“What’s the security like under UBUNTU or KUBUNTU?
Since it’s an open system, isn’t it very acceptable to all sorts of malware? “
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Rock solid, and no real viruses to speak of. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen, but there isn’t much reason for virus writers to write for Linux. Linux distributions, especially the Debian-based systems like Ubuntu and Linux Mint are auto-updating. The systems are automatically updated daily behind the scenes and so vulnerabilities are fixed quickly.
Linux was designed to be more secure from the start; Windows was written for home users in the pre-internet era. Computer security for early Windows programmers was to keep the door locked. Linux was crafted after the Unix/BSD tradition, used for corporate mainframes where security was an issue.
Mac OSX is based on BSD, so Linux and OSX are cousins in a way.
I’ve run Linux for the past five years — Kubuntu, Ubuntu and next will be going with Linux Mint. Not one virus.
Linux is very stable and you have a literal ton of free programs to choose from, most found in the repository of your distribution. If you want a program you choose it on a list, click OK and it will auto-install.
Games are another issue. If you’re into games on the side, you’ll need to dual-boot into Windows. Same goes for any proprietary program you can’t do without, but for the most part Linux has an alternative package that will do just as well.
Check out Linux Mint and Ubuntu — both are Debian-based and can update software easily.
Some Linux Alternatives
* may not be as powerful in some cases, but don’t cost $hundreds.
MS Office => LibreOffice, OpenOffice
Photoshop => Gimp, Krita
Adobe Illustrator => Inkscape
Adobe Indesign => Scribus
Media players => huge number, too great to even list
DVD players => Kaffeine, and many more
Freemind Mind Mapper
Firefox
Google Chrome => Chromium
Geany — awesome light text editor
And hundreds of others
I will “ditto” everything the good pastor said. An “open system” such as linux is not inherently less secure. The “open” reference concerns who develops and maintains the linux kernel and its related applications (which is a wide and changing group of people), NOT to it being an open door for viruses, etc.
I have run Ubuntu and Mint and am now trying Zorin, all linux “flavors”. The last of these is meant to look and “feel” like Win 7.
Getting a “dual boot” machine with XP or Win 7 AND a linux distribution is great.
And LINUX is far superior to Apple or Microsoft in the malware, virus, etc., area for the precise reasons PastorBooks described.
It is a fun system if you even 0.5% geek.
I studied Linux and Fortran in college in the early '80s, but I've forgotten it. I'll give it some thought.
Most of my computer time now days is spent looking for old parts for old farm equipment, shopping on e-bay, or researching items of interest, and of course, Free Republic.