Posted on 10/26/2010 9:32:15 AM PDT by ShadowAce
COMMENT
You may think your day job is demanding, but it's often nothing compared with providing tech support for the family. That's where Linux comes in, says Jack Wallen.
The problem with working in IT is that when we go home, our job often continues. Sometimes, keeping our children's computers running can be a bigger challenge than sorting out the adults at work.
But if you install Linux at home, you can avoid the headaches. That's because sound reasons exist for migrating young users from other operating systems.
1. Viruses and malware
Malware is always at the top of my list. Youngsters are prone to opening and installing things they shouldn't. Because you can't watch them all the time, you can't know where they're getting those applications or attachments from.
You can ensure those machines have antivirus and anti-spyware, but why take the chance? With Linux, this concern evaporates.
2. Security
If you don't give your children the root password, they can't run with root privileges. Of course, you hit a little snag when using a distribution like Ubuntu. For any sudo-based operating system, you will need to edit the /etc/sudoers file to give your young users the privileges they need.
3. Cost effectiveness
If a younger user gets a hand-me-down machine that needs an operating system reinstall, you have to buy a new copy of Windows unless you have one already. This situation also applies to any number of applications you might have to pay for.
Avoid these costs altogether by running Linux. You won't have pay for the operating system licence or any application that child might need or want. On top of that, they'll have the Add/Remove Software tool, where they can hunt around and find just about anything they would need. You can also run a modern distribution on much less hardware than you will need for Vista or Windows 7.
4. Age-specific tools
Did you know there are distributions and software groups designed specifically for young adults and children? There is Sugar, aimed at five- to 12-year-olds; Edubuntu, for ages three to 18; LinuxKidX for ages two to 15; Foresight Kids for ages three to 12, and many others.
This software has graphics and language tuned to its target age range. Some of the distributions for younger children lock the operating system down tightly so that only certain tasks can be run.
5. Netbooks
Children make great netbook users. They have smaller hands and fingers that can handle a cramped keyboard, and they can easily sit with a small machine in their lap. And the Linux operating system is ideally suited to run on netbooks.
You can install either a full-blown operating system or a netbook-specific operating system, along with whatever software you need on the netbook, making it an excellent choice for younger audiences.
6. Agile learners
If you put a Linux-based machine in front of a young user, you won't hear complaints like, "Why can't it run Quicken?" or "I need my custom payroll app to run on this". Most kids will master the Linux operating system quickly.
Young minds adapt so well, they won't have any trouble adjusting to any differences. You could probably sit a child down with a Gentoo box running CDE or AfterStep and he or she would have understood it in less time than it took you to explain what Linux means.
7. Staying in step
Linux is used worldwide. Many countries have adopted Linux. The future of Linux is very bright and it seems to be getting brighter. So why not give your children a head start on what could possibly be the future of the PC?
This argument also applies to those fledgling IT pros out there. If Windows is so user-friendly, kids spending most of their time on Linux should have no problem with Windows. In fact, I would argue that it will enhance the child's ability to grasp the operating system and how the PC really works.
8 Learning opportunities
Open source suits education. It practically screams: "Open me up and learn". What better way to help youngsters learn than by giving them the ability to do just that? With really curious children, the desire to learn is extraordinary, so why lock them down with closed-source software?
When a child is exposed to open-source software and an open-source operating system, the educational opportunities are limitless.
9. A lesson in community
Teaching children the value of open-source software helps them understand community. Although young users aren't likely to open up the source code of the applications they're using, in today's constantly evolving, community-driven world, they need every advantage they can get as they grow up.
Having a sound understanding of open source will help them to understand what it means to really work with and for a team. Using Linux at such an early age also indirectly teaches children the benefit of volunteering, something many of us need to learn more about.
10. Content filtering
Linux has numerous ways to handle content filtering for your young users. From DansGuardian to SquidGuard to the manual editing of the /etc/hosts file, you can filter content in Linux in far more detail than you can in Windows, and just as easily.
Add to this facility the ability to lock down what your young user can and can't do without having to add third-party software, and Linux quickly becomes a safe computing environment for your child.
Your take
Would you trust your kids with Linux? Do you think Linux could help or hinder their education on a PC? Which operating system do you think is the best choice for children? Linux? Windows? OS X? Share your thoughts.
Because the vast majority of people don't install an operating system on their computer, they use what came on it. If you asked many of them to format a hard drive and install Windows 7 on it they'd get the cold shakes. I can assume you don't consider this an indictment of Windows?
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