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Better for linux or windows games. Which is better, Linux or Windows

The issue of the popularity of operating systems has been discussed by users for decades. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each OS, people prefer to choose those aspects that suit them more. What is better - Windows or Linux - will be discussed in this article.

System requirements

Microsoft Windows 10 is latest version at this moment. Compared to its predecessors (8, 7, Vista), its requirements for computer characteristics are almost the same, but, as the developers assure, it works effectively on older PCs.

According to official according to Microsoft, minimal system Windows requirements 10 are:

Note! Despite these characteristics, it is recommended to use a 32-bit system for 1-3 GB of RAM, and a 64-bit system for 4 GB or more.

For different distributions Linux minimum requirements vary depending on the system's capabilities. For OS with window managers for the Openbox type you need at least:

When working with a x64 system, 4 GB+ of RAM is required, as is the case with Windows, but in Linux with a smaller amount the performance decrease is insignificant. This is due to the flexibility of the pre-installed software and its low consumption of computer resources.

Taking into account the presented hardware requirements, Linux is more productive than Windows when used application programs. In some applications or games developed primarily for Windows, this indicator varies.

Settings

Users note that the settings in Windows 10 are located in inconvenient places. An attempt to simplify access to component management by dividing them into categories and subcategories led to confusion, which is why some of them are truly “hidden” in the depths of the OS.

Almost all Linux distributions have a Settings Manager, which stores all the functionality of the OS parameters available to the user (from appearance to driver installation). There are no divisions into endless subcategories.

Note! The Settings Manager looks different depending on the desktop environment you're using, but the principle is the same.

Linux settings are more flexible and allow you to change even system combinations keys, which is prohibited by the developers in Windows.

Safety

Windows is constantly susceptible to attack by various viruses. Malware developers take advantage of the insecurity of the OS and the carelessness of users who rely on Defender or other antivirus software to destabilize the system and, worse, steal sensitive data.

The reason for this is not only its popularity. From the OS kernel to the software management method, everything has significant flaws that people with illegal intentions take advantage of.

In Linux, security is a top priority. The main reason for this is free software supported by GNU. In fact, Linux is the kernel of the OS, software part- GNU. Liberty GNU programs lies in the absence of restrictions on their installation, distribution, study, modification. So, the more “correct” (but not mandatory) name for the distributions is GNU/Linux, and the kernels are Linux. The latter is often used as a collective concept.

Anyone can control (if they have the necessary knowledge for this) installed software and its impact on the OS. This is the basis of security because every day the source code of programs is controlled by developers around the world.

In Linux, you cannot install or uninstall a program without entering a password. This is a major precaution in software management. The virus cannot harm the OS in any way, because it will ask for a password, which is written in the file with high level encryption.

Thanks to this, Linux does without an antivirus. Malware only manifests itself when the user acts carelessly (which is unlikely due to the security system). And viruses that are developed for Windows are not capable of harming Linux due to differences in architecture and operating principles.

Popularity and price

The popularity of Windows began back in the 90s of the last century due to Microsoft's monopoly on the software market. Then their OS was installed on all computers. Now the situation has begun to change.

Most PC users in the post-Soviet space have pirated versions Windows. From a legal point of view, this is a clear violation of the Microsoft license agreement and the domestic laws of these countries. The company is aware of this, but they have chosen a clear development strategy - full collection of information about users, regardless of whether they have a license. And it is unknown how they will manage it in the near future.

On the official Microsoft website, the price of Windows 10 Home is 8,699 rubles, Windows 10 Pro - 14,199 rubles, Windows 10 Pro for workstations - 21,899 rubles.

According to LinuxCounter, Linux-based systems are used by about 6% of users on desktop PCs and laptops worldwide and more than 90% on servers and control stations.

GNU/Linux OS is free. You can freely go to the website of any distribution and download it for free. There are also paid options, for example, a distribution kit from the USA, Red Hat (produced by the company of the same name), provides paid services, in particular, 24/7 support for setting up and using your product.

Software

When you purchase Windows, you discover that... useful applications Only a proprietary browser, image viewer and multimedia player. The rest of the software is purchased separately, most of which are paid.

Main advantage Microsoft product- availability of any software. Any program that runs on macOS or GNU/Linux is available for Windows (albeit in alternative). Modern games, devices, and software for working with multimedia are developed for Windows.

For GNU/Linux, the number of applications has increased significantly over the past 5 years. New programs, equipment, games - everything is being ported at a high pace to run on Linux.

Software that was originally supported on Linux continues to evolve. Enthusiastic developers from all over the world write useful utilities and programs to diversify the choice of Linux users.

Almost any distribution, upon detecting the connection of a new device, will immediately install for it required driver. The exception is non-free drivers Nvidia video cards, Wi-Fi modules and models of some laptop processors, which are easily installed through the hardware configurator.

For any field of activity (biology, chemistry, programming), the ideal environment is GNU/Linux, since it provides unambiguous and useful tools that are missing from Windows or that try to provide similar functionality.

Design customization

Windows allows regular means change only the color of the windows. Large-scale changes to the design of the panel and applications are prohibited.

In GNU/Linux there are no restrictions on changing the appearance: from fonts to window title design. There are many standard themes, it is also possible to install additional ones from the Internet.

conclusions

There is no clear answer to the question of which is better - Windows or Linux. Each OS has its own advantages and disadvantages. Due to the prevalence of Windows, few people know about Linux. Both systems can perform any task, but they provide different tools.

Almost every personal computer user faces the same question: “What should I put on my computer: Windows or Linux?!” Today we will try to find the answer to this difficult question. Although it is unlikely that we will be able to draw an objective conclusion, we will still try.

Let's start with the fact that neither one nor the other system is ideal, no matter what the defenders of this or that operating system say, in each system you can find a flaw, shortcoming or feature that will not suit you. Therefore, the first and only true advice follows from here: To understand what is betterWindows orLinux – You need to work on both systems yourself. And not just launch a browser, watch a video file or listen music track. For an honest analysis, you need to work on an unfamiliar operating system (usually Linux) - 2-3 weeks, no less! Personal testing will reveal shortcomings new system, its features, and most importantly, you will understand how flexible it is for your needs.

Let me give you an example: A desperate computer gamer will never get along in the vastness of the Linux operating system. But at the same time, to a novice programmer (hacker, as people say) OS Windows will seem closed, boring and limited system with a lot of shortcomings.

Of course, most of us are not gamers or programmers, but mediocre users. But we thereby wanted to convey to you simple thing, if you have no desire to deal with computer programs, look for analogues, understand elementary pieces of code - operating Linux system The system will seem complicated and incomprehensible to you. On it you will not be able to fully feel free. All actions will cause anger rather than pleasure. What can I say, even installing regular printer drivers will seem unusually difficult, and possibly an unsolvable task.

However, if you are a person who is not afraid of difficulties, and even loves them, then we certainly recommend using UNIX operating systems. This environment is for those who want to study the computer not just superficially, but to configure it so that it ideally performs all assigned tasks.

Windows is certainly more suitable for a housewife or a busy businessman, although we should give credit to the Linux OS! For the average user who uses a computer only for watching movies, listening to music and surfing the Internet, Linux distributions such as Ubuntu may well be suitable.

Since most of our readers use Windows system, and they are the ones who are thinking about choosing between Linux and Windows, then we would like to outline the advantages and disadvantages UNIX systems on separate lines. Thus giving you a choice.

Than Linux better than Windows:

  • Most Linux distributions are completely FREE!

  • The programs (software) are also all free. This is very important for companies that are required to use only legal software.

  • In one of the most popular distributions– Ubuntu - all basic package programs ( office applications, browsers, media players, etc.) are installed along with the operating system, thereby eliminating unnecessary hassle.

  • Everything is in the same Ubuntu - all applications/programs/games are collected in a single directory, from which you can both download and install by pressing just one button. Something like App Store at Apple or Android Market in the Android mobile operating system.

How Linux is worse than Windows:
  • Windows is still more familiar to 98% of PC users. For them, any Linux distribution will be a mystery.

  • It is almost impossible to play on Linux OS computer games, you have to be content with either “old samples” or try to run this or that game for Windows using an emulator. That is, this system is clearly not for fans of computer games.

  • Linux does not have all the equivalent programs. The fact is that some manufacturers of specific programs are not interested in releasing versions for UNIX. There are a lot of reasons, ranging from the monetary component to the relatively small audience.

As you understand, our advice boils down to the fact that the average static user it's worth choosing Windows, not Linux. It's less hassle and more productive.

We deliberately did not mention performance in the article. The fact is that it is incorrect to compare the entire family of Linux distributions with the Windows family.
Good luck!

Unsubscribe in the comments which one operating system It was you who chose. And why? I think that everyone will be interested in hearing other opinions.

It just so happens that even on Habré many people have a very vague idea of ​​the OS Linux family.

The purpose of this article is to tell in the most popular language about the features and Linux differences from Windows for those who have not dealt with it at all.

I’ve been freely using Archlinux for more than one year now, downloading Windows just “to play around with.” This article talks about things that I found out empirically, poking around like a blind kitten. If at one time I would have come across exactly this information in exactly this form, it would have saved me at least 2 years, during which I switched from Windows to Linux.

The cornerstone principle of working with Linux systems is “From understanding to action”, while in Windows it is “I know where to click/where to put a tick - I do it.” In other words, in order to do something, you need to understand how it works there, inside.

Thesis No. 1 – YOU MUST be proficient in working with the system from a text console!

“Pure” Linux ( basic system) in any distribution looks like DOS - black screen, text mode, the blinking cursor is waiting for input. When you encounter something like this for the first time, you sit and think: “Damn, what should I write?”

Modern user-friendly distributions give the illusion that the user does not need a console. Good guys, they say, have already taken care of everything. Here's a wallpaper in FullHD resolution, here's a program for setting parameters - just check the boxes, everything is like in Windows... To avoid unnecessary holivars, I'll make a digression at this point.

Eat Linux users, for whom nothing ever goes wrong. Ubuntu is updated from one major version to another, starting with Ubuntu 1.0, and so on. Guys, don’t write anything in the comments about the uselessness of the console for the user, go and admire the rainbow that pink ponies poop in your world.

In my world, Linux glitches and breaks. No, everything is quite okay if you just launch programs and use them. But then suddenly the moment comes when you desperately need to, say, change open-source firewood to proprietary ones... or simply update the system. And here, if the stars align poorly, you get a broken system and a text console as the only method of interacting with it. And (the worst part) - this kind of garbage tends to happen regularly.

My experience suggests that at such moments the Windows user acts as he is used to, obeying the usual ideology. First comes the attempt to “fix”. Windows ideology dictates that you find a discussion of a similar problem and its solution on the Internet, after which repeat all actions that led to solving the problem. The result is that the user mindlessly types in commands that he does not understand. Sometimes this even helps, more often it doesn’t: the contents of the commands need to be modified to suit specific conditions and specific local machine, but there is no knowledge for this. As a result, the next logical step is to reinstall the system. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about - I broke and reinstalled Ubuntu more than 10 times... about a third of which were after the spontaneous death of the system during the update process, without correlation with the curvature of the hands.

Studying the structure of the system and working with it from the console is akin to the famous “lose a day - fly in an hour.” Fixing the problem in this case is much faster than reinstalling, not to mention the fact that it becomes much easier not to break it :) In addition, the difference completely disappears - you are sitting at the computer locally or through a remote SSH session. Believe me, this feeling is worth a lot.

Thesis No. 2: user-friendly distributions are not suitable for studying the system.

Developers of such distributions diligently create an interface graphic layer, designed to reduce the interaction between the user and the system to mindless mouse clicks. Technically, this layer can be an absolutely enchanting pile of crutches - in bash, python, perl... absolute hell for a beginner trying to understand the logic of the system. In addition, sane documentation (if it exists at all) is lost among forum posts like “to get A, enter B in the console, and in the settings press button C”

Technically minimalistic distributions with high-quality and detailed documentation are best suited for learning. These, for example, are Gentoo and Archlinux. Personally, I recommend the latter - simply because it worked for me. After a couple of years of ordeals with Ubuntu, just a couple of months with Arch brought me 10 times further in understanding Linux.

There are several reasons:

  1. The technical minimalism of the system greatly facilitates its understanding.
  2. High-quality, detailed documentation facilitates the learning process.
  3. Getting out of the “graphical comfort zone” is very helpful!

The last point is especially worth noting. Ubuntu with its graphical interface does not add any motivation to poke around in the console. It’s another matter when initially there is only a console and a strong motivation to “set up this GUI” - there’s simply nowhere to go, you have to master the documentation and acquire knowledge.

Windows and Linux: fundamental differences

1. File system

  • In Linux, logical disk volumes are not assigned letters. Instead, one of them is designated as the root, and the rest are connected to the specified folders within it. All paths start with a slash, without any C drives:
  • All system files dumped in the root file system, and are divided into catalogs by type/purpose. Relatively speaking, all settings are located in /etc, executable files in /bin and /usr/bin - and to all this goodness, a regular user (not an administrator) has only read/execute access, and not always (when it comes to system services)
  • File extensions in Linux are completely optional. Whether a file is executable is determined by a special mark - similar to the “hidden” or “archived” mark in Windows. Executable files without an extension are the norm in Linux!
  • In Linux there is no special mark indicating that a file is hidden. Instead, names with a dot at the beginning are used, and file managers allow you to disable the display of such files. That is, the /home/user/.bashrc file is hidden. The dot in this case is part of the file name!
  • A standard user only has full access to their personal folder, which is usually located in /home/%username%. By analogy with drive D: in Windows, a separate disk partition is often connected to the /home folder. Thus, all user data is located on a separate partition (or even a physical hard drive).
  • All user (not system) programs, if necessary, save some of their data or settings, do this only in home folder the user from which they are running - simply because only in it they have the right to write.
  • The very concept of “file” in Linux is slightly different, broader. There is a so-called “device files”. For example, /dev/sda is usually HDD(although it could be a flash drive), and /dev/sda1 is the first section of this hard drive. From here such tricky maneuvers as dd if=/dev/sda1 of=/home/user/backup are possible - the command will copy the entire first partition of the disk /dev/sda byte by byte to backup file in the user's home directory. There is a so-called “symbolic links” - in the file manager they look like regular file, in fact they link to another file and do not take up disk space. That is, there may be one executable file and a bunch of symbolic links to it in different places.

2. Package manager and the concept of “package”, installation of programs.

  • Programs can only be installed using an administrator account. During installation, all files related to the program (for example, Firefox) are “smeared” across the root file system - settings common to all users will go to /etc, executable files to /usr/bin, and icons and various resources such as graphics and sounds - to /usr/share/firefox. In this situation, the user, in principle, cannot know where he has what exactly is located. The package manager is responsible for this. For example, the Firefox package includes a bunch of files. When installing a package, the package manager will arrange them across the file system, and when uninstalling them, it will delete them accordingly.
  • Another important function of a package manager is satisfying package dependencies. For example, Firefox requires the libjpeg library to work. This means that during installation, the package manager will automatically install the libjpeg package, and when uninstalling, it will remove it if it is not required by any other package.
  • The package manager usually has a database with all available packages, and it has search facilities for this database. Therefore, installing programs on Linux is incredibly simple - with the first command we search for keywords According to the database, the exact name of the package, we install the second one. There is no need to go to websites, search and download anything. If I need to install Skype in Archa, I dial pacman -S skype and press ENTER, and a minute later I have Skype installed. I need Firefox - I’m writing pacman -S firefox. And so on. In another distribution, the command and syntax will be different, you may need to specify the repository address - the principle itself is unchanged.
  • Never, never even try to download and run anything through a browser, like in Windows! Only if you fully know what you are doing - but then why are you reading all this?) Downloading and running a file is part of a completely alien (even hostile) ideology for Linux. Programs must be installed through a package manager. Dot.
  • Never use the “configure && make && make install” method to install a program. Every time this happens, a dozen innocent kittens die a painful death in the world. This set of commands will assemble a program from source code, and then scatter its files throughout the file system without the knowledge of the package manager. This is a violation of the normal logic of working with the system. Don't do that))
  • I'll probably add one more thing here. Very often you can see persistent advice “not to work as an administrator,” and there is a reason for this that is not entirely obvious to Windows users. The fact is that typing a command in the console is fraught with the danger of typos and accidental clicks. A very real situation is when you are about to delete a folder, start writing the path to it and accidentally hit ENTER. Linux is not in the habit of asking “Are you really that stupid? y/n” - he’ll just do it. Therefore, you have to be very careful when typing commands as root. In Windows, of course, there is no such problem.

3. User's graphical environment

  • The user's entire graphical environment is a collection of application programs. Historically, for a Windows user, concepts such as the “Desktop”, taskbar, system tray, volume control, clock and calendar, Start menu, access to network settings from the tray are an integral part of the Windows OS. In Linux, all of the above is implemented by separate programs. Moreover, for each task from the given list there is far more than one program. As a volume control I can put volumeicon written in C or volwheel in python
  • At the heart of the work graphical environment are the following programs:
    1. X-server, or simply “X”. A program that receives data from the user (from input devices) and basic controls windows, their folding and unfolding. It is called a “server” because it provides “network transparency”: for Linux it makes no difference how the user logged into the graphical session, locally or remotely. A kind of RDP as basic functionality, to put it simply.
    2. Window Manager, also known as WM. It is engaged in rendering elements of the window interface, plus (depending on the sophistication) providing a number of other functions. Some WMs allow you to set the desktop background, some add “system menu” functionality. Sometimes the X server comes with the simplest window manager - TWM. Scary as God's sin, straight from the 70s.
    3. Window decorator - sometimes functionality for window decoration, the ability to change design themes is included in a separate program
    4. Composite manager - also happens as part of WM, or as separate program. Its task is to transfer the rendering of the interface to the video card. Technically, the principle is simple - each rendered window is a separate texture in the video card memory. And video cards have been able to handle textures, add effects and distortions, project onto a plane in space, change translucency and superimpose them on top of each other for many years.
    5. Interface elements: taskbar, tray, network manager, system menu, program for setting desktop wallpaper
    6. Basic application software - file manager, terminal emulator (so that console commands can be written in a beautiful translucent window)
  • Pre-configured “sets” of elements matched to each other graphical environment, the programs listed above are called “Desktop Environments,” or DE. The most famous DEs are Gnome and KDE, the most heavyweight and “fat”. There are also XFCE and LXDE. Installation is often carried out by installing the so-called meta-package - the package itself does not contain files, but as dependencies it requires the installation of the entire set of programs that make up DE: WM, decorator / composite manager, file manager and so on
  • It is also possible (and often reasonable) to assemble an environment for yourself from “pieces” to your liking - select WM separately, a separate file manager, and so on
Summarizing

After a little self-education, getting a graphic from a text-console system occurs in one command. In my case, I type:
pacman -S xf86-video-ati xorg-server openbox tint2 nitrogen lxterminal xcompmgr wicd-gtk volumeicon.
This is the command to install all the listed packages:
xf86-video-ati these are open-source drivers for my video card
xorg-server these are “X’s”
openbox this is a lightweight WM with system menu(kind of like “Start”)
tint2 this is the taskbar with a tray where applications will be minimized
nitrogen allows you to set the desktop background
lxterminal– my favorite terminal emulator
xcompmgr This is the simplest composite manager, adds translucency and shadows
wicd-gtk This is a network connection manager that hangs in the tray
volumeicon- volume control

After that, from the graphical environment, through lxterminal I install everything else that is needed for life: browser(s), file manager, video and audio codecs, player, libreoffice, gimp, etc.)

25. 09.2018

Blog of Dmitry Vassiyarov.

Which is better Windows or Linux?

Good day, my dear readers. Today we will talk about the main question occupying the minds of users: what better than Windows or Linux? In the process of understanding this dilemma, you will understand how strong your faith is in the chosen operating system, and whether it is worth your attention, money and nerves.

Yes, friends, just like that, ordinary technical question, concerning the comparison of two software products, moves into the plane of worldview. Therefore, there is a conditional division into “Linux users” and Windows adherents. And each category has its own user philosophy and its own arguments in defense of the choice made.

Let us take a closer look at the features of each OS and perhaps you will discover something new.

But first, let's look at the history of the confrontation.

How it all began

  • The concept of a window system was proposed by Microsoft back in 1985 and has constantly evolved, going from Win 1.0 to the modern “Ten”. This was achieved through the periodic sequential release of new systems. But each of them required large resources. At the same time, the system always remained paid, and the developer did not allow anyone to work on this project. However, he strongly supported the integration of Windows with other software and hardware.

  • Linux was created in 1991 and its idea was to provide open source systems. Anyone could improve and modify this product subject to the condition of its further free distribution. As a result of this approach, many different distributions were suppressed. From which, in turn, new systems began to “split off,” tailored to perform standard or specialized tasks.

Based on this, we will determine what is better than Windows or Linux, considering individual criteria. Later, having assessed the importance of each of them for yourself personally, you will be able to summarize the results and get an objective assessment.

Issue price

Windows, as you know, is a licensed product and costs money (about $200!). Add to this the cost of the office suite and other useful but paid programs. It turns out to be quite a decent amount.

In this regard, Linux is just a dream for any user. And the OS itself is free, and the entire set of programs installed on it is also offered free of charge (that is, for free).

The right to choose

Windows supporters can choose an OS only based on the configuration and resources of their PC. On older computers, some still run the equally ancient XP. Most have “Seven” and “Eight”. And also, the owners of these systems at one time had a chance to switch to free latest Windows 10. Roughly speaking, the choice comes down to new or previous versions.

Linux distributions also have early and current versions. But the sheer number of distributions is simply amazing:

  • user favorite Mint (in Mate or Cinnamon variations);
  • Ubuntu or Kubuntu (depending on the graphical shell);
  • Debian;
  • lightweight Lubuntu, Puppy or Elementary OS
  • Steam OS for games
  • Kodi for media entertainment;
  • and many, many others...

It should be understood that graphic Windows interface is directly tied to the OS, has no alternative, is extremely conservative, and does not allow major changes.

With Linux it's the other way around. Some graphical shells(Gnome, Xfce, KDE, Unity, LXDE), each of which is original and offers many flexible settings. Well, just a dream for some users.

Software and hardware support

Windows wins this round outright. Almost all software originally created for other systems (MacOS, Linux or mobile shells) is adapted for Windows. Backward compatibility occurs in exceptional cases.

That is, you can find almost any program to install on a “window” system. We are especially pleased with the availability of professional offers for design and video editing.

Things are not so rosy in Linux. But, nevertheless, there is a small range of programs that allow you to successfully solve all the main tasks facing the user:

  • file manager;
  • playback of media files;
  • office software package;
  • working with Internet resources;
  • simple processing of images, videos and music;

It is worth noting that all of them are not only free, but in most cases they are immediately installed with Linux distribution. Particularly pleasing are the capabilities of this system provided for programmers and web developers. This is not surprising; they did it “as if for themselves.”

But what’s really bad about Linux (from the word “completely”) is games. As of 2015, the Steam service had about 10,000 games for Windows and only 1,500 for Linux. There are of course some ways to solve this problem. The same emulation, but it still doesn’t always work and crashes are not uncommon. In general, all this is not complete.

Although... I'm lying to you.

Are there any compromises?

There is also such a thing as Steam OS. This system, as you probably understood, is designed for games from Steam, developed by Valve. But again, it will need to be installed next to the main system. If this is not critical for you, then go visit!

Regarding hardware support, the situation is not clear. On the one hand, you can find drivers for Windows for any equipment. But on the other hand, on Linux there is no need to look for them at all (at least for hardware) - they are already included in the installation package.

By the way, this property of Linux is used for, since the system is able to recognize and work with several different video cards, while demonstrating excellent process stability.

But for connected external equipment on Linux there may be problems: for example, an MFP works great as a scanner, but is not recognized as a printer. This, of course, can all be resolved, but with some effort.

Operation stability and system requests

It's no secret that the phrase “you need to reinstall Windows” is heard quite often. ordinary users. And the main reason for this is “clogging” of the system after long-term use.

We won't dig deep. But I will say that the reason for this may be the accumulation of debris, residual and temporary files, complexity of register addressing and the presence of viruses.

For some reason this doesn't happen on Linux. Experts believe that this is all thanks to a completely different approach to organizing the work of the main software and file system.

This can also be seen in what hardware resources are required for normal operation programs.

You cannot install new Windows on a weak and old PC. But Linux is not so capricious (so the question of what works faster immediately disappears). Moreover, there are stable, fully functional versions of the OS (moreover, they come with the package necessary programs) which do not work from the HDD, but are loaded directly into RAM.

Why the brilliant minds at Microsoft are not able to optimize their system in this way remains a mystery. (Solution: mutually beneficial financial interests with PC component manufacturers).

User cyber security

The first program that is usually downloaded after Windows installations, is an Antivirus (and it is usually paid). Otherwise, the system will quickly fail or upset you in other ways. Unfortunately, Microsoft's own security system is just as ineffective.

In Linux, as in Baghdad, everything is calm. It is not profitable to do it for a less common system and viruses. And besides, the proprietary system of software access rights, although it complicates the work, but reduces these efforts to nothing. For this reason, Linux is the most secure OS. Which makes it ideal for both home and server use.

In general, I voiced the main criteria by which Windows and Linux are compared. As for me, if you do not take into account pirated versions of the software, then the second system definitely wins.

But in favor of Windows, I think it is necessary to add the following: this OS has a huge community that can provide support in difficult times. And there is also the force of habit. If you are not the only PC user in the house, then forget about switching to Linux until you agree on this issue with the others (but you can try the system on a virtual machine).

Actually, any opinion about which is better than Windows or Linux will be subjective. And in order not to rely only on the information provided in this article, I propose to try two systems in practice and draw a conclusion for yourself.

With Windows everything is clear (many have already tried different versions). But it’s worth thinking about choosing a Linux distribution. And here a special article on my blog dedicated to this will help you.

Well, now it’s time to say goodbye to you, my dear readers, and wish everyone good luck.

Friends often ask me questions like “what’s so good about this Ubuntu of yours?”, “shouldn’t I switch to Linux?”, “which Linux should I choose?” and so on. This article will help newcomers to the world of open operating systems find answers to these and some other questions. And for those who already know the answers, it will save time, because the answer to these questions will now simply be a link to this post.

Let's start with a question which Linux to choose? There really is a lot to choose from here. The Wikipedia page List of Linux distributions contains dozens (if not hundreds - I was too lazy to count) Linux distributions! I recommend choosing Ubuntu, since it is the most popular (proof) Linux distribution at the time of writing and has remained so for the past six years (2005-2010). The logic here is simple - what more community users, the easier it is to get support on forums and communities. In addition, there is less chance that work on the distribution will stop.

Install Ubuntu very simple. We go to the Download section of the ubuntu.com website, download the ISO image, burn it to a CD or flash drive, and boot from the CD/flash drive, after which you can immediately try Ubuntu in action - surf the Internet, listen to music, etc. And when you get tired of trying, you can move on to installation. Available on ubuntu.com detailed instructions according to the described actions with illustrations, but alas, it is in English. If this is a problem for you, you can visit the website ubuntu.ru - there you will find excellent documentation and a forum where they will definitely help you if you ask politely.

And now the most important thing. You may ask, why on earth should I switch to Linux? Why should I leave my comfort zone and download and record something when I already have Windows installed? The reason is that Linux is better than Windows in so many ways. And once you spend time installing and mastering it (you have to get used to the new interface, etc.), you will significantly simplify your life.

Let's start with the fact that almost everything written for Linux the programs are completely free. Historically, Linux programs have been distributed as open source. This allows you to run the program on any system - be it a laptop or a super computer with a peak performance of 24 Tflops. It's hard to demand money for something that any student programmer can tweak a little and distribute for free. So, whatever software you need, be it office suite or a graphic editor, under Linux you can install it for free.

An unexpected consequence from the previous paragraph. There are so few computer viruses in the Linux world that in my life I have not yet met one. With great accuracy we can assume that they do not exist at all. The reason is that the main channels for spreading viruses ( Email ICQ removable media and web pages) turn out to be practically non-functional in the Linux world. Who will download a program from the Internet (and then a crack for it), much less run an attachment to a letter, if all Linux programs are free and stored on special servers?

By using checksums And digital signatures The software is verified to be safe. And the ability to quickly update both the operating system (which Windows is quite capable of) and all software (but Windows is not yet capable of this) leaves no chance for computer survival to worms, which, unlike viruses, are distributed without user participation.

And finally, Linux works faster than Windows . I'll explain why. Firstly, since there are no viruses, it means that the average user does not have to install antiviruses and firewalls. Both exist in the Linux world, but are used primarily on servers. Secondly, since programs are distributed in the form source code, during compilation you can optimize for a specific system.

Until now, most Windows programs are optimized for single-core 32-bit Intel processors, while on modern computers Both 64-bit and multi-core processors have been in use for a long time. Even binary packages in Ubuntu come in at least two versions - 32-bit and 64-bit bit processors.

Problems may also arise when using some network protocols and file formats. For example, Microsoft Office documents may look slightly different when viewed on Linux than they do on Windows. Therefore, before switching to Linux, I advise you to first install OpenOffice, Gimp, Pidgin and other Linux programs and games on Windows (yes, most Linux programs can be installed on Windows without any problems) and work with them for some time. If you notice that you can easily do without Microsoft Office, Photoshop, QIP, Winamp and Outlook Express, using instead free programs, it's time to install Ubuntu.

In conclusion, I would like to provide a list of several sites where you can ask Linux experts for help:

  • forum.ubuntu.ru - Ubuntu user forum;
  • UnixForum.org is a Russian-language forum dedicated to both Linux and other unix-like operating systems;
  • ru_linux and ru_ubuntu - LiveJournal communities dedicated to Linux and Ubuntu, respectively;
  • Linux for everyone and Ubuntarium - HabraHabr blogs that Linux beginners should subscribe to;

It seems that I said everything I wanted. If you have any questions, write comments, I will be glad to answer them.

Addition: As comrade Kaerdan rightly noted in the comments, also when using Ubuntu Linux There may be problems with some device drivers. This mainly applies to powerful video cards, so gamers need to be doubly careful.