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Pranav Vhankate
Pranav Vhankate

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Should you use Linux?


Most of you, at least once you may have heard the term Linux OS! By any chance if you have not heard about it, never mind! Here's an intro to Linux in short

Linux is a family of Open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel. This family of Operating Systems was released by Linus Torvalds, a Finnish Software Engineer.
This means that Linux OS is not just One Operating System as such, but a Family of Operating Systems and there are various distributions in this family of Operating System!

While there is the Windows OS by Microsoft Corporation, the most User-friendly and the most popular OS, should you use Linux OS?
For that, I’ve tested the Windows OS and the Family of Linux OS on the parameters of their own Pros and Cons!

Windows OS

Pros:

  • It is User-friendly.
  • It is the most popular Operating System in the world.
  • A Windows OS Desktop is compatible with most of the programs and software in the market!
  • Also, Windows OS comes pre-loaded in most of the computers. However, there are quite a few exceptions like MacOS of Apple Inc. and Raspberry Pi!
  • Windows provides a great experience for Gaming!

Cons:

  • The Windows OS gets slower and slower when it starts getting old over a period of time!
  • Windows OS is not free unlike the Family of Linux OS.
  • The Windows OS is a ‘Closed source’ OS.
  • Windows OS requires high hardware requirements.
  • It has poor security as the source code is closed, vulnerabilities cannot be fixed by the common public
  • It has poor technical support.
  • Need for Antivirus.
  • Poor stability!
  • Windows OS collects data! Microsoft uses diagnostic data to keep Windows secure and up to date, troubleshoot problems, and make product improvements!

Data which Microsoft collects

Linux OS

Pros:

  • The family of Linux OS are Open-sourced, unlike Windows OS.
  • Distros of the Linux OS are absolutely free.
  • Since developers are continuously contributing to the distros of Linux OS, they are continuously fixing the vulnerable security loop-holes in the OS. Linux OS does not require Anti-virus, which is at times Costly!
  • Linux OS collects less data as compared to Windows OS.
  • There are fewer hardware requirements for Linux OS.
  • Linux is the best option as an Operating System for programmers!
  • Linux OS does not slow down even after it gets old.
  • Linux OS provides a larger community support.
  • Linux is fully customizable!

Cons:

  • Linux is not user-friendly, unlike Windows OS!
  • Gaming is not that great on Linux.
  • Drivers exist in Linux but there are limited options!

So finally! Do we have the answer to, ‘Should you use Linux’?
Well, YES!

If you are a Programmer &/ Developer, then you should definitely use Linux as your OS as it is fully customizable! Also, it is Secure and Fast! But which Distro? For Programmers’ &/ Developers Debian and Fedora are good options! But of course, you can try other distros!

If you are not a Developer &/ Programmer and you still want to use Linux for general work as an alternative for Windows, you should try using the most popular Linux OS distro is Ubuntu or Mint!


I have also made quite a few searches on the web and as a reference, I have given below the links!

Pros and Cons of Windows OS

Pros and Cons of Linux

Most popular Linux Distros

Top comments (4)

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mjablecnik profile image
Martin Jablečník • Edited

Nice article but I cannot agree with some points:

Linux is not user-friendly, unlike Windows OS!

This was maybe 30 years ago when Linux was growing up and a lot of things was only in command line.
Now Linux is much more user friendly than before. (I installed it for my father or my sister and all works well for them.) So only one big obstacle for nontechnical user is only installation on their machine.

Gaming is not that great on Linux.

This also is not a true because you can install Steam which also support a lot of small or large games for Linux.
For example I am playing:
Counter-Strike, XCOM, Left4Dead, PAYDAY2, StoneShard or BaldursGate
Or with wine I play: GTA3, GTA: Vice City, Heroes of might and magic IV, World of Warcraft, etc..

Of course if you are a hardcore game player so windows, xbox or playstation are better game platforms for you.
But for linux also exists a lot of nice games..
dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/up...

Drivers exist in Linux but there are limited options!

Which drivers and how limited options? I am using HP Probook without any problems with drivers and my father uses HP printer and scanner also without any problems..

Linux is not only for programmers or developers but it is also for server admins.
Debian or CentOS are for server admins,
Ubuntu, Fedora, Manjaro are for programmers
Linux Mint, ElementaryOS or Android are for Normal users

Here are some other big cons of Linux:

  • Linux distro is not mostly preinstalled on Personal computers or Laptops (you need install it himself). It is only on mobile phones as Android (which have Linux kernel modified for mobile devices)
  • Some big companies doesn't support Linux in their special products (Adobe or game companies)
  • You don't have any commercial support (only community)
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pranavvhankate profile image
Pranav Vhankate • Edited

Ohh! Thank you very much @MartinJablečník for telling me this!!!
:-)
Also thank you for giving those links, I will surely correct those!

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andreidascalu profile image
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Andrei Dascalu

Linux wasn't friendly like 20so years ago when doing any sort of meaningful customization eventually led to using the terminal. No so anymore.

Also, nobody requires an antivirus. Antivirus is a firm of protection that's useful regardless of OS. Sure, Windows is an easier and more likely target but that doesn't mean an antivirus is pointless on Linux.

Finally, Linus Torvalds didn't release the Linux family. Linus released the Linux kernel which is the core of any of the Linux OSs but it's not an OS by itself.

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cmuralisree profile image
Chittoji Murali Sree Krishna

linux is better than windows in lot of ways

But until unless you are a windows developer

well games aren't that great in linux, bcz it's an open source and gets updated on ease, especially few distros like arch, will find you a new kernel version almost next day, and there are many flavours like arch, debian, red-hat, fedora....

And to play something in linux we have to configure wine bottles and stuff

Yeah we can use linux on a older devices or devices with less resources, windows is heavy and literally eats away the ram to do normal task, especially if using on hdd with integrated graphics it literally takes minutes to load

Security wise I choose linux have a better security than windows,

Linux you can create your own system ex: vanilla-arch, but windows have to stick to the developers preview or update

It literally sends every stuff to ondrive and shares all the user statistics to Microsoft

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