50 Reasons Why I Love Linux
I love Linux so much I made a list of 50 reasons why I love it so.
1. I can extract something with one command without opening a separate program.
2. I can print a document without opening it.
3. I can update all applications with two magical words, apt-get upgrade.
4. Its free
5. Its free as in beer.
6. Its more secure than Windows
7. I can run on pretty much any hardware.
8. It is highly scalable… I can install it on a 486 or a dual core.
9. Help is readily available and free of charge.
10. Well documented
11. No need for some obscure knowledge base
12. A standard help system that is actually useful (man)
13. Powerful CLI
14. Many of the best programs are available for Linux for free. ie. Apache, MySQL, ProFTPd, SSH, OpenVPN. You would have to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars for Windows programs that accomplish the same thing. On top of that you will have to pay for support
15. No need to call a tech support center in India to activate your fully legal OS.
16. Linux can be configured to run without a GUI for max performance. This is especially useful for servers. Other operating systems don’t have this luxury.
17. It doesn’t ask me if I am sure I want to delete something….twice
18. Many of the programs are configured with a simple config file. This makes editing much easier than navigating through pages and pages of tabs and radio check boxes. You can even structure your config file with your own comments to make editing easier for you. Change something often? Put it near the top. If you switch something on and off often and it is buried behind 9 gui screens it might take you 10 5 times longer to switch it.
19. Linux will actually give you a reason why something had an error.
20. Linux wont tell me that my automatic updates are turned off every single minute of every day.
21. When I update Linux it won’t turn on a firewall automatically without my permission (Windows XP SP3 does this) and turn on services I had previously set to disabled.
22. Linux pretty much forces you to be a “non-administrative” user.
23. You can unmount something really fast with one command. Instead of double clicking on a silly icon navigating through all the USB devices plugged in select the right one only to find out that the device you are trying to unmount cannot be unmounted at this time.
24. Depending on the distro it is a lot easier to install than Windows.
25. Linux detects and installs more drivers for my hardware than Windows.
26. Linux comes with drivers for my onboard Sata where Windows XP does not.
27. Linux comes out with a new kernel constantly. Windows comes out with one once every couple years.
28. With Linux we can compile our own kernel so we don’t have to a wear a one size fits all hat.
29. You can choose which type of desktop environment you want.
30. You don’t have to worry about spyware, viruses, or worms. Even if they were prevalent they couldn’t be installed unless you did it yourself.
31. When you “end a task” in Linux it actually works.
32. You can check your CPU’s temperature without installing any software.
33. The command line auto complete feature works the way you expect it to.
34. To list the contents of a directory I only have to use two keys instead of three (ls vs. dir).
35. Linux’s CLI actually ads value to the OS.
36. I can build a computer myself and still get a good price on the retail version of Linux (free).
37. I can control my computer remotely with SSH. Windows comes with remote desktop which was not encrypted last time i checked. It also was slow and supports only a few connected users unless you pay Microsoft more money for a terminal server.
38. Linux tends not to hide details
39. I can see the OS uptime without installing some Microsoft power user program.
40. Linux comes with a program that will eject my CD-Rom. This comes in handy when making automated CD backups and other scripts.
41. Linux passwords cannot be cracked in seconds like Windows.
42. I can print an entire directory of pdfs with ‘lpr *.pdf‘. In Windows you would have to open each with Foxit Reader or the bloated Adobe Acrobat.
43. You can have really cool desktop effects that rival even OSX effects.
44. You can choose a filesystem that better fits your needs. With Windows you have two options old out of date crappy NTFS or even more out dated FAT32.
45. If you loose your Linux CD or don’t feel like downloading one you can get one mailed for free (ubuntu).
46. It supports more than 3/4gb of ram without updates and hacks.
47. You can get all applications you need without opening your browser or getting out your wallet and many times they are better than commercial solutions.
48. It doesn’t crash… ever… Its so reliable companies have used it as dedicated router firmware.
49. You don’t have to pay more money for multiple connected users.
50. When there is a security exploit I can expect a patch the next day not the second Tuesday of every month.
And yet you have Microsoft Certifed Professional status. Hah — the irony!
LOL,
That was before I found my true love.
Be honest… you like it just because you can play with it editing anything you want…
[...] 50 Reasons Why I Love Linux [...]
free as in speech…not beer
Linux all the way..
I agree with all except number 39, you can find this is XP by typing the following into the cli.
Systeminfo | Find “Up Time”
No need to install anything.
I am a Linux user, but you have some of your facts wrong.
#3,4 and 5: Linux != Debian (or Ubuntu). Your apt-get reference, and free doesn’t apply on some of the best Linux distros available.
#41: This crack requires actual computer access. I can change any user password in Linux with a boot disc faster than ophCrack can crack a decent passowrd.
#43: There are many extra software packages that give Windows desktop effects. Again, these aren’t OS packages, but extras, just like compiz is to Linux
All in all, linux is still better in general
Hi Dan,
You are right I shouldn’t have used apt as an example as there are a number of wonderful package mangers. pacman, yum, portage etc..
I do want to point out a small difference in #41. That is that knowing the password and reseting the password to something new are completely different in the security world.
At the time of the writing #43 was true. It is starting to change as you pointed out.
@dan I think the best bet for someone teaching people who are new to linux is to go with debian/ubunu.
If he threw in like 10 different package managers it would hold true for linux newbies that linux is very complicated and difficult to understand. I think you made the best choice, Mark.
@Jade: I’m not trying to start a distro war or anything. I’m not a fan of Ubuntu due to it’s deviation from Linux standards, but I won’t knock people for using it. I understand your point, I stumbled here and didn’t see this as a newbie trainer post.
My only complaint is the promotion of a Ubuntu = Linux problem that is increasingly prevalent on the internet these days. A lot of people that are new to Linux think that Ubuntu is linux
For No. 2, what OS has this? I’m in Ubuntu Karmic and I can’t find that. I would to have that feature if you know where it is.
Hi Jacob,
You can do this in Karmic,
lpr blah.pdf
or
lpr *.pdf for an entire directory
Some good points, but the list has some redundancy: how many different ways can you save “It’s free”.
Some items are wrong: Item #14: “Apache, MySQL, ProFTPd, SSH, OpenVPN” are all available free, GPL, for Windows. Item #47: There are freeware applications for Windows that are better than commercial solutions
Item #30 “don’t have to worry about spyware, viruses, or worms”, but item #50 admits that there are “security exploits”, which will be patched “the next day”. Doesn’t really give much time for detection, analysis, design, coding, testing, packaging, distribution…
Item #25: “Installs more drivers”, then why is it that I need to dual-boot to Windows to run IMO Touch USB monitor, Logitech Web Cam, Vivitar camera, USB serial port, etc… Nvidia support in Linux has improved, but it used to be that every kernel update would break the video driver…
Item #9: “Help is readily available…”. You mean Google, right? A community of interested users? Works with any OS. Item #11: “obscure knowledge base”. Guess you’ve never tried to research a Linux error and gone from forum, to bug tracking database, to developer discussion, and still not gotten the answer to the problem. The MS Knowledge base on the other hand is usually very specific and direct
Other than than, good list…
@solaria
“Some items are wrong: Item #14: “Apache, MySQL, ProFTPd, SSH, OpenVPN” are all available free, GPL, for Windows. Item #47: There are freeware applications for Windows that are better than commercial solutions”
This is true. Though most SSH servers and clients for Windows are real crap because Windows lacks a few things that makes it a usable experience, such as an up-to-date console library?
“Item #30 “don’t have to worry about spyware, viruses, or worms”, but item #50 admits that there are “security exploits”, which will be patched “the next day”. Doesn’t really give much time for detection, analysis, design, coding, testing, packaging, distribution…”
Malware != Exploits. Learn the difference. There is VERY little malware. And the only exploits that have any real prevalence on Linux are zero-days that get fixed before most crackers even hear of them.
“Item #25: “Installs more drivers”, then why is it that I need to dual-boot to Windows to run IMO Touch USB monitor, Logitech Web Cam, Vivitar camera, USB serial port, etc… Nvidia support in Linux has improved, but it used to be that every kernel update would break the video driver”
Sounds like its a problem with your hardware. I have ALL of those things and they all work perfectly for me on Linux. Don’t blame the OS for your hardware failing. Either that or you’re trying to run old hardware with new drivers, in which point it is ALL your fault. And I’ve never had a single kernel update break my nVidia driver, and I bet I used Linux far longer than you. I call bullshit on this claim.
“Item #9: “Help is readily available…”. You mean Google, right? A community of interested users? Works with any OS. Item #11: “obscure knowledge base”. Guess you’ve never tried to research a Linux error and gone from forum, to bug tracking database, to developer discussion, and still not gotten the answer to the problem. The MS Knowledge base on the other hand is usually very specific and direct”
Wow. I have, in my bookmarks, over fifty links to useful wikis for all sorts of things. Not one of which I reached by even touching Google. And I’ve generally found answers to my problems without having to pay to a subscription to MSDN or “questing” like you imply.
Are you sure you’re not just being a troll? Becasue every last thing you said has NEVER been true for Linux.
One “minor” point, if you really like Linux so much you should consider how we came to enjoy our free OS today: it’s actually the GNU tools that build the basis of it. It was GNU who tried to build the free OS for many years and they had it all done except for the kernel. Then Linus came along, made a useful kernel and people started taking the GNU tools and built the OS we call Linux. So why I am writing all this? Because when we speak just about Linux we never mention the GNU philosophy and effort that made it all possible.
If you want to read up on it see here:
http://www.gnu.org/events/rms-nyu-2001-transcript.txt
I recommend using the term GNU as much as possible to make people aware of the concept behind free software…
Cheers
Wow, people get so nit-picky these days. It’s a good list, a little love-fest, not meant to be an itemized inventory, for goodness sakes!
As a complete and admitted newbie to Linux, I appreciate Ubuntu beyond words. Scoff all you like, but Ubuntu is making Linux FRIENDLY for people who don’t want to spend gillions of hours learning CLI and analyzing their hardware to learn how to install proper drivers, etc. Linux should and can be usable for both geeks and “humans”. The stated Ubuntu goal in this regard is a welcome relief for some of us, who otherwise would have jumped the Win* ship earlier!
So scoff and get yer geek cred. But Ubuntu is doing things right. I run a laptop, not a server. Unlike most distro developpers, they are speaking to our audience. It’s counterproductive to hate on that, haters. I’m getting 70 year old neighbour ladies to switch, for goodness sakes. Repeat after me: GUI, GUI, GUI…
I came to Linux for stability and relative speed. Bottom line. The subtlety and power of Linux I’m learning to appreciate. But it’s the rock-hard, easy, elegant aspects of the above list that make me sigh with relief. Ubuntu gets my love for increasing those aspects of linux!
I <3 mah Ubunchu-tan Penguin!
Amen.
@Shufei
Linux users are getting nitpicky because of all of the BS hype out there on both sides of the playing field. We’re tired of M$’s hired e-thugs trolling the internet making claims like “installing Linux of any kind on your machine might be border-line illegal and will probably make it explode”. We’re also tired of big money distro sponsors claiming that their Linux distro will do everything from mow the lawn to giving you a BJ. What we like to see is intellectual honesty. Something that the competition seems to lacking in spades. We know Linux isn’t perfect. We don’t expect it to be. Fanboyism, however, doesn’t help anyone. In fact, it usually just hurts the reputation of said product when it doesn’t live up to such incredible claims. IS Linux better than Windows? Yeah, maybe. It certainly has the potential to be, if commercial interests help rather than stifle it by getting too far away from Linux standards. Is it the best thing since sliced bread? Well, that depends on how much you like bread. I hate M$. Not because Windows is an inferior product but because of the marketing tactics and the deception they use. Apple and a lot of other companies out there are just the same as M$. Linux has the potential to be great just for the sake of being a good OS that people actually need and want to use. I have no quarrels with capitalism or the ability or inability of a software company to make money. What I do have a problem with is profit through dishonesty. That’s why I use Linux. That, and the fact that it actually does what I tell it to do without my having to circumvent the OS itself. It is what I want it to be and it does not do what I don’t need it to do. It is actually intended to be used in just that way… the way a user/admin sees fit. As simple as that sounds, it seems to be getting harder to find an OS that offers that kind of freedom. There are reasons for that too… but I think I’ve said my peace.
Oh, and my favourite distro? I’d have to say Gentoo, personally… Maybe Slackware too. In that order. I run OpenSuse on my wife’s laptop. She seems to love it. We also use Ubuntu on the household computer. Use what works according to your needs.