by blue_nova* June 13, 2004
Linux is a free (as in libre, not always as in gratis) kernel that, together with tools from the GNU project, forms a stable, high-performance, multi-user operating system.
Its advantages over Windows are mainly ideological; it's free, usually in both of the above senses of the word, and the license, the GNU GPL, prevents proprietary implementations from screwing you over (Linux "companies" sell support, not Linux itself, for this reason).
It's also much more stable than Windows, owing to its stricter memory management, access controls, and hardware abstraction policy, and its networking performance is better since it's really meant more for servers than for desktop usage. Linux has finer-grained access control at the user and device level, though to be fair, Windows has had Unix-style file permissions since NT. Reboot times for Linux, however, are measured in months, and the only reason you should ever need to reboot Linux is if you installed a new kernel.
The disadvantages of Linux compared to Windows are mainly issues of ease of use. Linux is hard compared to Windows, mostly because it tends not to detect certain devices. This is a circular problem, because the drivers tend to be written only for Windows to begin with. It also, despite what the makers claim, *does* require some work at the terminal in most cases, and this will scare away most Windows users who never worked with Dos and the 9x series. It shouldn't, because the terminal is much more powerful and easier to use than Dos ever was, but it does.
The other main issue is that, while there are a few hundred different flavors, referred to as "distros," most of them suck. There are a few big, well-supported distros, and many are based on them: RedHat, which is popular in the corporate world, Debian, which is minimalistic and tough by itself but forms the base for the popular Ubuntu, and Slackware, which is the oldest maintained distro and is closest to the "original" Linux philosophy. There are also a few oddballs like Gentoo, which is for experts only (forces you to compile *everything* but does the annoying work for you and gives you incredible performance), and Arch, which is a minimalist hybrid of Gentoo and Slackware.
Save yourself headaches: newbies should use Ubuntu, experts should use Gentoo or Slackware, purists should use Debian, and no one should use RedHat or any RedHat based distro unless you're corporate and need it, in which case you want CentOS (RedHat for free with no tech support). Just be prepared to get your hands a little dirty, and to search the web and your distro's forums for help. There is always, always an issue that pops up that will never be in the manual or installation docs.
Most of all, remember that Linux won't insult your intelligence, but it won't hold your hand either. You can't always breeze through a Linux install like you can with Windows (though Ubuntu and friends are changing that), but you will get a solid, stable, and working system. Linux rewards effort and inquisitiveness, and punishes laziness.
Its advantages over Windows are mainly ideological; it's free, usually in both of the above senses of the word, and the license, the GNU GPL, prevents proprietary implementations from screwing you over (Linux "companies" sell support, not Linux itself, for this reason).
It's also much more stable than Windows, owing to its stricter memory management, access controls, and hardware abstraction policy, and its networking performance is better since it's really meant more for servers than for desktop usage. Linux has finer-grained access control at the user and device level, though to be fair, Windows has had Unix-style file permissions since NT. Reboot times for Linux, however, are measured in months, and the only reason you should ever need to reboot Linux is if you installed a new kernel.
The disadvantages of Linux compared to Windows are mainly issues of ease of use. Linux is hard compared to Windows, mostly because it tends not to detect certain devices. This is a circular problem, because the drivers tend to be written only for Windows to begin with. It also, despite what the makers claim, *does* require some work at the terminal in most cases, and this will scare away most Windows users who never worked with Dos and the 9x series. It shouldn't, because the terminal is much more powerful and easier to use than Dos ever was, but it does.
The other main issue is that, while there are a few hundred different flavors, referred to as "distros," most of them suck. There are a few big, well-supported distros, and many are based on them: RedHat, which is popular in the corporate world, Debian, which is minimalistic and tough by itself but forms the base for the popular Ubuntu, and Slackware, which is the oldest maintained distro and is closest to the "original" Linux philosophy. There are also a few oddballs like Gentoo, which is for experts only (forces you to compile *everything* but does the annoying work for you and gives you incredible performance), and Arch, which is a minimalist hybrid of Gentoo and Slackware.
Save yourself headaches: newbies should use Ubuntu, experts should use Gentoo or Slackware, purists should use Debian, and no one should use RedHat or any RedHat based distro unless you're corporate and need it, in which case you want CentOS (RedHat for free with no tech support). Just be prepared to get your hands a little dirty, and to search the web and your distro's forums for help. There is always, always an issue that pops up that will never be in the manual or installation docs.
Most of all, remember that Linux won't insult your intelligence, but it won't hold your hand either. You can't always breeze through a Linux install like you can with Windows (though Ubuntu and friends are changing that), but you will get a solid, stable, and working system. Linux rewards effort and inquisitiveness, and punishes laziness.
Linux is about choice. That means you're free to use it, or not to use it, but it will always be here for you.
by Hazuki April 22, 2007
People who run Linux are doing the world a favour by giving Microsoft a reason to get their head out of their ass and actually write code.
by Joe Montmatre August 26, 2003
Incredibly stable OS which is completly free and can be changed in anyway and distributed freely. Often insulted by newbies or people with not enought patience to figure it out. Many different flavors of Linux.
Linux almost never crashes and works fast.
by linux July 11, 2003
A highly stable OS designed for the most elite of computer users. Apparantly it is often dissed on by computer newbies and gamers who think that is is an inferior operating system. There aren't many games for it, hence the reason computer gamers dislike it. And lazy bums don't like it because you actually have to do some work to install something. Or even read a readme file god-forbid! Newbies hate it because it helps eliminate 'clicky-clicky-clicky', the repetitive disease most windows users suffer (which is also apparantly addictive). Linux machines take up a very good portion of all network servers, and due to their stability - companies that use these systems rarely suffer from downtime. Because of these features, Linux is perfect for both businesses and geeks alike. It is also much more cost effiecient, see below.
Price comparision:
Windoze XP - $100-200
Windoze 2000 Pro - $180
Windoze 2000 server - $900 +
Windoze 2000 Advanced server - $1200+
Linux box set with documentation and official CDs - $20 - $70
Linux (any distro) - Free download
Price comparision:
Windoze XP - $100-200
Windoze 2000 Pro - $180
Windoze 2000 server - $900 +
Windoze 2000 Advanced server - $1200+
Linux box set with documentation and official CDs - $20 - $70
Linux (any distro) - Free download
by Phil April 7, 2003
(1) An operating system created and used by literate people with functioning brains.
(2) An operating system subject to bashing by people who dont fit in the above category.
(2) An operating system subject to bashing by people who dont fit in the above category.
Wow, Doom 3 Alpha runs even faster on my Linux box! What? You're rebooting your XP machine to install the game? Oh thats a shame...
by howey July 3, 2003
Linux is an OS. For those that don't know it does have a gui. Gnome and KDE have icons. It's not just about code. Most of the people on this page just need something that doesn't require you to know about computers. Windows is for people that need to use E-mail and surf the web without knowing about computers. It's made with the users in mind, while Linux is made with operation in mind.
by Rubik August 31, 2003