The Future of the Planet is GNU/Linux, But Freedom Needs to be Included Too
THE idea that GNU/Linux will dominate almost everything (one day), ranging from pico/micro to macro (HPC and decentralised swarms) isn't some distant dream or faraway fantasy. GNU/Linux is extensively used in space and other planets (Mars for now), so it's not limited to this planet anymore. China is adopting free hardware designs, so it seems to have moved further than just adoption of GNU/Linux.
Whatever the vocation may be, it is important to ensure GNU/Linux brings freedom to computer users, not just some brand or a logo. That will likely be a big challenge with high barriers because not only large corporations but also dominant (imperialistic, colonialist) governments stand to gain from controlling all the people via their computing devices. They try to mandate back doors in communications and - inter alia - in underlying system security mechanisms.
I've been doing GNU/Linux advocacy for over 20 years and we're at the cusp of change in some newer 'niche' areas - with new horizons now opening further down the stack and closer to silicon. Steeper and increasingly arduous obstacles include sanctions, but there are ways around them and they can, at best, slow things down a bit and cause inconvenience.
The future is UNIX-like operating systems, including GNU/Linux and BSDs. Many places of professional discourse, including education, have come to expect "Linux skills" (a misnomer when they typically mean GNU programs, Bash scripting/programming etc.) and the vast majority of back-end deployments, never mind mobile devices, demand such skills. █
"Once GNU is written, everyone will be able to obtain good system software free, just like air."
--Richard Stallman