I know the difference between an OS and the kernel, still a lot of devices don't run on the Linux kernel. Windows isn't Linux, macOS/iOS is not Linux, PS5/Xbox/Nintendo don't run on Linux, Xiaomi and Huawei are transitioning away from Linux.

I stand by my point that Linux isn't particularly dominant in the consumer space, even if we include Android, whose Linux-ness and open source pedigree is questionable.

> I stand by my point that Linux isn't particularly dominant in the consumer space

what if we add Steam deck? chromebooks? smartTVs, smartwatches, amazon echo, google home? GoPro and similar cameras? Maybe we should add some drones too. There are way more devices using linux in the hands of consumers than all other OS's together.

i’ll try another way

> the internal combustion engine is the “best” engine

> lorries/hgvs are not the “best” vehicles

then

> lorries/hgvs are in the minority, so the internal combustion engine cannot be the best vehicle

> … cars?

nothing you’ve said refutes the statement ‘linux is the “best” kernel’.

like, i geddit. you don’t like linux OSes. you’re entitled to have an opinion.

i personally disagree. but that doesn’t matter. my opinion is not really worth much.

I don't have any particular feelings for or against Linux, and even if I had, they would be irrelevant for the sake of this argument. I'm just saying for something to be the objectively being 'best' at something, means it makes little sense to use anything but that thing, excepting niche cases.

Which is why you could make a credible case for Linux being the 'best' server OS, but you couldn't make the case for it in other spaces (consumer, embedded etc.), because the alternatives are preferred by huge chunks of the market.