Linux v windows

Cacran

I would like to know opinions on using Linux. I have always had windows. I like the fact that Linux can be legally installed in all our laptops. I have heard that it is very stable and less likely to get viruses. Just want some opinions, please?

AndyPix

There are many different versions of Linux (distros) so im sure you would be able to find one to your liking.
It would just be a bit of a learning curve to switch, as i guess you have used microsoft products forever and you kind of get a "feel" of where certain options will be etc.
Learning that all over again is one thing ..


Yes , it is less likely you will pick up a virus on linux however they do exist.


If you do get used to it then it will most likely be a less "painful" experience most of the time, but be prepared to have to get your hands dirty with some command line stuff when things go wrong.


There is a very active community though so support shouldnt be very far away.


Most programs tend to offer a linux flavour these days, but not all, so dont just expect to be able to click and install anything you like from the internet.
And sometimes drivers for hardware can be an issue.


Im sure some of the Linux users will be along soon to offer more helpful advice, but thats my 2p worth..


Personally, i use windows .. (And a very specific build of Linux designed for hacking)


Good luck and let us know how it goes if you do decide to take the plunge
(You can always install it and go back if its not for you)

agrinnall

What do you mean by "all our laptops"? Is that all the laptops in your household, or all of them in your business? If it's the latter then you'll need to develop a process for installing and updating them.

Either way I'd do it on one machine first and see how you get on.

Andy_L

What do you use the laptops for? If you have some niche software requirements you may have no option but to use windows

debitcardmayhem

You can of course dual-boot and run either, or run one or the other and another under virtualisation software e.g. Virtualbox or VMware. Plus windows 10 has the ability to run ubuntu under windows . As for viruses etc engage brain before activating mouse finger usually stops most of them

forgotmyname

I was tempted to install Linux Mint on my mums computer. But then i had to use terminal to get something to work and thought of the nightmare trying to talk her through that. So windows 10 and classic shell won over.

I use Mint in a VM and its ideal for transferring files to a raspberry Pi SD card.

Shows up the partitions that windows thinks are unallocated.

Thought about using a Pi as a desktop. For most of my time it would work just as well as my desktop but consume very little power. I can run it for hours on 2 18650 batteries.

esuhl

GNU/Linux is a powerful and very flexible operating system. Windows is designed as a "one size fits all" system that is easy for non-experts to use. GNU/Linux can be installed and customised in so many ways, and there is often a choice of components that you don't have it Windows.

For example, you can choose between just running a text shell (such as sh, bash, csh, etc.), or also installing a Desktop Environment (Gnome, KDE, XFCE, Mate, Unity, etc.).

To simply installation, various people/organisation have made "distributions" (aka "distros") that make some choices for you to (semi-) automatically build a working system.

There are so many distributions available with so many different features and philosophies, that it's probably worth looking at a few to see what's available, what software components you want to use, and to get a general idea as to whether you find that particular distro easy to use, and whether it does what you want.

I run Arch Linux and find that it's more stable and runs so much faster than Windows. The installer gives you a basic text-only system to start with, leaving you to manually install and configure everything else. So you don't have lots of junk you don't need slowing down the system, and since you've set up everything yourself, you have a better understanding of how everything is put together. Arch Linux is great for "control freaks", old hardware and specialist uses, and if you want to learn how Linux works "under the bonnet".

On the other end of the spectrum there are distros like Ubuntu, which has a lot more eye-candy, loads of stuff all preinstalled and configured, and tries to be more "user friendly". I'm not a fan, but it's certainly popular.

ThemeOne

If you're curious about Linux, it's easy to give it a try using any one of many live distributions.

Don't expect it to be like Windows (this applies even to the distros which are supposed to be like Windows).

I remember when I first started using Linux around 2005 it made me feel confused and frustrated, and suspect that's not an uncommon reaction - so you have to be ready to work through those feelings.

Eventually you will make friends with the system and realise what seemed awkward and clunky to start off is actually a very flexible and fast system.

jmc160

forgotmyname wrote: »

I was tempted to install Linux Mint on my mums computer. But then i had to use terminal to get something to work and thought of the nightmare trying to talk her through that. So windows 10 and classic shell won over.

I use Mint in a VM and its ideal for transferring files to a raspberry Pi SD card.

Shows up the partitions that windows thinks are unallocated.

Thought about using a Pi as a desktop. For most of my time it would work just as well as my desktop but consume very little power. I can run it for hours on 2 18650 batteries.

I've never understood the need for Classic Shell (I used to work at a place that installed it as standard) - are people really that averse to the win10 start menu? I've always found it easier to use (and find things) compared to the "classic" menu, so I'm genuinely curious...

Also, have you tried leaving the R-Pi running and transferring files over the network using FileZilla? That's how I do it from Windows.

I've also considered setting up a Pi as a desktop, but I've got too many other headless projects in the pipeline Although I'd never thought about running one from 18650's - might have to look into that....

Gloomendoom

Andy_L wrote: »

What do you use the laptops for? If you have some niche software requirements you may have no option but to use windows

This my problem. I keep hearing how wonderful Linux is but when you delve deeper, it turns out to be pretty useless if you want to run proprietary CAD or photo editing tools.

I installed Mint on my Mum's laptop but had to replace it with Win 10 because even some of the software she uses wouldn't run on Mint.

lemontart

Gloomendoom wrote: »

This my problem. I keep hearing how wonderful Linux is but when you delve deeper, it turns out to be pretty useless if you want to run proprietary CAD or photo editing tools.

I installed Mint on my Mum's laptop but had to replace it with Win 10 because even some of the software she uses wouldn't run on Mint.

Linux simply does not support or adobe does not support - not sure which way round it is. My other half runs linux but when I looked into it I found it was a no go for me as I use Adobe lightroom and pse , having tried other software I found it unsuitable and not well supported for editing or industry standards.