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At some point, nearly everyone who uses Linux has someone ask them “what’s that?” This question almost invariably leads to “why is it better than <other operating system>?” What do you say when someone asks you this?
It’s free, it’s open-source, it doesn’t need a super fast system, and “just because I hate Microsoft” are all common answers. Are those really why you use Linux, though?
I might have tried Linux, because it was free, but that’s not why I’m still using it. Open-source is a nice addition, but it was probably not a deciding factor for me. In some cases low resource requirements are great, but this computer I am typing on could run Vista. I hope I don’t even have to address the “just because I hate Microsoft,” because that’s a terrible reason (also, get over it). Why do I really use Linux?
For one thing, it is out of the mainstream enough that it is not usually a target for viruses. I also find that Ubuntu has one of the best UIs, since it mixes functionality with eye-candy very well (and please don’t tell me docks are the best thing ever, because they aren’t). Finally, there are some Linux applications that I love, such as Grsync and Gedit.
These are the real reasons why I use Linux every day. I am sure yours will be different, but I urge you to think about why you use Linux, so that you can give a better answer to the question “why should I use Linux instead of <another operating system>?” the next time you are asked.
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http://ardchoille42.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-i-use-linux.html
What is this weird obsession everyone has with switching their parents/grandparents and wives/girlfriends to Linux?
Normal people just want to use their computers, not join a dysfunctional, pseudo-political crusade.
@derChef writes:
>What is this weird obsession everyone has with switching their >parents/grandparents and wives/girlfriends to Linux?
>Normal people just want to use their computers, not join a >dysfunctional, pseudo-political crusade.
You miss the point entirely. It’s about the value we place on our time, not on our politics.
And normal people don’t want to spend all their time fixing their parents, grandparents, childrens, and girlfriends computers, since we value those relationships.
What would you rather spend time doing? Figuring out problems with drivers, or sharing a movie or nice meal? Windows steals time from me, while Linux has the “it just works” property.
I don’t use Linux at the moment, but I plan to switch at least partially. I used Windows, then switched to Linux in 2001, but bought an Apple in 2005. Since then I found myself using more and more software I could also get for Linux. I wrote my masters thesis in LyX, create flyers and posters with Scribus, record my music with Ardour and do the writing for my job on a simple text editor. All my mail, calendar etc. is handled via the Google apps and I watch my DVDs with VLC.
I switched my parents to Linux and they did fine, since they mainly use the OpenOffice stuff and some other simple things. But my mother needs Windows for her job, so they switched back – but they were really impressed with Linux and would have liked to continue using it (Ubuntu).
I’d like to switch my girlfriend to Linux since she can do pretty much everything there she does with Windows, but she had a bad experience with SuSE some years ago when it was a pain to configure things how she liked it, so I have to convince her a little bit more, I guess.
But Linux is finally usable, without the need to fiddle with some dubious text files in directories the average user doesn’t want to know and shouldn’t need to know.
In other words: there is no reason not to use Linux.
It’s open, and freedom is its biggest value. I don’t like secrets and when using Microsucks, that’s what it feels like, someone’s hiding something from me…
That’s a simple question to answer…
Q.) Why do I use Linux?
A.) Linux is NOT Windows.
Simple Answer: Amarok. Since the earliest versions I was fascinated how both powerful and easy-to-use a music player could be
Long Answer:
I was playing with Linux since 1995 starting with Slackware. Unfortunately, I’ve always found something unacceptable in the system, like crappy fonts, incompatible hardware, poor software…
Finally I’ve used only Open Source software on Windows like OO.org, LaTeX, cygwin, Firefox, Thunderbird, Emule, frustrated not being able to move completely to a free platform. With Ubuntu 7.04 I finally found an alternative to Windows that is in every important aspect better:
1. Maintainability through apt-get and its frontends
)
2. Flexibility through tons of easy-to-use software
3. Customization of the System (like GUI, remote Control)
4. Just works with all my hardware
5. Best support with a great community that leaves few questions unanswered
6. constant updates
7. freedom of speech (and of course, free beer as well
I don’t think Windows is just crap or MS is the “evil empire”. However, MS sells software mainly because of their wide spread, not because of their quality. In fact, many of their products have major flaws.
I’ve already tried Mac OS X, which is a wonderful software, but I really hate iTunes for its unusable UI and miss easy customization when compared to Linux.
I haven’t used Windows for about 2 years on my personal computer. In my work, I am stuck with Windows for the moment, though
Then main reason I use linux is for security and freedom from Virus, spywares, etc …
Why I use Linux?
I can really sum it up to one word… Control.
When I use Linux, I am in control of everything on my computer… for good and for ill. The one thing that always bugged me with Windows was the lack of control that I had with it, every process had a GUI component to it and it was really hit or miss on if it worked. It’s sort of better now, but for the most part… I want the DOS days back, when a command did something it, it did it’s task… nothing more, usually. In trying GUI EVERYTHING, MS lose how to do things simply… it’s the one thing that I enjoy Linux for, even if it’s a GUI process, it’s relatively simple… and nothing in the command-line is turned useless a result. I value that.
I live in a country where people own things; houses, cars and forrests. Not having an access to the documentation, API or anything that I own is obviously very wrong. I don’t understand the business model of these freaks or the nature of their customers. So I naturally stay away from it.
The “Always on Top” option for every window.
Linux takes me seriously. And it’s more secure.
powerful… webserver, db server, application server, router, mail server, firewall, host to all my windows vm’s and my desktop – and i can shutdown all this in one go – i just close my laptop lid.
excellent tools – rsync, ssh…too many
powerful… webserver, db server, application server, router, mail server, firewall, host to all my windows vm’s and my desktop – and performing…
excellent tools – rsync, ssh…too many
Its the people
I have been playing with, been frustrated by and still used them daily for work and home.
Props to Microsoft for bringing an operating system to the masses on computers that many could afford. My praise stops there however.
Having done many installs for work, play and for being the guy who ‘gets’ computers for friends and family ( if only they knew …. ), the Microsoft model of taking on average 5 – 6 hours – OS – $, then chasing down the drivers, then antivirus – $ , then anti spyware – $ , then a decent graphics program – $, then the office suite – $ – rebooting all along the way – it was the way it was done and many were very appreciative of my time (again and again … )
Then I tried linux – I didn’t trust / know enough to burn my own CDs, so I paid ~$5 for a copy of Mandrake – and went through driver hell ( I was getting good chasing down those drivers by then ) but got it up and running in a couple of days of 15 min here, 15 min there, so about the same install time – the first time.
From then on, my linux installs run about 30 minutes ( though my record is 18 minutes from a Mepis liveCD ) and I have a complete OS with any type of program I could think of.
So, my friends and family don’t call for computer issues as often ( only rarely will I troubleshoot windows anymore ) and most are running linux by now.
All along the way, I used message boards to help me figure out problems I ran into. And while windows boards were frequently helpful, it usually took a few days until I could get a piece of an answer, then another few days to get another piece until I could get it running.
Recently ( in the last 5 years or so ), I have found that linux board participants are enthusiastic about helping beginners find solutions. Typically in minutes, not days. — Unabashed plug – you folks at mepislovers.org rock — Still most is way over my head and the people at the boards seem to understand that and explain in language I can understand and implement how to get from point A to point B. My success has been due to my standing on the shoulders of giants.
Wow, that went wayyy to long – suffice to say linux is more like a friend who just wants to help make my life easier and windows is more like a bureaucrat telling me what I can or can’t do and lying to me while taking my money.
Free / secure
I use linux because every computer guy I know uses it. Not to jump on the bandwagon… but if every expert that i know uses it and trusts it… shouldn’t i also learn how to use it. Its not a matter of keeping up with the jones’s.. it s a matter of keeping up with the latest and greatest technology and being able to make my own choices not have them made for me (sorry microsoft).
Good luck to everyone
1.with backtrack you can show the vanuarbilities on all the crap OS’s
2.its easier than people think
3. if you have common sense and can google and read a forum you will have no problems.
3. its evolved to include drivers/software and has program updates built in
4.it works great on my ps3( selling my itx media pc now )
5.it scares my friends from turning my ps3 or my home pc on and using it to watch porn on my big lcds
6.very VERY customizable.
7. I could go on and on so just etc…
I was feed up with Windows always needing to be fixed. The more I used it the more it was apparent that these issues where there to make you buy more software. Instead of FIXING the issues with Malware and Viruses, Microsoft want you to buy a monthly subscription based solution. Plus I’m cheap and like technology, so I can either steal a bunch of software from MS or better yet, just use Linux and get a better solution for free.
The switch happened when I was a student. The GNU/Linux environment is pretty configurable and is very convenient to programmers.
It may sound weird, but after all these years with GNU/Linux, I feel crippled when I’m made to use a Windows box.
I’m not saying Windows is bad or anything, but it’s just not suited for people who code or do scripting(imo).
Because I had so many horrors with Windows 98. I was too stupid to realize that Slackware is as ‘user friendly as a coiled rattlesnake’. So I installed Slackware and never looked back. Slackware is great on old hardware. I get my work done with little melodrama. With Windows I need spyware blockers, anti-virus, firewall, plus critical security updates that burn hard drive space and these third-party products contend with one another often. I moved from DOS directly to OS/2 with no experience in Windows until Win98, which didn’t act like a ‘real os’… My experience in OS/2 gave me a leg up in Linux. My experience in Slackware Linux gives me a leg up in OpenBSD. These operating systems are fun, but Windows (any version) is just a huge pain.
I use Linux when I can’t use Mac OS X, such as at work. Windows is out of the question.
Also, “viri” is only a word in Latin, where it means “men.” Stop saying it.
I have worked in IT since 1981 and started with a large company that had locations all over the work. I started when we had DOS, UNIX and main frames. Computing has come a long way.
I have worked with every major OS. Some had their good points and some bad but most have progressed throughout years.
Apple came out with a windows desktop for their computers but Microsoft along with IBM put computer’s in the home.
IBM came out with OS/2 which was a joint venture with Microsoft and eventually IBM took over OS/2 project and Microsoft with NT. OS/2 became OS/2 Warp 3 & 4. It was by far better than any Windows OS around. Up until a couple years ago it ran all the ATM machines across the country. The problem with home users IBM couldn’t get the vendors behind it.
Along came Linux. I start using Linux in 1996 with Red Hat. I liked the features and it’s easy of use. Back then Linux was picky about the sound and video cards but as years have passed it’s doing an excellent job of keeping up.
I have used all flavors of Linux on desktops, servers and laptops. I just recently switched to Fedora 10 and really find that I like it the best especially on my laptops.
Where else can your operating system update itself and also update all the Linux software on your computer.
Most disto’s come with multiple desktops on the DVD or ISO file. Windows has only one.
The person who said that he couldn’t use Yahoo Messenger for Linux with his webcam hasn’t tried GYachE.
Where else have you seen software written for Linux that was liked by the Windows community like OpenOffice and GIMP that has been rewritten for Windows.
All in all I have seen operating systems come and go but I have found Linux the easiest and the best of them all. If you are not a Linux user, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.
I use Linux on two different PCs. One is my main PC that I use most of the time. It is configured to dual boot Windows XP and Linux Mint. It also has some extra hard drive space where I play around with other distros. When friends come over, I boot it into Linux so that I can show off a little. Typical reactions are “wow” and “I want that”. Although everyday tasks are easy enough with Windows, I think that Linux can be easier at times. Too often I feel like I am fighting with Windows where Linux works with me. I would use Linux more if Wine worked better for gaming or if Myth was easier to configure.
My other PC would be rusting in a landfill if not for Linux. It uses the XFCE version of Linux Mint. It is great to have an extra PC for those times when more than one person wants on line.
5 small reasons
1-45 seconds after I turned it on, the HDD is idle and STAYS idle. Have you ever seen an idle drive on Vista?
2-There is no such thing as random crashes and bugs. You are the cause of stuff going wrong unless with some Windows bugs that randomly happen a week past a fresh install.
3-It’s all there! You have all you need to work and have fun and for free.
4-”Add/Remove programs”. Could it be more simple? I’d actually like some form of executable like on Windows for shortcut making, but it’s still incredibly simple!
5-The terminal. You can just copy and paste stuff and the stuff gets done. No need to follow a guide or anything.
6-Open source. I love how fast bugs get fixed and how incredibly simple and efficient open source software is.
Yet Linux is not installed on my computer. I’ll just wait until Vista fails me again. ^^
At first i was amazed to see an operating system free of charge.
I had the possibility to try it without spend any money.
After i was amazed from the power of linux, from the possibility to create high customized solutions and to learn a very larg type of technologies.
Now i use linux only because i can choose to use linux, i feel more free if i can choose.
I intend the Free of “Free software” not as free of charge nor as free to share knowledge (i don’t have knowledge to share) but as free to choose.
Because:
1. I like others look at me and say “wow, look at that black window on your computer, you must be very smart”
2. I have no life/gf/pet so I have lots of fee time to interact with my wonderful “linux box” (that the way you guys call computer, right?)
3. The fastest way to answer any sort of question is “you can do that in linux”.
4. I have no real friends, so I can do all my stuff using weird clones of software and no share my files with anybody.
5. All what I do is surf the web, play the music and blog about how cool I am, so I only need the crappy programs that I’ve got in the live CD.
Give me Linux or give me Blue Screen of Death!
Because I make the decisions – not some remote marketing clown.
And I intend to keep it that way.
My old iMac 350 died on me after a decade and I needed a new box presto, despite a total ebb in the kitty. Only affordable option a Wintel box from one of the discounters, which came with Vista Home Premium OEM.
Six hours into the Vista experience the nagware from HP and Symantec starting kicking in. Gobbledigoog this and Gobbledigag that will expire in X days. Make use of our special offer bla …
My desktop began to behave like one of those bad websites from the nineties. Pop-ups like fireworks.
Also, working with Vista was like wading through cold treacle – knee deep. After the great interface of IE for the Mac IE 7 on Vista seemed like a throwback to 1990. Everything hidden in submenues of submenues.
After a day of this torment I downloaded Debian Lenny and haven’t looked back. It “Just Works(TM)”.
Maybe us Debian fanboys and girls should get together and contribute something back. The Documentation for Debian could do with a major overhaul. Any Volunteers?
No blue screen
The computer never restart without my order
I only download and install updates when I want
It is so easy to install anything
Linux is Latex, makefile, BLAS, LAPACK friendly.
Though the transition from Windows was difficult GNU Linux does what I want it do. From a faster more feature rich complete install that is more easily customisable, to the GNU philosophy itself, Linux is better for everything I want to do except gaming.
Free software is “Freedom” but really isn’t free. Contribute Code, Time reporting bugs, and praise to developers. Got a couple extra dollars you might of spent at Starbucks or on Microsoft Windows? A little help with bandwidth goes a long way.
Finally:
Sjaak Wijnen, Programmer, GoldNugget, you made some impressive points.
~ Good Luck.
1) I support windows all say, so I want to come home to a safe environment. (that sounded like a cop that patrols the bad part of town)
2) I never have to worry about reloading my system every few weeks because it is infected by antivirus killing malware.
3) I just plain like Linux.
1) Freedom. I can give the system I have to anyone I want, I can use it for whatever purpose I want.
2) Control – I was XP user when Longhorn plans with its DRM came out. Then I knew I was never going to be Longhorn/Vista user. I have no obligation to pay to anyone for using my system and my system is fully under my control. It is not spying after me and going complaining to the big brother and blocking me out when I alter the hardware.
3) Open design – I’m a habitual alpha user. My system is as a rule six ways broken after update. But I can fix it or if I lack the skill I can trace the problem as far as my skill lets me, up to the line of code where it breaks and ask the person who can, sometimes even directly, to fix it. And it gets fixed. Its a beautiful thing to see software mature and stabilize knowing you have helped the process.
4) It does not treat the admin as an idiot… Windows does.
5) an actual honest to god powerful shell. Shell is not a weakness, its a strength in unix-like systems. Having an alternative work flow not requiring its use is good but for some things it is simply better.
Merely using a Linux OS for the first time taoght me a lot of things about computing: that alone is a merit. Although a good number of features I’ve discovered since then can be found on Windows as well (like using a different partition for my documents, but most Linux distributions do this by default), here’s what I prefer Linux for:
1. Not having to worry about disk defragmentation
2. Very few malware, if any
3. Being able to restart the graphical interface, as opposed to the whole OS (a thing I miss from pre-WinXP)
3. Not being requested to reboot my PC after most update processes
4. The user system: when in user mode, I don’t have to worry too much about damaging my system; when in root mode, I know I can do anything I want without resorting to workarounds (the file is in use so I can’t delete it? At least tell me which process is using it!)
5. I love experimenting with new things: after the initial novelty factor in installing a new Windows version, there’s hardly anything new on the table (that, or I have to pay for Win7 after being given Vista preinstalled), while most Linux distributions get renewed every 6 months, they’re free, and you don’t have to worry about activations
6. I love the amount of log files, when something goes wrong I always know I’ll find the answer somewhere.
I am running Linux more than 10 years for private use and since 9 years i am working in business with it. For my old company i did fix computers with Windows OS and Linux installed on it.
In comparsion to the Linux System it was much more easy to fix a broken Linux than a broken Windows. Linux Servers are much easier to maintain than Windows Servers (including up to Srv. 2008). E.g. it is easier to edit a configuration file with an texteditor of your choice than to go via regedit through a crypted registry database and to find the right entry there. It is much easier to make backups with Linux – there are a bunch of good backup tools included like tar or rsync.
Linux is much easier to understand, because it is OPEN. The support by Linux forums is much better. I got more useful answers to my questions in Linux forum than i ever got in windows forums. Besides Windows user forums contain more questions than meaningful answers i figured out….
In conclusion that does mean to maintain a Linux or Unix like Systems is more cost-efficient than to maintain Windows Systems. Windows brings a lot of stuff with it that in my oppinion is unnessesary. On the other side Windows OS is missing a lot of usefull things e.g. like a powerful shell. The powershell is a bunch of garbage in my eyes, BASH or ZSH e.g. is a lot easier to use.
I hate Microsofts philosophy of making everything incompatible to a POSIX system. In my opinion POSIX systems linke UNIX, BSD or Linux (even MacOS and Android have a POSIX like core) are the future of operating systems.
Sometimes free software is buggy, but quite often non-free software is buggy as well. The big difference is that with most free software projects i can file bug reports and see that someone actually gives a damn about them.
Besides, Richard Stallman is right in his bleak prophecies about the negative social and political impact of proprietary software.
Well, as for my reasons to prefer Linux over all other OS, I can say the following:
-I enjoy programming on Linux
-It is very powerful OS with infinite number of tools
-Excellent memory management where u don’t need to restart 10 times a day
- No need to depend on heavy GUIs
-I enjoy using it is rich command line that really for those who knows Linux/Unix commands can just simply the very complicated tasks
-I love VIM (vi)
-Many of the applications I had to use during my research at university don’t run but on Linux (ns-2, Latex, MPI, …)
-I can attain all my required code libraries free of charge
-I hate Microsoft and I hate its programming tools although these days I program using .Net and u just need to work with them to discover how stupid are these technologies
-I love Fedora it comes with a complete distribution
I dislike linux, unfortunately. But maybe thats just because of the trouble of setting up. User friendly, it would be much more prevalent
The main reason why I use linux is: I own a 2 year old laptop, and it still runs like new.
Apart from that, I have really grown tired wasting time, tinkering around with dozens of distros. Now I’m just plain happy with the default ubuntu install. Hey, it gets my work done easy and fast!
I was a HP3000 guy when HP decided to pull the plug.
Started looking for a system that would behave as well as the 3000 that I could learn well.
Microsoft wasn’t it, not even close.
Started “using” in 1995 or 96 with Red Hat.
Back then it was a POS and required super geek powers just to get it running..
Disapointed but not giving up, made the switch to Debian. Been a lifer ever since, I have been called a Linux advocate, and even worse.
I use Linux because it fits my needs for volunteerism, high quality, flexability, sense of community. It does everything I need to do,..absolutely everything.
Very happy to see the adoption rates growing exponentially.
Everyone should take the time to help someone else with Linux, like these guys..
http://linuxlock.blogspot.com/
how do you use linux for volunteerism
I am trying to think of ways to help with linux in third world countries can you give me some pointers thanks
1. Integrated package management
2. Lots of tools for developers
3. Most things you needed to get things done are already there.
4. It’s like exploring the space ( the possibilities are endless ).
5. I fell in love.
No viruses or antiviruses slowing you down.
Powerful shells.
apt-get.
can run literally for years without a reboot.
I use Linux because it is much more resource conservative on low-end computers, and I don’t really play on my secondary computer (subnote/netbook).
I does everything I’d like it to do.
I use Gentoo Linux with fluxbox and aterm to impress girls.
For me It started as i learned more about my uncles job as a programmer and then my younger cousin following his path. I saw what Unix did for my uncle. I was introduced to computers when DOS was the thing. You did everything in DOS. I enjoyed the CLI. But as windows came along I had become another mindless drone who thought windows was the only thing out there.
I was also a gamer. I loved playing MMOs online. But as time when on I grew tired of having no ability to customize windows to the way i wanted it. I also grew tired of the fact that I had a long list of programs installed to do only a few things.
While in college I had to take a linux class. I found myself thinking about the DOS days, then found I could customize it to how I wanted it. I have never looked back since then.
1. Linux allows me full customization so I can enjoy what I am looking at.
2. I can do anything I want knowing I am more secure then in windows.
3. I am always learning something new with linux. Its never the same dull thing.
4. I have total freedom
5. I get to use software thats just as good as all the other software people are spending so much money for.
6. I feel like I am helping others learn as well. I am always asked “what is that you are using?” so i get to explain it to them.
I started with Ubuntu. I now use Fedora 10 at work and on my laptop at home. I am glad I made the switch. I still do have winduz on my laptop, but thats because I occasionally like to play a game online.
Simple, the WinXP install on my laptop simply died one day just one day before a major presentation. When the repair disc could not fix the problem and MS could only offer to send a new disk in one or two weeks.
I had a copy of Ubuntu suggested by a friend. After installing Ubuntu I was able to take my OpenOffice Impress presentation off the desktop and make the presentation. I haven’t looked back since.
I run WinXP at the office only because the Sharp AR-M205 does not have a Linux driver.
There’s no need of an antivirus, that drain processor’s power.
A more advance desktop environment, i use kde.
My computer will not going to get slower for installing a lot of applications.
it has the most advance visuals effects, thanks to compiz.
more possibilities to personalize your desktop.
Constants updates, thanks to the comunity
the philosophy of software libre.
linux Is ours.