Size of the user base

[TRS-80]

You make some very valid points, @constfun.

The way I've always heard it stated, it that it's the developer's job to develop the program. Your job is done when you publish a tarball. Packaging is a job for the distributions. If your program is successful / desired, (other) people will step up to help with the packaging. The distros will pick it up.

I used to think that the sheer number of different options in the greater *nix ecosystem was a problem, a negative. Confusion, fracturing, duplicated effort, etc. Eventually, I came around to see it as a positive. Lots of choices, diversity, etc. For those who want it (power users).

As regards "regular people", I don't think they really care as much. At this point I think a web browser is honestly mostly all these people need. lol And maybe email and edit some documents, view pictures, etc. Quite simple, really, and well within any number of out of the box Linux distros these days (as Zeb pointed out).

Which is the same reason why, as you correctly point out, they don't seem to care about Linux. Unless they start to have concerns about security, privacy, being in control of their data and devices. Which some more people are nowadays. Not a lot, but some. In this case there aren't really any other options.

But I guess GNU/Linux will never be all things to all people, so without knowing what you have in mind, I am not sure what else to say.

Most people get into Linux development because they have strong convictions about Free Software, or want to solve new and interesting problems, or other motivations. But you sound like you are maybe doing some sort of market survey. Maybe you want to make a living in F/LOSS? Have some app in mind? There are ways to make money, but they are different from what is common in proprietary world.