning, and more — can now be done from a Windows desktop.

Now all these Windows developers out there have a great way to leverage the power of Linux from within their desktop, and they love it!

I predict we'll see more developers using Linux within WSL in 2022, and that this will naturally bring more folks into the Linux world.

Those are my 2022 predictions. What do you think?

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What's new with Linux this Month? Check out the video above for the latest, including Linux Remote Desktop 0.9, Pop!_OS 21.10, Manjaro 21.1 “Qonos”, and video editor Kdenlive 21.12.