27 Good Reasons to Love Linux

[MilesAhead]

Didn't see 1 big reason mentioned - Live cd's !!

Whether its system rescue,, tv recording (myth), htpc (xbmc) or a million other specialized use cases, you can find a Linux live cd for it. And they fit on a usb, boot and run faster than Windows. I'd never use Linux for a desktop os (no need really and it'd take me 3x to get stuff done as I'm not familiar) but there are plenty of Linux distro's I use.

Another reason - the regular flame wars over Linux are almost always informative

-MrCrispy (September 02, 2010, 03:52 AM)

Have to go with that. Stuff like Macrium Reflect uses Linux boot/restore CD among other options. The coolest thing though, was creating a boot diskette that booted your HD install.  Like say your MBR got hosed and you didn't come up to the usual boot menu, stick in the diskette and boot from it. It mounted the HD Linux install as root after booting.  In fact you can do a similar thing with a USB key and Windows if you have a machine that can boot from USB and bootable USB key drives.  You boot the UBS key and get the same boot menu you would if the system booted from the HD(the multi-boot menu on a multi-OS machine, not the repair install jazz.)  Like the Linux diskette, it's dedicated to the machine you made it with.

[linuxaria]

Thanks to a pingback i've found this nice thread.
First thanks all for the feedback, some answer:

1) Yes i know my English is not so good :/
2) I use Gentoo at work on my laptop, XUbuntu at home and Debian 5.0 on the PC of my GF. At work i use Suse enterprise and Red Hat Enterprise.
3) Regarding the virus: My experience with user that don't know a lot of computers is that on windows they have more problems.
4) I've installed just 4 Linux (all Ubuntu) to people that don't know much of informatics, and yes they ask me when they need something more complex than usual, but in general they would have done the same also on Windows.
5) Linux: no more pirates but legality -> On Linux repository you have so much software that you can at least "try" to use all legal software, on my computers with Linux i've no illegal software. When i go to home user that use windows to help them reinstall one of the first things they crack is Office, second is photoshop, and they could use openoffice (yes i know there is on windows too) or The Gimp and get the same results.
People working with specific software (graphics, music, your choice) could have to use specific software that run on specific platform.
6) I agree liveCD are nice
7) At last on HubPages i try to give a general overview of Linux and don't drill down too much on tech things, on my blog i try to do also some more specific  howto (shameless Ads).

Bye

Linuxaria.

[mouser]

Welcome to the site Linuxaria 

[Deozaan]

Yes. Welcome, linuxaria. Thanks for taking the time to clarify your point of view.

[johnk]

Having tried to adopt Linux several times, I too get infuriated when people claim "ease of use" as a Linux attribute. It's simply not true, and wastes many people's time.

Ironically, I think that the one group Linux is suitable for is everyday users with very simple and unchanging needs -- people who only want a browser and email and will never update anything.

For advanced users (most people here, I guess) Linux is more problematic. I consider myself fairly well-versed in computer tech, but I have hit plenty of brick walls with Linux. And yes, like others, I found Linux support forums less friendly, and less supportive, than their Windows equivalents.

The other problem for advanced users is that you normally have a batch of key programs/utilities where Linux equivalents are not good enough (for me they would include Photoshop, IDImager, Movie Magic Screenwriter,  and Roboform, but there are others). Running two OSs in parallel seems pointless.

I accept the cost benefit of Linux for the most undemanding users. For others, the cost/benefit analysis is not that simple. I have wasted countless hours trying to make desktop Linux work for me. That effort was never repaid with anything approaching the ease of use of my Windows systems.

My Linux experience has not all been negative -- the Linux-based NAS OS NASLite is one of my favourite software products, which I have happily used on my home NAS for years.

[urlwolf]

I have switched to linux and am plenty happy.
It does take a change in mindset. I do agree that ubuntu is the worst distro possible, because forums and IRC are populated by people that know barely anything about linux, and signal to noise is ridiculous.

[Curt]

28 Linux Tutorials

http://www.linuxcomp..._in_ubuntu_1010.html

[Renegade]

Well, I'm very late to this party, but I would like to point out what I believe is THE #1 reason to love GNU/Linux:

Freedom.

And the #2 reason:

Freedom.

And the #3 reason:

Freedom.

...

Most of these users, however, have never heard of the ethical reasons for which we developed this system and built the free software community, because nowadays this system and community are more often spoken of as “open source”, attributing them to a different philosophy in which these freedoms are hardly mentioned.

Because OPEN SOURCE MISSES THE POINT!

That is worth repeating.

OPEN SOURCE MISSES THE POINT!

While Richard Stallman takes a freakishly strong stance, I am very glad that he's there doing it. History will revere him. (Well, if there is a future worth living in that is.)

It's NOT about "free beer". It's about "freedom of speech". (Paraphrasing GNU.)

I love Windows. It's a great OS and I'm glad for it. I also love Linux and am glad for it as well. Having a blend of free and non-free software is a great thing. It leaves us with choices and lets us prioritize what is important for us. But... If I were to choose one OS to rule them all, I would choose freedom.

[SKA]

1]  Will a poll help - on which is least buggy distribution to ease noobi users to use Linux daily ?  
If not Ubuntu then is it Mint or PClinuxOS ?

2] Which distie would you put on a Macbook Air(13", 4GB, 128GB SSD) ?

Grateful for any tips/ personal experiences,as surely DC members are a helpful lot indeed !
If we can rank disties that DC members tried out & using now, it'd be very useful to me (and others here).

Thanks
SKA

[40hz]

@SKA: Current 'best' beginner Linux for somebody who just wants to use it: PinguyOS

This an enhanced Ubuntu remaster. Like Mint (which is also excellent), except I think Pinguy edges it out. This is the distro I'm currently recommending to my non-geek friends.

PinguyOS website w/more info and download links here.

Good independent tech review here.

[Stoic Joker]

Zoiks, how far did they go with the Mac style desktop? Is it a total one button mouse deal, or can you still right click?

Think I like Linux better when it looks like Linux...this is just frightening.

[40hz]

Zoiks, how far did they go with the Mac style desktop? Is it a total one button mouse deal, or can you still right click?

Think I like Linux better when it looks like Linux...this is just frightening.

-Stoic Joker (November 29, 2010, 01:14 PM)

It's still Gnome. Menu and right click away if you prefer.

BTW: between Gnome, KDE (ver 3 & 4), Enlightenment, Fluxbox, XFCE , Compiz eye-candy, and Unity (i.e. Mark Shuttleworth's new 'girlfriend') what exactly is it Linux is "supposed" to look like?

Avid Linux watchers want to know.  

-----

P.S. I'm also semi-with you on the launchers and docks. I'm not sure I like them all that much either. But most of the novices that saw and used PinguyOS seemed to like them a lot so I figured I was the odd-man out. Nice to know I'm not. Or at least not the "only one."

[zridling]

40hz, thanks for the Pinguy OS suggestion! Definitely will be a distro I will try next year.

[SKA]

40hz & all who reply

Thanks - will check it out

SKA

[Stoic Joker]

what exactly is it Linux is "supposed" to look like?

-40hz (November 29, 2010, 06:19 PM)

IDK...Linux-y...or something.   It can look like anything it wants to, except Mac ... That's been done (it sucks) and folks need proper alternatives.

P.S. I'm also semi-with you on the launchers and docks. I'm not sure I like them all that much either. But most of the novices that saw and used PinguyOS seemed to like them a lot so I figured I was the odd-man out. Nice to know I'm not. Or at least not the "only one."

-40hz (November 29, 2010, 06:19 PM)

Most novices (a.k.a. sheeple) want a cable they can plug in their nose so the machine can read their mind and auto-magically spit out whatever they're after without having to think about "highly technical stuff" like what button to push or which one of these pretty little pictures most resembles the program that does what they're after.

Let me put it this way, how many times have you caught a user (at "work") playing Solitaire because they weren't even adept enough with a computer to screw-off properly? Do you have any idea how hard I'm trying not to use the term "Food Animal" ... (oops!).

Note: I am trying to be comical here, I'm not ranting... But we as responsible technical types need to carefully protect these fretful childlike creatures from the propaganda machine which is all things Mac. We need to teach them how to use a PC (that's Proper Computer btw ).

Hell, I like Linux, even if it has kicked the shit outta me every time I play with it...I keep trying.

[Renegade]

what exactly is it Linux is "supposed" to look like?

-40hz (November 29, 2010, 06:19 PM)

IDK...Linux-y...or something.  It can look like anything it wants to, except Mac ... That's been done (it sucks) and folks need proper alternatives.

P.S. I'm also semi-with you on the launchers and docks. I'm not sure I like them all that much either. But most of the novices that saw and used PinguyOS seemed to like them a lot so I figured I was the odd-man out. Nice to know I'm not. Or at least not the "only one."

-40hz (November 29, 2010, 06:19 PM)

Most novices (a.k.a. sheeple) want a cable they can plug in their nose so the machine can read their mind and auto-magically spit out whatever they're after without having to think about "highly technical stuff" like what button to push or which one of these pretty little pictures most resembles the program that does what they're after.

Let me put it this way, how many times have you caught a user (at "work") playing Solitaire because they weren't even adept enough with a computer to screw-off properly? Do you have any idea how hard I'm trying not to use the term "Food Animal" ... (oops!).

Note: I am trying to be comical here, I'm not ranting... But we as responsible technical types need to carefully protect these fretful childlike creatures from the propaganda machine which is all things Mac. We need to teach them how to use a PC (that's Proper Computer btw ).

Hell, I like Linux, even if it has kicked the shit outta me every time I play with it...I keep trying.

-Stoic Joker (November 29, 2010, 09:49 PM)

Bwahahahaha~!


Sheeple!

Plug in the nose!

Can't screw-off properly~!



Thanks for the laugh~!