openSUSE is a popular Linux distribution known for its stability, versatility, and ease of use. Developed and maintained by the openSUSE community, the distribution offers comprehensive features, including a powerful package management system, an intuitive installer, and robust security features.
With its strong focus on user experience and flexibility, openSUSE has gained a loyal following among Linux enthusiasts, developers, and businesses. However, the distribution does not come under the spotlight as often as other company-backed ones, such as Canonical’s Ubuntu or Red Hat’s Fedora.
This is entirely unfair because in the case of openSUSE, we’re talking about a high-end enterprise Linux distribution that you can rely on from your home PC to your company servers, and it will not let you down. Furthermore, unlike Ubuntu, which bombards its users with unpopular moves, the most recent of which is this, with openSUSE, the user can rely on predictability.
That’s why the stats below make us happy; they show that more and more Linux users are recognizing and betting on openSUSE as the distribution of choice. Here’s what it’s all about.
openSUSE Doubles Its User Base
openSUSE has seen a massive surge in its user base over the past year. According to recent reports, the number of people using openSUSE has doubled since last year, indicating a growing interest in this open-source operating system.
But first, let’s clarify the statistics we’re talking about. The data, available at metrics.opensuse.org, shows the number of downloads reported by the distribution for each of its releases. Information that can be considered a sufficiently reliable criterion based on which further analyses can be done with high certainty.
It is clear that after its release in June 2022, the number of downloads of openSUSE Leap 15.4 skyrocketed to around 360K in February 2023. At the same time, its predecessor, openSUSE Leap 15.3, had 190-200 thousand downloads until last July, when it dropped, expectedly, with the release of the new version.
What is causing this near-doubling? Does it mean that openSUSE 15.4 is twice as good as 15.3? Of course not. These two and all previous Leap releases offer their users uncompromising release quality and top-notch support throughout their lifecycle. More than anything, the explanation for the sharp increase in interest in Leap releases seems elsewhere.
We’re already in the realm of speculation. Still, the most logical explanation is that more and more Linux users recognize and rediscover in the openSUSE Leap release the reliability they need and trust. Furthermore, it is possible that some Ubuntu users, disappointed with the company’s policies and decisions, have lost trust in Canonical’s distro. In this line of thought, openSUSE, especially its Leap release, looks to be a natural response to their demands for enterprise-ready Linux distro.
This opinion is further confirmed if we look at the statistics of the number of downloads of Tumbleweed, the openSUSE rolling-release edition. Over the last two years, it has been steadily hovering around the 150-160 thousand downloads mark without any sudden ups or downs.
As we know, Tumbleweed primarily aims at advanced Linux users who don’t mind using the command line more often. This somewhat excludes it from the group for users migrating from Ubuntu to openSUSE and explains the preservation of the curve in its downloads.
You can learn more about the differences between openSUSE Leap and Tumbleweed in our article.
The graph below clearly shows the increased popularity of all Leap 15’s releases and the 15.4 fast upward climb.
So, what can we say in conclusion? As Linux continues to gain popularity, openSUSE’s growth demonstrates the increasing demand for open-source solutions in today’s technology landscape. The distro is gaining momentum as a popular Linux distro for personal and enterprise use. Its with-user-in-mind approach, reliability, and community-driven development model have attracted many users and contributors.
The data can only make us happy, as we wholeheartedly sympathize with the distrо, among the most prominent players in the Linux field, but undeservedly gets less attention than it deserves. Well, it looks like that’s about to change. If you want to help in this effort, you can visit DistroWatch’s openSUSE page.
So, we’ll end with this – dear openSUSE, keep being stable and predictable, and we’ll love you forever!
