The Operating System Linux

For the long time Windows user or never user, where do I start?

Which Linux distro is for you? - Distribution Help
Which Linux desktop is for you? - Desktop Help
How do I install Linux - Installing Linux - Important Notes

What is Linux?

- apart from being Open Source Software
Linux is an Operating System similar to that of Apple or Windows. Update releases are much more regular than Apple or Windows. Ubuntu for instance has releases twice a year & every other year releases a long term support issue (LTS).
Linux has a highly modifiable range of simple to complex virtual desktops Linux has way more GUI bells & whistles than either Apple or Windows & configuration files can be edited & altered quite easily with great effect or possible disaster - BE CAREFUL HERE.
Linux can be downloaded for the cost of a blank CD-ROM or DVD-ROM & the download bandwidth unlike Apple or Windows
The source can be modified by anyone but for general release, good luck. Linux is not harder to use - children have no problem with Linux

What about Linux Support?

Support online is massive & patches can occur within minutes of posting an issue but more likely within a few hours. Windows issues are often patched in weeks, sometimes longer. Apple often refutes security issues but is often wrong. Fixes may mean waiting for the next release. Linux can be secured easily & is inherently more secure than Windows.

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Linux Use?

Linux is the major server software used by smaller Internet Service Providers (ISPs) & runs most of the fastest super-computers & now most of the smartphones sold. Android is a Linux version. Linux, like Apple is based upon the UNIX system that has been around since the 1960's Many major computer system corporations are currently working on interoperability with Windows; such as Novell, IBM, Sun Microsystems & even Microsoft themselves.

How does Linux Software compare to Microsoft Programs?

It depends on the kind of software being looked at. If you look at Terminal-based programs then these are like MS-DOS in Windows if you compare Beethoven to pop music. Over 98% of malware won't run on Linux due to the UNIX-like architecture & true super-user structure. Each project becomes the Everest of each programmer involved & so depending on the programmers involved & how good they are, the user interfaces have a great diversity of capability. The functionality in most Linux programs is equal to that of Windows.

Why do Linux programmers bother?

Community respect is the primary driving force behind the commitment to a project not money or time necessarily. You can get extra capabilities in a program if you offer some financial recompense to a programmer to include this. The main coders are included with the source code so can be easily found. Improvements tend to be incremental due to the number of eyes on a project unlike another system which will often have missing functions purposely included to create repeat purchasing for upgrades.

All information printed on these pages has been expressly written by Rex Alfie Lee of Daggerlee Computing. This page has been opened separately from the original. If you have closed the original page & wish to return to it then click on this link for
Daggerlee Computing
Dated: May 2011
Email: alfielee at gmail.com