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
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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.
The easiest I found to install and configure has been Mandrake (now called Mandiva), if you are serious, I would suggest you try this one first.
"Just an innocent question. If I download Linux to replace Windows XP, what happens if I decide I don't like Linux."
if you don't go dual boot and go with a full install it can cause some problems. a windows install disk will not work on top of a HD with linux on it. you can grab an old 98 startup and reformat the HD then install XP back. if your OEM disk uses ghost you don't have to worry about anything. it will wipe the HD clean and put XP back on it.
honestly, if you can't build your on computer you shouldn't try linux without having some linux friends near by to help you.
or just try the liveCDs, they are harmless.
have you tried kubuntu? http://www.kubuntu.org/
it's ubuntu with a KDE front. REALLY easy to get going and works great. fedora4 loaded and worked well for me too.
Impressive and/or scary. Bet you where not exactly the most popular programmer at that site for a while.
I wonder ... how many "giants" are using Microsoft?
From personal experience, I can name GM, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Continental Airways, Jaguar and La-Z-Boy. I know this because I have done projects for these companies in the last 5 years.
Somehow I don't think listing a few companies qualifies Linux as "The Choice of Giants".
Most, if not all, of those companies also use Linux, Solaris or someother version on Unix.
I got a core dump delivered on a furniture dolly. It was about my second week as a programmer.
I'm just wondering why the editor is so slow and this guy arrives with a six-foot high printout and says, "Where do you want me to put it?"
Thanks!
unless your hp was running on fat32 instead of ntsf you SOL if you were running XP. if you are running XP you might be able to fix your OS with a clean disk to fix the OS and get in there and get those files.
tip of the day: always keep your data on a second HD.
computers crash way more then a HD just for data.
And none of the Linux ones listed use any form of Windows?
"Mandroke"?
I learned this the HARD way on more than one ocassion. Any PC I am using, that has important info, must have 2 HD's!!
I guess that would fall to reasons #1.. Solaris can have a change of heart again and then you're at a dead end. There are so many Linux distros out there that if RedHat cheesed me off tomorrow I could go to Novell just as easy..
Geez, they come out with new Linux versions every day, don't they? =)
Er..why not mirror? Hard drives are inexpensive these days..
Hey if the BSD project had not had to go through some of the early legal battles it would very well be the guy in front. In fact I once read that Linux said if he had known about the free BSD project he never would have bothered with Linux he would have joined them.. Its a great OS but Linux has closed many of the gaps, and Linux has a richer community developing apps for it *and* corporate apps like Oracle, Weblogic and the like behind it..
tsk tsk tsk.
It's not nice to omit pinging someone when you talk about them, is it?
You two are gonna end up best buddies some day =)
PS: You know I am only kidding about the ping thing, right?
yea but you have to try really hard /sarcasm..
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