Posted on 07/06/2010 7:12:48 AM PDT by ShadowAce
Linux was a great way to get a posix/unix type OS at home before Mac OS X came out.
Question to those that know from someone that does not know.
I often hear that Linux does not have a virus problem
Is this because Linux is not wide spread enough for virus writers to bother with, or is there a built in protection from viruses?
I’m a big fan of Linux, I use it professionally and personally however it is NOT to the level of usability that Mac OSX and Win 7 have. The Linux community has been saying for 10+ years that Linux would be the desktop OS of choice for a majority of users but it’s not going to happen. Why? For the exact reason that makes Linux a powerful, scalable and open platform....it’s *too* open and thus development is fractured and not refined. As a result, there’s very little polish on the user experience side and that alone will turn off a vast majority of people. Not to mention the average user has no desire or use for a command shell which is the core of using Linux.
Apple got it right with development of OSX. They started with a base of BSD and built a polished, centralized and controlled GUI; yet the user has the ability to use the power of BSD. Anyone that has had to get wireless working on an Ubuntu laptop without native drivers will agree that Linux isn’t giving MS or Apple a run for their money. Is there a place for Linux? Absolutely, IMO it’s the server platform of choice and can be a powerful workstation for specialized use but it’s not going to be the everyday computer for most users.
Is there a version of linux that will run Halo 2?
I got halo 2 for Christmas but it needs vista or windows 7. If there is a compatible linux OS with it I’d rather go that way.
Thanks
Yeah, Anyone who still thinks Linux is going to take over the desktop is insane.
I can just see “Mom & Pop” building the kernel for every machine they own.
You don't have to do that. With distros like Ubuntu it installs just like Windows or OSX, with the kernel already built.
Why did you install it on the laptop without trying the live CD first to make sure everything worked? It’s been quite a few years since I’ve seen Linux not work with any piece of hardware. I’m sure it happens, but it’s pretty rare these days and certainly preventable. Certainly can’t say the same for OSX, which has no live CD and doesn’t work with a huge lot of hardware out there, because it’s only made for Apple’s designer hardware.
I find the UI of Ubuntu and Mint quite pleasing. Windows 7 lifted some key UI features from Linux, which made it a lot nicer to use, but I still prefer Linux. Especially with Compiz Fusion enabled.
Haven't done that in a long time. Xubuntu 9.04.
Steam is supposed to be coming to Linux within the year, but as for that specific version you have of Halo2, it probably won’t run natively on Linux. It might work in a Windows Virtualbox though, since it’s pretty old at this point.
I’ve used Norton for years, and haven’t yet been struck by malware yet. (I know Norton has a rep for being klunky, but the latest version is pretty light on its feet and I barely notice it’s there.)
The real reason I’ve been lucky, however, are my habits on-line. I’m very careful about downloading email attachments and files over the web. I never download a program or visit an unknown site without first googling the name of the program/site + malware, virus, trojan, etc. to see if there’s any trouble associated with it — like those stupid tool-bars everyone wants you to install.
My wife goes everywhere on her laptop — which is why I don’t have her machine installed on a network!
At a fundamental level, the operating system is more secure because of the way it handles access rights and privileges. That said, there are still vectors of attack open, but they generally require more work and the assistance (conscious or not) of someone with access to the "root" password (or other user account elevated to system-wide admin rights).
I'm still skeptical about it being compatible with all things Windows but I'm not the techie in the family :) and you can't beat the price!
The biggest obstacle to virus writers, though, is it's structure and built in security. The smallest variable is the popularity of it. Linux actually runs on more (and more important) machines than Windows does. It's just the desktop where the "market share" is lower.
Good morning! I’m glad you took the time to post this informative “interview”.
Although I am an average P.C. user, and have built 5 other computers . . . . . all with Windows O.S. dating clear back to Win. 3.1.
I am a relative “newbie” with Ubuntu..... I downloaded Ubuntu 10.04 and installed it on my current machine along side my Windows XP system. Ubuntu installs really great but when it does the initial “Update Manager”, it crashes when it tries to update the GRUB stuff........ I uninstalled the Ubuntu and re-installed it with the same abortive “Upgrade”....I can’t find out just where I can go with the Linux company for the answer to this problem and am hoping you can help me out.. I really want to give Ubuntu/Linux a fair trial............ thanks for all your valuable time..
RichardL
As very seasoned Windows user but a newbie+ Linux user, who has tried just about every popular Linux distro there is and there are a LOT of flavors (see http://distrowatch.com) i think Linux has a lot of potential, and yet substantial problems. While many Linux advocates promote it as desktop ready for the typical Windows user, it simply is not, unless all they want to is do some word processing and surf the Internet.
While many Linux advocates minimize learning curve, this can be quite, substantial, and all one has to do is look in the forums at what users must do for many basic issues, from getting wireless cards to printers to sound cards to work. Users will have to get used to using what is called a terminal, and running commands that begin with terms like sudo, chown, etc, and even be told to compile code. And while more security is nice, trying to gain full permissions to read and write to a second Windows NTFS drive can be particularly difficult depending upon the distro.
Linux has made great improvements in configuring software, and its problems are not all its fault, as many manufacturers do not providing drivers. You also do not have as great a variety, of the same quality, of freeware as for Windows, not matter what some Linux advocates say, nor is getting and installing it done as freely easy as it is under Windows.
As for distros, I like the KDE desktop myself, and I think the PCLinuxOS and Linux Mint are the best, better than the more ubiquitous Unbuntu. I run both. Actually, i would pick Knoppix as perhaps the best (and its start menus is better than others). but it is not made easy to install (legal issues).
And in fact, most Linux distro are most likely illegal in the US (this should get some responses) or soon become so, due to their coming with or downloading codecs and sometimes other coding which are under patents, and which you can use under Windows because MS pays for the license to use them, or have authored them itself.
Some Linux distros do not come with them, but will let you download them, which you will need to play certain formats (like WMV). For this case, i use do not knowingly install these codecs, and try to use versions of distros that do not include them, like the Linux Mint universal installer, or LCLinux OS Minime version, while using Windows XP for my major work.
And over the course of 10 years i have installed freeware over a hundred times with rarely a problem, and with extensive Internet use, have only gotten one virus using Windows. Thanks be to God. I do run scans periodically however, and do check to see what is eating up cpu cycles if it seems sluggish, which it rarely is, and what is set to start up with my PC. And i have lot of suggestions on how to make computing better, like better speech to text, or running programs by voice command, etc.
It sounds like (remote support mode on), like the side-by-side installation is causing some issues. Windows may be interfering with the MBR that Ubuntu is trying to update with GRUB.
That being said, my kids' machine has Ubuntu installed by itself. My eldest (11 years old at the time) originally installed 8.04. Just a week or so ago, I used the Update Manager to upgrade it to 10.04. Everything went smoothly.
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