Linux has too many desktops, and that's why beginners give up

The abundance of Linux desktop environments creates choice paralysis for beginners, who must navigate the intertwined decisions of distro and desktop simultaneously. Fragmented community efforts mean tools often support only one desktop, limiting cross-environment compatibility. Smaller desktops like COSMIC struggle to gain ecosystem support, and niche distros like Nitrux have collapsed under the weight of maintaining their own desktop shells. The argument is that too many competing desktops dilutes development resources and overwhelms newcomers rather than empowering them.