What do you think about Linux?

[floppybootstomp]

Reliable? how is it more reliable? when was the last time your windows xp machine crashed?

Well, actually, I've never had an XP OS crash on me, but a fair few friends have suffered that. Windows 98 is a different story though, I'm still using that on one machine and it will crash now and again. I do love that BSOD with the fatal error message....

and secure, IMO linux is the most unsecure o/s around, it's so unsecure its dangerous.

A team of qualified software engineers developed windows, who developed linux???

A team of qualified engineers? Hahahahaha.... 'scuse me, tears running from my eyes. A five year old could hack a Microsoft system, and they frequently do, probably.

And define 'Qualified'. Who wrote/writes Linux? Everybody, that's who. And if it works well, it's left in.

How much dodgy code and purposly created loop holes in linux for the programmers gain?

Very little, if any, actually. Linux is open source, and any weaknesses and loopholes are tackled by the large Linux community and released freely for everybody's benefit.

An OS by Microsoft, however, is so full of holes it's like trying to set to sea in a colander.

MS made an OS for one reason and one reason only - to make money. Linux was written, and is constantly improved, by enthusiasts.

If you know how to compile your own kernel, there's very little chance you'll get hacked.

All the idiot virus writers and script kiddies love to target Microsoft, most of them are too dumb to get their head round Linux.

Not that I'm any good with Linux, I'm as ignorant as the next Windows user, but I'm slowly - very slowly - learning.

In fact, I'm still using Mandrake, nearest Linux thing to Windows there is, and I still get lost within that. And I still can't seem to get any Network printers to work.

Which reminds me, I've recently burnt my 3 Mandrake 10.1 ISO's to CD, must go and install them.

And before you think otherwise, no, I'm not anti-Microsoft, far from it, I really do quite like XP.

 

[Matt Jason H]

i've played with redhat, my biggest issue with linux is it's device support or lack of it!

my machines run on a wireless network and can't find drivers for my adapter, so i'm leaving linux for the time being.

IMO linux as a whole has big issues that people seem to forget about, the big selling point for linux is that it's so much more reliable and secure than windows. but..

Reliable? how is it more reliable? when was the last time your windows xp machine crashed?

I use alot of windows XP machines, and they do crash. I'd say linux is deffinatley more reliable than windows, but I take your point, windows has done a better job with XP. For me linux means reliablility because I can switch my pc on every morning 100% sure, short of a hardware failure, that my pc will boot perfectly and run perfectly until I switch it off. With windows some mornings I switch it on and there's a BSOD staring back at me, that's 2-3 days of work lost to formatting, recovering files, installing drivers, setting network shares up.

and secure, IMO linux is the most unsecure o/s around, it's so unsecure its dangerous.

A team of qualified software engineers developed windows, who developed linux???

As a person in the middle of getting some, in my mind qualifications mean nothing to projects like Linux. Microsoft has a limited "brain base" you have a couple of people working on it at any one time, their might be 100 solutions to a particular problem but a few people are only going to see a limited amount. With Linux, thousands of professionals and hobbyists work on the OS, each bringing their own ways fo looking at things to the code.

You also have to remember that many large companies such as Novel, IBM et al. pay for teams of programmers to work on Linux.

How much dodgy code and purposly created loop holes in linux for the programmers gain?

another angle and something to think about.

J

All the major changes to Linux get approved by people further up the ladder before they are included in the final kernel release often by the figureheads of the linux movement such a Linus himself. There is a guy in wales that checks the parts to do with the TCP/IP stacks iirc.



All in all, Linux isn't for people wanting an easy life, but the reliablilty and stability of it as a platform for any user simply can't be questioned. Granted the driver support and other areas that are lacking are very much real and offputting to many potential users.

 

[Ian]

As much as some things about Microsoft really get on my nerves, I really do like Windows XP. It hasn't caused any problems for me, nor seriously crashed (only via certain applications that have bugs). Windows 95/98 on the other hand has caused so many problems for me.

I tinker with Linux, and I can use it to a basic level. I do like it, but I wouldn't use it in the foreseeable future on my main PC, simply because the compatibility I would loose wouldn't be worth it. As for security, I couldn't do anything other than speculate. Linux has had some some serious bugs in the past, just like MS - but MS have many more that have been exploited fully.

One thing that confuses me about Linux is the software... can software for an old version of Mandrake run on the latest Red Hat for example?

 

[psd99]

in this poll u forgot one option:

do not like the look of Linux

sorry to be a scrooge but itll be interesting if u add this to see all those Linux haters!

 

[Cache-man]

I have used linux in the past and once you get used to the differences and similarities to windows its actually a very good os.
Most linux distros come with most of the software your ever likely to need for day to day computing, which is fantastic from a cost point of view, as if you look in the right places you can buy the latest distros for only a couple of quid, compared to several hundreds of pounds for windows and ms office, and a image editor.
Linux is great, but i have to agree with Ians first post in the thread that you cant beat the compatability and ease of windows.

 

[pc-reviewer]

Virtual Linux

Well for all those who what to try Linux with messing with there system, try VirtualPC, orVMWare. I have both, I prefew VMWare. VMWare is a free download from there site as a review copy.

Steve

 

[NR117]

I use Linux and Mac OSX but I won't bother getting into any arguments as to why they are better than Windows. I also use XP occasionally. My work mostly involves fixing Windows so I go home to relax on my Mac or Linux machine.

 

[joshT]

I have has some good and bad experiences with linux.
I had a dual boot puton by a freind who is an expert and while i was at his house he showed me what to do when switching on etc.. and picking wherether t boot linix or MS.
But when i got home and plugged everything in it wouldnt work.it maybe was because of my lcd monitor it couldnt detect the drives or my mouse and keyboard.Because he used a wired mous and keyboard + an old style monitor,We are still trying to fix this problemim on my laptop at the moment.
When i get it fixed i wil tell you.


tHe problem with linux is it can be alot of faffing around...Why cant it be straight forward?

 

[Nobody in particular]

I've slightly messed with Mandriva, but other than that I don't really know much about it. I have to say that I do like some of the fancy effects that come with Mandriva.

 

[Madxgraphics]

Installed it a week or two ago, but haven't gotten round to using it yet properly.. Right where's me Noddy Badge.???

 

[AppleFanboy]

I run Fedora now.

It's a whole lot better than Windows!

 

[bootneck02]

I like the thought of Linux I have tried Ubuntu twice and the last time through lack of knowledge completely cocked up and had to delete a partition re format and re download Windows 7 has taken hours & hours to put on my music library of 1.2 gig so never, never again

 

[EvanDavis]

put on my music library of 1.2 gig so never, never again

Thats why alll my music is stored on external drives. I would take me months to load it all again. Last look was around 180 gig

 

[bootneck02]

Yes does seem to be the sensible solution I have a caddy so that is what I will do

 

[Anon_F]

I really need to start using it!
I already use OpenOffice because it's free!
I've used a "Live" disc and see what i can do with Linux.
Need to get round to installing it on my laptop.
Presume i can dual-boot Windows/Linux?

 

[EvanDavis]

Presume i can dual-boot Windows/Linux?

Your presumption would be quite correct Feckit

 

[Anon_F]

Your presumption would be quite correct Feckit

Ooooh may have a play this week sometime then!

 

[Quadophile]

I really need to start using it!
I already use OpenOffice because it's free!
I've used a "Live" disc and see what i can do with Linux.
Need to get round to installing it on my laptop.
Presume i can dual-boot Windows/Linux?

If you spend a few minutes trying to understan how it works, you will be better off than reading about it after things go wrong. Plan it well and you will be very happy.

My suggestion:

Load the live cd and partition your laptop drive based on your needs. The partition manager is a very powerful tool and it will be very useful. Not sure how much is your drive size but create as follows:

• Shrink your windows partition
• allocate a min of 5 GB for Linux mount point
• allocate as much as you can for "Home" preferably a primary partition which should where your data will reside. This way you do not loose your files and downloads
• allocate at least 3 times your ram for the swap file which could be a logical partition

These are just the starting points, if you need more info create a new thread and we will help you out.

 

[Abarbarian]

I always use Parted Magic which is a Live CD os to partition my hdd before I do an GNU/Linux install. I find it a bit quicker and the partition layouts are very easy to use as PM has a nice GUI for the job.

 

[Urmas]

• allocate at least 3 times your ram for the swap file which could be a logical partition

From the Nitpicking Dept:

The actual swap usage depends on the amount of RAM installed (and on your "intended usage" – i.e. how "memory intensive" tasks you're doing with it).

"Heavy stuff" [video editing etc.] aside, if you have more that 2 GB of RAM, the swap file/partition is not going to be used... unless a) an app goes postal or b) you're using hibernation (suspend-to-ram).

So... if you have MUCHO RAM, 1-2 times your RAM will do. If, however, you have less than 1 GB, then go by "three times your RAM".