Linux may be entrenched in the data center, but it will need some sprucing up before the upstart operating system grabs a significant spot on desktop PCs.
Cosmetic improvements, more and better business applications and better marketing will help turn the tide, according to speakers at the Desktop Linux Summit here.
While figures vary widely on worldwide Linux desktop penetration, most credible sources place it between 0.5 percent and 2 percent of the market, making the open-source operating system a slowly rising third to Windows and Apple Computer.
But many are optimistic Linux will reach mainstream status, typically defined as 10 percent market share or better, within the next five years.