Is this true or not?

[Running Bear]

I have read the following from a well known Computer Magazine:
1. Linux is distributed free of charge. All you need is to go into their website and download the system, and install it to your computer.
2. Microsoft Windows is build on the principles of Linux.
3. Linux is one of the best operating systems in the world.

But the following I heared from my local Computer store:
a) Linux is very clumbsy, and Windows is much more user friendly.
b) Linux is more reliable than Windows.
c) All Windows-based programs are 100% compatible to Linux.
d) The time it takes on a Linux System for your computer to boot takes longer than in the case of Windows XP.

Is this true or not.

(Please answer only if you got experience with both Operating Systems)

 

[The_Techie]

1) True. If you want Ubuntu (for example), just Google Ubuntu, go to the download page and you're set.
2) Please clarify the principles first. Bit of a vague statement...
3) Personal opinion. I agree, though.

a) Personal opinion again. I personally find Linux easier to use.
b) From my experience, true.
c) You can get most Windows programs running with WINE. Not sure if all Windows programs will work though (probably not), haven't tried it yet.
d) Not really, my computer boots faster running Ubuntu than running Windows XP or Windows Vista.

 

[Lino]

I have read the following from a well known Computer Magazine:
1. Linux is distributed free of charge. All you need is to go into their website and download the system, and install it to your computer.
2. Microsoft Windows is build on the principles of Linux.
3. Linux is one of the best operating systems in the world.

But the following I heared from my local Computer store:
a) Linux is very clumbsy, and Windows is much more user friendly.
b) Linux is more reliable than Windows.
c) All Windows-based programs are 100% compatible to Linux.
d) The time it takes on a Linux System for your computer to boot takes longer than in the case of Windows XP.

Is this true or not.

(Please answer only if you got experience with both Operating Systems)

1) That is true in most senses, take a look at www.distrowatch.org most of them listed on there are free. Some you pay for such as Red Hat but it includes support. Although most of the free ones you can find online support in forums.

2) If you mean programming techniques etc, this is not really true. Sure one can say that all systems are built on concepts from the UNIX era, however Windows is in most cases become very different and distant from Linux and UNIX.

3) As with any operating system it depends what your needs are. In the end most of them, Windows and Linux can do the same/similar function.

a) It depends on which one you used to, Linux is a learning curve if you only ever been used to Windows your whole life. However it is worth it.

b) Generally speaking yes it is, and unlike Windows does not need constant restarts to update key system files.

c) HELL NO! Not at all. You can run some Windows programs on Linux using special software such as WINE. However performance is not also great and not all programs work.

d) Once again it depends on your systems setup.

 

[.Froot.]

I have read the following from a well known Computer Magazine:
1. Linux is distributed free of charge. All you need is to go into their website and download the system, and install it to your computer.
2. Microsoft Windows is build on the principles of Linux.
3. Linux is one of the best operating systems in the world.

But the following I heared from my local Computer store:
a) Linux is very clumbsy, and Windows is much more user friendly.
b) Linux is more reliable than Windows.
c) All Windows-based programs are 100% compatible to Linux.
d) The time it takes on a Linux System for your computer to boot takes longer than in the case of Windows XP.

Is this true or not.

(Please answer only if you got experience with both Operating Systems)

1) Yes, Linux is free. There are some that are not free (anymore), but those are enterprise versions such as Red Hat Enterprise and SUSE (the free version is now called openSUSE). The rest are all free.
2) Linux is based on Minix, which goes back and is somewhat based on Unix. Windows comes from MS-DOS which is initially based on Unix. But at the end of the day you cannot compare the relationship between Linux and Windows whatsoever, IMHO.
3) False. Linux is the best operating system in the world. But that is my opinion. It depends on your needs and on what you are basing your argument.

a) It depends on the distribution of Linux. The easiest one to work with is (K)Ubuntu. Someone who started off on this may find this a lot better than Windows, but someone who started off on Windows might again find it better than (K)Ubuntu...
b) By far, yes. Disregard the fact that not all manufacturers write drivers for Linux and then you have a system that shouldn't crash at all. We all know how often Windows crashes for seemingly no reason at all.
c) No. Some Windows applications can be run in Windows emulators (Crossover, Cedega (games) and WINE). Other than that, programs are not interchangeable at all, unless rewritten for the specific operating system. Some programs are written in a generic c/c++ that can be compiled for either Linux or Windows though.
d) It does depend on your configuration and what has to be done on Linux before fully booting up (starting extra services, running scheduled jobs, etc), but on a similar scale, Linux boots a lot faster than Windows.

I have run both Windows and Linux for several years and am more than proficient in both of these....

 

[MyWorld]

2. Microsoft Windows is build on the principles of Linux.

Well, technically speaking this is true. Over simplification, all operating systems have a kernel, API, and UI, etc. This however does not mean that X stole code from Y to build their system. Through all the years of the OS revolution company A saw company B do something good and copied it and vice versa. For example, Apple was the first to launch a UI (user interface) and windows copied it and so did Linux. Apple was the first to use a mouse and so the rest followed suit and copied it, etc.

But that statement is a bit vague and can be argued in hundreds of ways, from the philosophy to the actual code, so unless we can read the whole article we cannot give you our opinion.

 

[Park@82]

c) All Windows-based programs are 100% compatible to Linux.

What are they smoking?

 

[sn3rd]

I have read the following from a well known Computer Magazine:
1. Linux is distributed free of charge. All you need is to go into their website
and download the system, and install it to your computer.

True and false. Yes, most flavours of Linux are free, but there are some commercial versions that many enterprises use that are not free.

2. Microsoft Windows is build on the principles of Linux.

False. If it were true, then Windows would be a much more stable operating system, but it is not. Linux is built upon the idea that software should be free (in the sense of freedom, not necessarily cost). That means you should be able to change it as you see fit. This is made possible by the open-source nature of Linux. Windows is closed-source, which means that the actual code is not made available to the public (whether you buy it or not). This means that one cannot make modifications to Windows in the same way you would Linux. And with Linux, because the code is available, people from around the world are able to identify security flaws, bugs etc, and fix them and publish the solution to the world.

3. Linux is one of the best operating systems in the world.

This is debatable. To me, the best operating system is the one that helps you maximise your efficiency. For those who are not willing to put in the hours to configure and tune their system, Linux might not be the best. If you are such a person, but happen to know someone who will happily configure your system and fix any issues you have, then perhaps it is more suitable for you. One of the big advantages of Linux is that you are able to modify the system as you see fit, and thus create a system that is tailored to your needs.

But the following I heared from my local Computer store:
a) Linux is very clumbsy, and Windows is much more user friendly.

Yes and no. Linux can appear to be less user-friendly than Windows, but this is mainly because people who attempt to use Linux are generally those who have been using Windows for years. This leads them to attempt to do things "the Windows way", which is obviously not the correct approach. It has been seen that those who begin their computing career on Linux don't find it confusing at all.
With regards to clumsiness, what do you mean? If you mean that things are sort of all over the place, this is also both true and false. This happens because software is written by many different people with different needs and levels of expertise. As a result, software often looks different, works different and is generally less coherent. But at the same time, the organisation of a Linux system is far more intuitive than a Windows system (with regards to file-system structure especially).

b) Linux is more reliable than Windows.

Absolutely true, when considering like-for-like. That is, a well-configured Windows system will be very stable, but a well-configured Linux system will likely be more stable. Likewise, a poorly-configured Windows system will be unstable, and a poorly-configured Linux system will also be unstable, but possibly more stable then the Windows sytem.
If by reliability, you mean that things in a well-configured system don't break, then it's absolutely true (if you are a competent user). This is because Unix, on which Linux is based, was designed from scratch to be a multi-user system. This means that all operations require a certain level of authority, i.e. you can't break the system too badly if you don't have a high enough access-clearance.

c) All Windows-based programs are 100% compatible to Linux.

Absolutely incorrect. When programs are compiled on Windows, they do not work on Linux. Period. Likewise for Linux. However, there are situations when you can use Windows software on Linux by making use of programs like wine. wine provides a layer between program and system, so the program talks to wine, and wine talks to Linux. This allows most Windows programs to run on Linux (at a small performance penalty). But not everything is compatible with wine either. There are commercial packages available that are capable of running more exotic Windows programs, but they are also not 100% compatible with all Windows programs. But then, neither is Windows

d) The time it takes on a Linux System for your computer to boot takes longer than in the case of Windows XP.

Not true in the general case. Not something that is really comparable either. If you Linux system is not set up to start many services at boot time, it will boot much faster.

 

[Giarc86]

d) The time it takes on a Linux System for your computer to boot takes longer than in the case of Windows XP.

I have found that my windows boots into the actual Windows desktop quicker than Ubuntu does, but then I sit while it loads all the services and background nonsense.
Ubuntu takes longer on the splash screen, but as soon as it's in gnome, i can use it straight away, with no waiting for additions to load.

 

[milomak]

1. Linux is distributed free of charge. All you need is to go into their website and download the system, and install it to your computer.

Small point - There are many flavours of Linux which offer quite different value propositions. However you can download any Linux distro without worrying about keys and the police crashing down your door.

2. Microsoft Windows is build on the principles of Linux.

I don't know. But from what I have seen of MS OSes I would have to say they have taken many wrong turns if that is true. And that is just from a usuage point of view. If you consider the GNU nature of Linux then I would guess no.

3. Linux is one of the best operating systems in the world.

As above somewhere. Personal taste. I wiped Vista on my laptop and run 2 Linux distros.

But the following I heared from my local Computer store:
a) Linux is very clumbsy, and Windows is much more user friendly.

If your starting point is Windows, then probably yes. If your starting point is Linux, then no.

b) Linux is more reliable than Windows.

Unashamedly yes

c) All Windows-based programs are 100% compatible to Linux.

No

d) The time it takes on a Linux System for your computer to boot takes longer than in the case of Windows XP.

Depends what you load on startup on both OSes. But as I once read in a Linux forum, what does it really matter if your OS takes 1 minute or 2 minutes to load (and this was in relation to Linus distros)?

The more important question I would say is how often do I have to reboot after installing something? I personally find that to be the most irritating thing when I decide to load my XP. Eveytime I install something, I am always on edge waiting for that reboot sign from XP. On Linux, it is extremely rare to need to reboot after installing/updating something.

 

[Running Bear]

Thank you for this info. I thought of replacing my Windows with Linux, but now it looks like I should rather use both systems until I get used to Linux. Is it possible to install Linux on the same computer as Windows? I know back in 1999, I had a version "Linux for Windows" where I could install Linux without affecting the operations of Windows at all. Is it still possible to do it? I am used to Windows, and used MS-DOS and Windows since they where introduced in SA - back in the 80's - and did not use another operating system since then.
As some of you said, the Windows System crash more than in the case of Linux. That is the main reason I am looking for a new Operating System, because just as I thought I work with somthing importent, then the system stop responding, and I am forced to restart. If that is true, and there are programs for Linux with which I can replace my Windows programs, I will certainly do it.

 

[Park@82]

Thank you for this info. I thought of replacing my Windows with Linux, but now it looks like I should rather use both systems until I get used to Linux. Is it possible to install Linux on the same computer as Windows? I know back in 1999, I had a version "Linux for Windows" where I could install Linux without affecting the operations of Windows at all. Is it still possible to do it? I am used to Windows, and used MS-DOS and Windows since they where introduced in SA - back in the 80's - and did not use another operating system since then.
As some of you said, the Windows System crash more than in the case of Linux. That is the main reason I am looking for a new Operating System, because just as I thought I work with somthing importent, then the system stop responding, and I am forced to restart. If that is true, and there are programs for Linux with which I can replace my Windows programs, I will certainly do it.

Yes u can run windows and Linux on the same machine, to my knowledge there are two main ways of doing this.
1. Make sure you have two partitions on your hard disk or have two separate hard disks. You probably have Windows already installed, just run the Linux installation disk and choose to install it to another partition. When the installation is completed it will give you a boot menu from which you can select which OS to boot. (I have done this with Ubuntu and Suse Linux.) Backup your data beforehand and try to get someone technical to help.
Or:
2. Get a virtual machine like Virtualbox or VMware. Install the virtual machine software and load the installation in the virtual machine...

Just to get a feel for the operating system, download a Linux Live CD and boot from it. This will give you a quick peek at what the OS looks like before you install it.

 

[milomak]

doesn't ubuntu have a way of installing or running (don't know which it is) from Windows?

 

[chiskop]

Thank you for this info. I thought of replacing my Windows with Linux, but now it looks like I should rather use both systems until I get used to Linux. Is it possible to install Linux on the same computer as Windows? I know back in 1999, I had a version "Linux for Windows" where I could install Linux without affecting the operations of Windows at all. Is it still possible to do it? I am used to Windows, and used MS-DOS and Windows since they where introduced in SA - back in the 80's - and did not use another operating system since then.
As some of you said, the Windows System crash more than in the case of Linux. That is the main reason I am looking for a new Operating System, because just as I thought I work with somthing importent, then the system stop responding, and I am forced to restart. If that is true, and there are programs for Linux with which I can replace my Windows programs, I will certainly do it.

ubuntu has an app - wubi - that allows you to install ubuntu inside windows. That might be a good starting point. (I've never used wubi, so can't tell you much more than that.)

Or, as someone else said, try a virtual machine, like Virtualbox.

I would be wary of immediately tossing out an OS you're familiar with for something brand new. IMO, linux is much more efficient, flexible, and certainly more reliable, but it will take you some time to get up to speed on a new OS. Read me.

But, go ahead, give it a try. There're a lot of people in here who are happy to help if you have any questions.

BTW: I don't think I've ever needed to reboot of installing anything on linux - had to restart X for nvidia drivers, but never needed to reboot the whole system that I can think of.

 

[.Froot.]

doesn't ubuntu have a way of installing or running (don't know which it is) from Windows?

WUBI. Available on the DVD, not sure about CD. It should be though.

 

[sn3rd]

doesn't ubuntu have a way of installing or running (don't know which it is) from Windows?

wubi!!

 

[sn3rd]

WUBI. Available on the DVD, not sure about CD. It should be though.

Argh! You beat me to it again...

 

[sn3rd]

Thank you for this info. I thought of replacing my Windows with Linux, but now it looks like I should rather use both systems until I get used to Linux. Is it possible to install Linux on the same computer as Windows? I know back in 1999, I had a version "Linux for Windows" where I could install Linux without affecting the operations of Windows at all. Is it still possible to do it? I am used to Windows, and used MS-DOS and Windows since they where introduced in SA - back in the 80's - and did not use another operating system since then.
As some of you said, the Windows System crash more than in the case of Linux. That is the main reason I am looking for a new Operating System, because just as I thought I work with somthing importent, then the system stop responding, and I am forced to restart. If that is true, and there are programs for Linux with which I can replace my Windows programs, I will certainly do it.

This is where Linux comes into its own. There are a few reasons why it is so easy to do this with Linux, and I think one of them is that some people just weren't sure if they were ready for Linux yet, so this was developed. You have many options for running Linux on the same computer as Windows. The most popular are:
1) wubi - included on the ubuntu installation disc
2) dual-boot - requires at least 2 partitions (preferably two separate hard drives, for safety). There is an option for setting this up (very easy) in the installation process of most standard Linux installations.
3) Virtualisation - requires a program such as VirtualBox or VMWare. In simple terms, you run Windows INSIDE Linux, or vice versa. Works great, but if you want 3D for games, look elsewhere.
4) Live Distro - you can try Linux out by booting off a live disc. This means that you can use the operating system without making any changes to your hard drive. It can be a little slow at times.

All of these choices have their ups and downs. dual-boot, for example, is a great solution for running both operating systems (you choose, at boot time, which you would like to run). If you decide you'd like to revert back to Windows, however, you'll likely want to recover the space you provisioned for Linux and if you're not a savvy user, you might run into problems. Likewise, while dual-booting, you might end up breaking Windows (not because of Linux... Just because Windows likes to break), and if you decide to re-install or repair, you could quite easily overwrite your Linux boot loader, rendering your Linux install useless (although this can be fixed).

Live and virtualised distros are often criticised for imposing a performance penalty. This is not too noticeable these days, as most computers bought in the last few years have the computing power necessary to do this.

A great solution is the following. You can either INSTALL Linux on a flash disk (4GB is a nice size, and they're dirt cheap these days) and simply boot from that. It's lightning fast, and you don't have to worry about breaking your Windows install. Alternatively, you could just put a Live distro onto the flash, and run it like that. It'll be streets faster than running the Live distro off the disc, and you won't have to go through installation and setup... Plug in and reboot!

 

[bekdik]

AFAIK Windows has DEC background.

Have a look at Dave Cutler's comments.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/n.rieck/docs/Windows-NT_is_VMS_re-implemented.html#forward

 

[Giarc86]

WUBI. Available on the DVD, not sure about CD. It should be though.

Its on the Ubuntu 8.04 livecd

 

[Running Bear]

Virtualisation - requires a program such as VirtualBox or VMWare. In simple terms, you run Windows INSIDE Linux, or vice versa. Works great, but if you want 3D for games, look elsewhere.

This is one problem. Although I use my computer online for developing my personal website, I also like to play games on it. I got the whole range of The Sims 2 on my computer, and love to play it whenever I get a chance.