Linux: Why you should care

Because Microsoft Will Eat Your Soul

Published on March 24, 2005 By azdruid In OS Wars

Most computer users today know Windows as the ubiquitous software that resides on every machine they touch. They are simply content to pay Microsoft every couple years and comply with restrictive activation crap and other MS bloat. There is an alternative, however, that has in my opinion recently reached "Windows-replacement" quality. That would be Linux.

Please take a moment to note: This is now the third revision of this article. I am going to try to feed this information to you in metered doses, because there is SO MUCH information about Linux. I will attempt to concentrate on newbie-specific aspects first and then move on to the more awesome stuff.
It might be worth noting that I myself am a relatively new to Linux myself, so I can identify with any What The Hell Is This attitudes you may have.

Linux is a "free speech, not free beer" operating system. This essentially means that while the Linux source code is freely available, it also means that it is perfectly okay for people to change Linux and charge you for it (as long as they give you the source code.) Why does this matter? You have to pay $300 for Windows XP Pro. You have to pay $0 for a really nice version of Linux. Interested?

On the whole, Linux has only recently reached the status, in my opinion, of being able to directly compete with Windows. Linux is offered in distribution form. A distribution is a collection of software that a company or group of people have put together in a certain way. Pretty much all "distros" include an installer, and common programs like image editors and file managers to help the migration to Linux. Some are free, some aren't. Let's take a VERY quick look at some newbie friendly distros:

Mandrakelinux (Link) - A classic. Mandrake is very mature and has weathered the years well. You can get Mandrake for free, or you can join their Club for a price and get them to stop nagging you. Myself I have not tried Mandrake because I never found the need, but I hear it is a very good starter distro and is ranked number one on Distrowatch.

Ubuntu (Link) - A derivitave of Debian (a poweruser distro). Ubuntu may have a funny name, but it is VERY, VERY good. Did you catch that? In part 2, because I use Ubuntu and recommend you do to, I will cover the installation and basic use of it. And oh yes....it's totally free. 100%.

Xandros (Link) - A commercial distribution that requires a lot of money to be forked over. Billed as a Windows replacement, it has a lot of nice migration features like a Windows Explorer (My Computer) clone. I wouldn't pay $70 for it when I can get Ubuntu for free.

So, why should you care about Linux enough to consider putting Windows aside? Let's cover a few major points:

- You can get it for free. Legally.
- APT. I will explain what APT is later. It's worth a bulletpoint though.
- Awesome tech support.
- Infinitely customizable without having to pay a single cent.
- Bragging rights.
- If you are a computer geek, you get to look REAL good.

Let's talk about choice. It's basically the tagline for Linux, as you are of course choosing something other than Windows. The biggest choice you will have to make though, is your distribution and your Desktop Environment. On Windows, the look of the Desktop, Taskbar, Startmenu, and programs are all pretty much uniform. If you can use one Windows computer, you can use them all. It's a little different on Linux. Most distributions choose to use either the KDE or GNOME desktop environment. A DE is a collection of graphical programs that handle functions like menus, taskbars, and day-to-day tasks like graphic viewing and file management. I like KDE better because I find it easier and it offers a very good help system.

- So you can get it for free. That's a pretty big incentive. And free updates? No problem
- Know what Windows Update is? Well, imagine being able to update ALL the software on your computer simply by typing in "apt-get upgrade". That's pretty cool. (Note, this only works on Debian and Debian based systems. Will explain more later)
- There is, I believe, and infinite amount on Linux forum sites. The best one I have found is LinuxQuestions, where you can get help even if you are drooling
- If you don't like the way something is in Linux, you really do have the ability to change it. Most superficial changes can be done from a GUI as well.
- There's something special about not being tied to a corporation.

Another cool feature of Linux is LiveCDs. You can just burn a Live disc and be able to run a full featured Linux system without having to put anything at all on your hard drive. It is testing bliss. Most good distros offer Live versions.

If I have caught your interest at any point here, I couldn't recommend Kubuntu Linux more. Kubuntu IS Ubuntu Linux, but with a KDE desktop (vanilla Ubuntu uses GNOME). The current version of [K]ubuntu is 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog" Preview. So go download a LiveCD, and try it out.

Next time: Installation and Basic Use

Comments (Page 2)

delaron

on Mar 27, 2005

heh, now this is why the noobie computer user will be headed back to windows, cuz everyone starts out with the argument 'well I use genxsuperduper distro' and then people get confused when 10 different people use 10 different things, and just want one that works.

As to the 'frustration with installation' I have never had any problems with any flavor of linux installation on any of my many different generation of computers. Its generally easier than a windows plain vanilla install. BUT, that being said, what average normal user is going to go about installing linux by himself? Its going to be installed by the computer manufacturer, so cut that argument out if thats one of the reasons you say the average user won't be using linux. Tech support? Thats also gonna be provided by the computer manufacturer that puts the OS on your system. who tech supports your windows? Dell or HP thats who, definitely not Microsoft...unless you pay a per call fee or have some deal with corp.

vlad@petric.cc

on Mar 27, 2005

One thing that wasn't really mentioned is stability. On my work computer (a dual dell powerstaion bought in 2002), twice I got uptimes of > 200 days (and I could have gotten more, if I also had an UPS)

It's true that getting your hardware to work with Linux can sometimes be a big pain. Testing an OS on a variety of hardware configurations is extremely time- and money- consuming. I once read an interview with Mandrake senior, who was saying that hardware testing is the #1 cost in assembling a distro.

My advice - 1) it's generally a good idea to check hardware compatibility lists before if you buy a computer specifically for linux. 2) Nvidia. Their support for linux is stellar, compared to ATI (who generally have a very bad history with drivers).

And yeah, Microsoft will eat your soul. On one hand, they're complaining through their pet organization, BSA, how piracy is a severe blow to them, on the other hand their operating margins are ~33%. But they're not stopping with BSA. The "trusting computing"/Palladium architecture will effectively transform computers into digital prisons. The point of such an architecture is not to fight viruses/malware, but simply to prevent the user from doing things (e.g. moving an mp3 file to a different computer/device, or installing a piece of software that Microsoft hasn't signed).

The free software foundation has a pretty good piece on it: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/can-you-trust.html . So does Bruce Scheier: http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0208.html

My favorite quotes from the latter:

<<1. A "trusted" computer does not mean a computer that is trustworthy. The DoD's definition of a trusted system is one that can break your security policy; i.e., a system that you are forced to trust because you have no choice. Pd will have trusted features; the jury is still out as to whether or not they are trustworthy.>>

and:

<<4. Pay attention to the antitrust angle. I guarantee you that Microsoft believes Pd is a way to extend its market share, not to increase competition.>>

So please, windoze users, OPEN YOUR EYES. Microsoft is not a benign entity. There's a big difference between "eating your money" and "eating your soul". Microsoft is doing the latter.

One of the reasons I just *love* stardock is that they don't treat their customers as criminals.

To change the angle, I played Galciv 1.* under winex and it worked quite well. I did have to change an .ini file (as mentioned ). So I was wondering - why doesn't
Stardock use an open platform for future game development ? Like libsdl + OpenGL ? Yes, I'm very well aware that DirectX is considerably more feature-rich than sdl+opengl, but this way your games would be very easily portable to other platforms, like Linux, Mac, and even PocketPC PDAs. While you don't have opengl and hardware acceleration on pocketpcs, SDL works quite well. Some PDAs have processors that clock at 600MHz, so perhaps a game like galciv 1 could work on a high-end one.

Riley6634

on Mar 28, 2005

Where's the dial up version of Linux? I tried to download it but it was 100 and something megabites! If they want it to be more acessible then the filesize should be smaller!
Also the Indian Govenment uses Linix!

Action_Jay

on Mar 28, 2005

I'm running Linspire out of curiosity, and really enjoy it so far. It's great for a casual user, and can definitely replace windows for soccer moms the world over. As for myself, I still haven't figured out how to manually download, unpack and install programs, nor have I made sense out of the file system or command line console. Might have to do with the fact that I was brought up on DOS and can clearly visualize -what- I'm doing in windows. The selection of Linux based software and games seems pretty sketchy to me, too. Don't think I'll be able to replace my windows with it, so all Linux gets is a partition, and XP will remain my main OS.

As for the omg windoze is evil angle... meh. It's the mouth-foaming penguin humpers out there who make Linux the scary thing it is.

vlad@petric.cc

on Mar 28, 2005

#19: "As for the omg windoze is evil angle... meh. It's the mouth-foaming penguin humpers out there who make Linux the scary thing it is."

Non sequitur. It doesn't follow. The fact that I'm overzealous does not make Microsoft any less evil.

Again, let me give you a couple of examples:

1. Using their existing monopoly to produce other monopolies. In the past, it happened with office, through illegal bundling. Currently - with media formats
2. Buying their way out of the antitrust litigation, with significant campaign donations, in 2000.
3. Instead of really getting their product more stable and secure, they prefer to fight Linux with baseless FUD (through a proxy, of course - SCO. See groklaw.net for details)
4. Activation, Palladium, etc.

And don't tell me that all companies do this. Why hasn't Intel been charged with monopolistic practices in the cpu market ? Or google in the search engine market?

Sure, you can choose to ignore these things, but please don't claim that it's my fault, because I'm an overzealous linuxer.

ActionJay

on Mar 29, 2005

Yup, it's all the zealots' fault. Running Linux is ingrained in our collective consciousness as 'raging against the machine' and 'sticking it to the man'. Your average consumer doesn't really care much about that, though. As much as I'd love to deny Microsoft my hard earned cash, it won't affect them too much, and I'd be left with a lot of missing functionality on my PC. Sure, if Linux wasn't so obscure, there'd be more developers creating software for it. But then again, without that software, it's going to be hard to totally convert people like me who grew up with DOS and Windows and are used to that sort of ease-of-use. 'The Man' is there for a reason, and that's standardization. Because I know Windows inside out, I can troubleshoot pretty much anyone's desktop. I think it was Ford way back when who had the same idea. Course, that fell apart when other companies cried foul, and nowadays you need mechanics specially trained in your particular make or model, and then you pay out the nose for their services.

As far as security and bugs are concerned, I'm sure each and every distro out there has its own unique problems. No programmers are perfect, no offense to any hobbyists out there. I'm even finding things on Linspire here that aren't working the way I'd expect. But they're not advertised all over the place the way we always hear about the latest vulnerability in windows. Then again, every time I hear about a windows vulnerability, it's when I'm reading into the patch or fix that was just automatically loaded onto my system. That always seems to happen long before any hacker out there figures out how to use those vulnerabilities to their advantage.

On the other side of the standardization idea, I do believe it'd be possible to practically cripple the massive windows user base with a well placed virus. But as scary as that sounds, I'll be getting paid by the hour to resuscitate those systems

PurrBall

on Apr 15, 2005

Fedora seems to be the best for me, see my new article, "The move to Linux-Things you need to know" for newcomers.

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