For example, in 2016Q1, Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US, and in September the Raspberry Pi Foundation announced that they had shipped over 10 million units. “Ah, the eternal year of the Linux desktop question! Part of the issue is that it’s quite hard to define what this means. McGovern seems to disagree, when I asked him this question. In that case shouldn’t desktop Linux focus on a niche, its core competency instead of fighting a lost battle? I fear that ‘the year of desktop Linux’ in the consumer space might never arrive, given the complexity of the consumer PC space. To a great extent, a desktop environment is also responsible for the success or failure of Linux on desktop. “We need to ensure that everyone can have access to computing, not just those who a) can afford a proprietary licence or b) who have needs (be it language, or physical abilities) that are not met due to there being insufficient revenue in a particular sector.”Īll said and done, the Gnome project is mostly known for providing a very easy to use and modern desktop environment for the Linux-based distributions. By being independent, free (as in freedom), connected to the wider ecosystem, and people focused, the project puts software in the hands of end users,” said McGovern.

“Additionally, I like to focus on the outcomes of the project, rather than simply the technology. GNOME technologies have been used to build a range of highly successful consumer products,” he said. When we think of the Gnome project, we mostly think of the Linux/BSD desktop, but McGovern said that it’s really “…important to note that the GNOME project is more than simply a desktop. The last, but not least, important component of any open source project is its community and McGovern assists in the wider GNOME community with support for events and understanding the challenges it faces. McGovern’s job is to maintain and establish relationships with organizations that share Gnome’s Free Software mission, and promoting GNOME and GNOME technologies at events.

Not every open source project can afford to have dedicated marketing resources, but the Gnome Foundation does have them. Marketing and external relations are critical to the survival of a large project like Gnome. As far as money is concerned, McGovern works with the foundation’s board to ensure that they maintain good financial control, but also to grow the supporter base and sponsors. McGovern helps the GNOME Foundation run smoothly, overseeing the day-to-day operations and making sure tasks progress.

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