"As we have discussed at some length before, a clear large majority of desktop environments in FOSS today share the same design, and it's a design that originated in Windows. Nearly 20 years ago, Microsoft threatened to sue over it. It never happened, but not because Microsoft lacked evidence: as we spelled out in 2013, the signs are very clear. It didn't happen because it wasn't clear who it should sue, or if it could sue anyone for free community-driven efforts."
"What do we mean by Windows-like? Specifically, Windows 95-like - because every Windows version since then has inherited the same core design. When Windows 95 turned 20, The Register gave it a small tribute, and you can see that core design right there. A panel across one whole long edge of the screen, and reading left-to-right, an app-launcher button first, then a row of buttons for open windows, then a recessed "system tray" with the clock, and usually some notification icons."
Linux developers frequently recreate existing solutions, producing overlapping implementations across the ecosystem. Linux and the GNU tools are free-software recreations of earlier proprietary tools. After more than three decades of development, the environment still centers on a single Linux and a small set of GNU utilities. Some technical areas maintain interoperability and consistency, while others fragment badly. Desktop environments exemplify this fragmentation, with a clear majority adopting a Windows 95-derived interface. Windows-like desktops place a panel along a screen edge, a left-to-right app-launcher and window buttons, and a recessed system tray with clock and icons.
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