Posted on 08/25/2005 7:49:07 PM PDT by N3WBI3
INTRODUCTION:
linuximgDeveloped by Linus Torvalds in 1991, Linux is a free operating system which “belongs to the world” and today, it has millions of happy users worldwide. Its being free doesn’t mean its being meaner than other operating systems. On the contrary, the industry experts are most impressed by its power and richness and more and more users are embracing Linux. Changing operating systems is definitely a big labor but this one-time labor is nothing if compared to all that one does to tackle those terrible blue screens of death, frozen windows, system crashes, viruses, data loss and spy wares. We are not destined to spend a quarter of our lives installing, de-installing and re-installing anti-virus tools or restarting computers and those geeks and non-geeks, who realize this, close their Windows, migrate to Linux and live happily ever after. And, I’ll give you just some of the reasons why.
1. FREEDOM:
The number one reason why Linux is the choice of many is the freedom it gives. It “let’s you do everything you want to do” but this is not the only aspect of this freedom. Linux liberates you from the yoke of vendors who hurl unwanted updates your way, and frees you from the sight of the horrible blue screens of death and its likes. This precious freedom doesn’t cost you a penny. You can download a free distribution of Linux from the internet. Otherwise, you can get a CD from the market after spending a minimal amount of money and without worrying about the licensing fees or about violating the piracy laws because Linux is open source and it comes with GNU General Public License. This is its true beauty and the reason why Linus Torvalds and the whole Linux community, working to make things better, have many admirers.
2. STABILITY:
Linux_vs_Windows
With Linux, your computer doesn’t freeze or slow down because of memory leaks. It has a high performance level and can run for years without causing you trouble. This actually means complete control as you will not find yourself pushing Ctrl+Alt+Del keys in sheer desperation. Problems pop up only when any of the hardware fails. Its excellent stability is another reason which attracts users.
3. SECURITY:
No OS can beat Linux when it comes to security. It’s a long debated issue and something which bothers Microsoft so much so it started its own campaign to make people believe Linux is not any safer but Linux users are already aware of the vulnerabilities of Windows and know Linux differs when it comes to it and can easily be termed as the most secure operating system. The design of Linux is different from that of Windows. This doesn’t make it an easy target and even if half of the world switches to Linux, the attacks will not cause much damage even though the source code of Linux is available for every Tom, Dick and Harry. The availability of the source code only means advantage. Millions of programmers have contributed to beef up the security of Linux. Bugs are fixed just as soon as they are identified. Linux is getting better and better every passing day. For a comprehensive report on the security of Linux as compared to windows, click here.
4. EFFICIENT NETWORKING
One of the most talked about features of Linux is its efficient networking capabilities. Reviewed, tested and strengthened by many programmers on the internet, Linux networking is well renowned for its reliability. Since networking is amalgamated deeply in the Linux operating system, it can bear heavy loads and exhibit persistent high-performance and is highly appreciated for its robustness. Linux supports different networking protocols which include TCP/IP, ISPX/SPX, ISDN, PPP, SLIP, PLIP, Apple Talk Protocol Suite, etc.
5. EASY INSTALLATION
use_linux
Linux has many popular distributions (flavours), for example; Red Hat, Mandroke, SUSE, UBUNTU. You can chose any version you deem appropriate and the best thing is most of them come with easy installation procedures, which give you complete power as to decide what you want your PC to do.
6. FLEXIBILITY:
This is yet another wonderful feature of Linux. You can customize the system as much as you want to fit your needs giving your computer a personal touch in the true meaning of the word. You’ll come to love your PC finding it the way you want it to be. It doesn’t go without saying, “Linux lets you do everything you want to do”.
7. FREE UPGRADES:
Yes, free upgrades. There is whole big dedicated community, which works to extend the capabilities and power of Linux. This is the real essence of open source. With so many brains together, the result is always impressive. Both major and minor Linux upgrades are easily available for download on the internet. If the configuration is done correctly, software don’t need to be re-installed on Linux when you upgrade.
8. FULL USE OF HARD DISK:
Windows’ performance slows down when you use most of your hard disk and you get ‘low memory’ errors. This is not the case with Linux though. It lets you use every single space on your hard disk and runs smoothly all the while. You are alerted only when there isn’t any space left on your hard disk.
9. SUPERB TECHNICAL SUPPORT:
In 1997, InfoWorld awarded Linux the Product of the Year for Best Technical Support. Linux has an active community of users, developers and supporters who are always very willing to help. If you face any problem, all you have to do is just connect to the internet, search and see if your problem is answered anywhere. If it’s not, you can join a Linux forum and post it there to be scrutinized by the community members.
10. THE CHOICE OF THE GIANTS:
The popularity and power of Linux can be estimated from the fact that it’s the choice of the giants. Google, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, Panasonic, Royal Dutch/Shell, U.S. Postal Service are only a few names who use Linux plus the government of Mexico City uses Linux for everything and the money it saves by doing so is spent on welfare services.
I can not mention all the reasons why once should switch to Linux, for they are so many and I have not even mentioned some really important ones like multi-tasking, scalability and easy remote administration. The choice is yours. Save money using a product liked by the experts or buy the one which they shun. Linux rules the heart of its users. This is enough a reason why one should embrace Linux.
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VNC (Virtual Network Computing) software makes it possible to view and fully-interact with one computer from any other computer or mobile device anywhere on the Internet. VNC software is cross-platform, allowing remote control between different types of computer. For ultimate simplicity, there is even a Java viewer, so that any desktop can be controlled remotely from within a browser without having to install software.
Must check that out!
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The Cygwin DLL works with all non-beta, non "release candidate", ix86 32 bit versions of Windows since Windows 95, with the exception of Windows CE.
Help, contact, web page, other info... Historical cygwin info...
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Now I know!
BUT WHY?
VNC is totally awesome. Have used it for years and can't live without it.
For completeness sake you should know that there are those that say that TightVNC (http://www.tightvnc.com) is superior to RealVnc.
Myself, I've used RealVnc and been quite happy with it and certainly it's been worth the purchase price of $0.00. (Tight VNC is also free).
And x windows application can be run off of a *nix server to a windows box running cygwin.
My only beef with VNC is its inability to log? Or do I just not know how? we run VNC on most of our windows boxes and I would just love to be able to point at a log of what IP's connect. Larger consulting companies recommend netmeeting and windows terminal services for windows boxes for just that reason.
My VNC server typically runs on a Solaris server or on a Linux workstation. My client typically runs on my windows laptop. I run fvwm2 on my VNC session and it typically is my view towards my code, my compilation windows, my executable windows etc. Since all this happens behind a large and secure firewall, I (rightly or wrongly) don't fret about logs, security, etc. No I don't know how to get it do logging, but that's not to say it can't be done.
To me what is irreplaceable about VNC is the preservation of session state. I can have dozens of windows open, with dozens of source files in many instances of xemacs. My xterms have the last 1000 commands I ran (or something like that).
I can go on vacation for a week (or just go home from work) and log back on and *everything* is just as I left it and I can continue working as before. Many times I'll forget exactly what I was doing but the session state immediately reminds me where I was. Maybe not unlike coming back to a mononopoly game where the money, the dice, the pieces, the property is just as it was when you were last playing. All someone has to do is pick up the dice and roll again :)
I can't put a price on that kind of convenience and efficiency.
The security issues are handled at the firewall where someone else gets paid to keep the bad guys out ;)
Market share at home. Maybe most of the folks you know don't play computer games, but the gaming industry's revenue numbers say there's a big chunk that do. Then of course there's all that other stuff that comes with being a big gaming platform: lots of application and hardware support.
So? Soros is a frikin Communist and HE has billions as well...
...listening for Brass Buzzard's reply...
crickets
LOL!!
Bingo!
The security issues are handled at the firewall where someone else gets paid to keep the bad guys out ;)
I dont think the two ned to be exclusive
I don't think the two need to be exclusive
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Maybe they don't *need* to be exclusive but in reality they probably *are*. I checked the VNC manpage and from there the XVnc manpage and found this gem.
BUGS
There are many security problems in current Xvnc implementation. It's recommended to restrict network access to Xvnc servers from untrusted network adresses. Probably, the best way to secure Xvnc server is to allow only loopback connections from the server machine (the -localhost option) and to use SSH tunneling for remote access to the Xvnc server. For details on SSH tunneling, see http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/sshvnc.html.
My take home msg is that things are pretty much as I've described. It's a great app but not something that's secure enough to use outside of a trusted environment.
Hey don't laugh I have one of those and it works GOOD!!!
there is a good reason to have several different distros but you are correct in your thinking. hundreds of flavors can't make things hard to understand or get into.
i think the biggest negative side effect is having so many great programs wasting their time coming up with the same stuff all at the same time.
biggest problem with linux: lack of leadership
best thing about linux: no one person can screw it up on their own.
The more things get complicated with technology, IMO the more it can break down or become hacked.
LMOA!
this GE troll is what is wrong with world today. people take such a far right or far left position it's not even worth talking with them.
do third world countries use linux? sure they do, what else would those broke ass countries use?
i also can't stand the linux nazi's that think they are so above everyone just because they can run a shell account.
crazy stuff.
i'm not a linux user yet, i do believe it's almost there.
is it communism? no, it's free. stupid trolls will never understand the difference.
Then you re-apply and re-register Windows XP and go on your merry way :).
I suspect if the re-registration process goes awry and you have to call - Explaining that you tried Linux and didn't like it would earn you a hassle-free re-registration ;)
If your computer did not ship with Windows XP and driver CDs and you are not computer savvy enough to work around such things, then I would suggest your Linux experiment take place on an expendable computer.
Thanks for the info, I'm a computer illiterate, but my IT guy will walk me through this.
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