Why Linux?

[grimmace23]

Just starting to build my own computer, and was wondering what advantages running linux would have for me?

Thanks.

[setoguro]

The biggest advantage is it's free.

[Paul Komski]

Vastly superior security than any version of Windows.

[mjc]

Why linux?

Why not?

It is highly customizable. It is secure...and can be made VERY secure. For the most part it is free (yes there are pay for versions...but what you usually are paying for are pretty printed manuals and about a year's worth of support...oh and often an nice box).

Over the last couple of years...and especially since the 2.6 kernel, a large number of hardware problems have gone away. Since I started with Linux almost 9 years ago, having having to find drivers and configure manually it has come around to the last version of Knoppix I tried had more drivers built in to it than XP does/did. Over all, they work as well as or better than the Windows drivers for the same equipment. Yes some 'bleeding edge' gear still has driver problems, but guess what...Google any 'bleeding edge' product and you'll find as many or more Windows driver problems as you do Linux ones.

What about games?

Well, if you aren't a Linux 'purist' there exist both Nvidia and ATi drivers that are nearly the equal to Windows versions for performance. WINE has come a LONG way and works rather well these days and runs a whole host of games, very well. In fact, there is a pay for version of WINE that comes set up to play a huge number of games.

How about 64 bit chips?

Well, Linux has many more options for 64 bit than Windows...and Linux 64 bit is very much alive and strong, right now. Not a probable dead end, extension to a 32 bit OS, with having to wait for a real 64 bit version until Vista actually comes out. But a true, built for, made for 64 bit kernel and in many cases....the apps to go with it. (How'd that go...ME. A 32 bit extension to a 16 bit extenstion on an 8 bit OS from a 2 bit company...)

How about ease of use?

Well, over the past several years, most of the major distros (individual customized distributions) have come up with fairly painless ways to install and update programs...even the OS itself. most of the programs/apps still come in a form that needs to actually build (compile) it, but that has become relatively painless with the major distros. There are a number of advantages to having a program completely customized to run on your system (both environment and hardware customizations are possible). Often times, if carried out fully, these will result in very definite and noticeable performance increases. (Try finding a program that is actually built for your particular machine in a Windows program.)

Over all, Linux has matured and progressed in many ways that it is usable by, not quite the average home user (I don't know if it will ever be ready for the AOL crowd...), but by the subset of users that know enough about there machines to feel confident in doing some of the stuff for themselves...

[saphalline]

The original joke was for Win95 - "A 32-bit extension of a 16-bit overlay of an 8-bit OS originally written for a 4-bit processor by a 2-bit company that can't produce 1-bit of good code!" :D

I like Linux because it's another option. Now don't make the mistake of thinking it's entirely like Windows in its user interface. There is still a learning curve involved, but IMO with the latest GUI's, it's far easier to go from WinXP to a Linux GUI than it is to go from WinXP to Mac OS X! ;) The various distros of Linux often come with more than one GUI, too, so you can pick the one that you like best (or the one that's easier for you to use ;)).

Price is a big thing with Linux. You can find tons of fully-featured free software for Linux that rivals multi-hundred dollar software for Windows/Mac OS. Programs that rival the likes of Adobe PhotoShop and Maya and Mathematica, for instance. All for free! :D And of course you can easily download the CD images for most distros, and even DVD images lately. They usually come as ISO images for easy CD/DVD burning using any OS.

In terms of usability, things have indeed gotten much better with Linux. Whereas Linux used to be only for people who could write their own drivers, modern distros are more for people who simply know how to find drivers online. If you know enough about Windows and computers in general to know what a driver is, what a cookie is, what DirectX is, what a program cache is, how to do updates, and how to partition a hard drive - then you have all the skills you need to translate your knowledge over to the Linux world. Linux is different, but it's still just an operating system that works on PC's. It has the same basic needs as Windows and Mac OS.

[mjc]

I was just running from straight gray cells there...I knew I didn't have it quite right, but I didn't mangle it too badly....;)

[Paul Komski]

a 2-bit company would seem to be the most apt part of either "quote"! ;)

[grimmace23]

Thanks guys...

I'll consider Dual-Booting my new computer then...

[subgeniusd]

"I was just running from straight gray cells there...I knew I didn't have it quite right, but I didn't mangle it too badly...."

No that was a great post which I am saving to show a couple guys who ask why I don't just switch to Mac. I wish I could just toss off a post like that. Thanx!

I drifted sideways into Linux by getting a half price laptop factory loaded with Xandros 3.0 (standard) during an EarthLink promo last summer. This home LAN has two Linux and two XPs. I fully understand the dual boot process but after reading all the cries for help on varous Linux forums decided to dedicate each to its own OS.

Xandros is great for XP users. Support, the XN network and much more. Cheap too (with an OCE=free version that's not bad at all). In fact during the installation process it will ask if you want to save your Windows partition and then do it for you in a few minutes. I'm an OS agnostic who does not mind XP but I find myself using Xandros most of the time. If version 4.0, due out next week, is as good as reports indicate I will probably keep the XPs in hibernation 90% of the time.

Back to the dual boot subject. I admit to being a paranoid conspiracy theorist {where's the Pentagon plane!?!} and when I first read about cross-platform viruses I said to myself---don't EVER think about dual booting ever again. If the Dark Side gets tired of so-called "Linux zealots" bragging about inherent security features won't they use these viruses to penetrate dual-booted systems? {Could this be another devious plot from the Shadow Government?-joke}

I guess we won't know 'til it happens. Is cross-platform malware penetration a "clear and present danger" in your informed opinion?

[UkGamer]

I might put linux in a new computer when I get around to building one, i mean if the worst comes to the worst you can still format it all and stick windows on it!

Also about the WINE thing i dont really understand it , do you run that and it looks like windows or does it work in the background and just let you open windows progs like normal

one last thing, what about games that cant be played in openGL does WINE emulate that to and is it efficent?