Yeah, yeah...I've been hearing about Linux for some 25 years now (first heard about it from my best mate after he went to Caltech). And guess what...needle on the average users/gamers "give-a-fuckometer" is still hovering just slightly above the noise floor.

Just you wait until Hurd comes out...
Then you will all understand...

5 - 10 more years, once there is 99% compatibility with Windows apps it will be a landslide.

A more user-friendly approach in general would be a great start. When the solution to almost any problem involves the terminal, something's wrong from a user experience perspective. Often, it seems user experience isn't too high on the list even with some graphical software. Linux is a great operating system but there's not very much focus on attracting new users. Oh, and better software support and some marketing would also be quite helpful.

Perhaps one day we'll be free from our Microsoft overlords but I don't see it happening anytime soon. Still I like to see Linux development going forward, I like to install some distros on old PCs I have lying around to get some extra juice out of them.

So, for someone who is not very acquainted with PC operating systems, what am I looking at? I'm lost.

this title reminds me ocelot saying "the war is over... but... we still have a score to settle"

The patent pretty much prevents Linux from shipping with support for a method of storing texture data in a GPU's RAM.
There are better methods that are soon to be adopted (and currently are being used) but this one that was patented 20 years ago was and still is very popular.
Along with MP3 (which recently had its patent expire, so it is free to use and stuff) this bring Linux much closer to breaking into the mainstream.

These two patents expiring are a big deal to people who care, but un-important to those who do not.

The stuff about ASTC is one of the newer methods of texture compression, and is quite similar to virtual texturing, or video compression techniques.
It represents a way for the Switch to help bridge the gap between it and the devices with more VRAM (PS4, XOne as they cannot support the standard due to using older hardware).

The fact that we now have a popular console that supports Vulkan, half floats and ASTC at a base unit level is both a big deal for Linux, and should give a bit of a kickstart to the next generation of console / PC titles.
The Switch is too weak to brute force problems, but it has a nice feature set that, when taken advantage of will help PC gamers , without harming the current console games.
Developers will need to make use of the features, and that does not harm current games because the Switch should be too weak to harm game design.

TL;DR
Patents expiring is a good thing.
Linux continues to get better day by day, but has a long way to go.
ASTC should help the Switch keep up (within reason) with the PS4 and XOne and improve PC ports.

Hope this helps.

Thanks. So, Microsoft has other patents that has forced other operating softwares to find different means of using anti-aliasing? I don't know if Linux will ever be widely adopted, considering the brand recognition of Windows and iOS. I've never even seen Linux myself.

Why do people even want Windows to be overthrown? I mean I get it's kind of a monopoly on computer OS's but honestly ... pretty much every issue with Windows 10 is completely overblown

What is the problem with Windows? Serious question here. Is it because people hate MS that much they want to boycott there OS?
Windows offers the best Steam and Xbox experience and when it comes to gaming and feature wise its 2nd to none.
Its also very efficient. Plus Windows supports Vulkan and DX12 something other Operating systems dont.