An introduction to Linux for Windows users

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	TOP STORY An introduction to Linux for Windows users
	By David Robinson Linux might not have found a comfortable home on the desktop, but for backend services, it’s everywhere. Here’s a guide to Linux, showing why intermediate and advanced Windows users might want to take a look at this open-source operating system.

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The full text of this column is posted at windowssecrets.com/top-story/an-introduction-to-linux-for-windows-users (paid content, opens in a new window/tab).

Columnists typically cannot reply to comments here, but do incorporate the best tips into future columns.[/td]

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I’ve been DOS/Windows computing for 31 years. This article is the first I’ve read on Linux. Very clearly written and a gold mine of information.

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“rather, the most certain way to judge the effectiveness of security features in software is to let a bunch of software engineers poke through the code.” But how do I know the software hasn’t been poked at by a bunch of hackers from China or Romania??

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”rather, the most certain way to judge the effectiveness of security features in software is to let a bunch of software engineers poke through the code.”

I would have thought that after the Heartbleed fiasco in open source software that people would stop peddling this argument.

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“rather, the most certain way to judge the effectiveness of security features in software is to let a bunch of software engineers poke through the code.”

I would have thought that after the Heartbleed fiasco in open source software that people would stop peddling this argument.
[/QUOTE]

The “Heartbleed” problem wasn’t about the effectiveness of a particular security feature, but rather a common programming mistake (input validation and bounds checking) that affects all types of software. Had the source code for OpenSSL been closed-source, the bug may have taken even longer for the public to learn about.

Consider the millions of home network routers that have unpatched firmware, plus the growing list of connected smart thermostats, light bulbs and other “Internet of Things”. Most of them are running closed-source software that we’re all relying on the manufacturers’ assurances that it’s secure. Most people (myself included) don’t have the skills to properly determine if a piece of software and/or hardware is secure. We hope (and assume) that it is unless told otherwise.

Regardless of whether it’s open-source or closed-source, the argument made by the article’s author that having more people peer review code ultimately leads to fewer security holes is valid — security through obscurity is only a temporary speed bump for hackers. It’s for the same reasons that Microsoft, Apple, Google, Mozilla and many others participate in hacking contests, provide bug bounties, work with security researchers, and share information with one another.

More eyeballs won’t root out every security bug, but it definitely helps reduce the amount that slips through.

Chung

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Had the source code for OpenSSL been closed-source, the bug may have taken even longer for the public to learn about.

Had the source code for OpenSSL been closed-source, the buggy code may have been reviewed by more than one person and so discovered in far less than the two years it actually took the open-source community to find it. Even the guy who made the mistake said it should have had greater scrutiny before release. Heartbleed was an open-source failure which may have cost $500,000,000 to put right.

Bruce

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Had the source code for OpenSSL been closed-source, the buggy code may have been reviewed by more than one person and so discovered in far less than the two years it actually took the open-source community to find it. Even the guy who made the mistake said it should have had greater scrutiny before release. Heartbleed was an open-source failure which may have cost $500,000,000 to put right.

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

I have to respectfully disagree with you. 🙂

[INDENT]- $500 million certainly isn’t pocket change, but at the same time it’s a relatively small price considering how many people, equipment and software worldwide were factored into that total. Based just on Facebook’s user base alone, there are conservatively over a 1 billion users that depend on OpenSSL. That’s $0.50/person. Target spent more than $100 million to replace the point-of-sale terminal network in its stores plus an estimated $400 million more in other costs related to a data breach in late 2013. With 110 million or so customer accounts that were affected, that’s about $4.50/person, or about 9x the cost compared to Heartbleed. Target’s point-of-sale terminals were running closed-source software and it didn’t make it any more secure.[/INDENT]

[INDENT]- Following similar logic, the newly discovered FREAK (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FREAK) exploit that dates back to the 1990’s should have been discovered much sooner. It impacts just about everything that relies on SSL/TLS and will likely cost more and take longer to fix than Heartbleed because it can’t be fixed by a simple software update.[/INDENT]

[INDENT]- Then there’s Superfish. Komodia’s software has been used in dozen’s of products since at least 2011, but it took almost 4 years before widespread news broke of what it does (on purpose) to the SSL/TLS security on Windows. It affected Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox — the first one is closed-source, the second is a closed/open source hybrid, and the last one is completely open-source. Internet Explorer being closed-source didn’t provide any extra protection. The person credited with the discovery had to watch the network traffic in order to see what Komodia’s software was doing because the source code wasn’t available for review. How much time and money will be spent to clean up the mess?[/INDENT]

Just because software is closed-source in no way increases the odds that it will be sufficiently reviewed by more than one person. Think about how many Windows, Mac and Linux software are written by single or small groups of individuals. Toss in mobile development and we’re now talking about hundreds of thousands of apps that are each potentially reviewed for security by perhaps one person at best. In the business world, scheduling code reviews for security issues often takes a back seat to product release schedules.

And how many private app developers have staff who are well-versed in computer security? The programmer who made the coding error in OpenSSL was a PhD student and the programmer (with a PhD in Mathematics and a background in cryptography) who peer reviewed the code is one of the four core developers of OpenSSL. Programmers at all skill levels can, and will, make mistakes.

Having a large amount of resources (e.g. staff, money) still doesn’t mean that code is free of security bugs. OpenSSL is used not only by open-source projects, but also by companies who spend millions of dollars on R&D (e.g. Google, Cisco, IBM, Dell, HP, Amazon, Red Hat, etc.) — any one of them could have reviewed the source code before incorporating it into their smartphones, network routers, firewalls, web services and hundreds of other products. Although Windows, iOS and OS X weren’t directly impacted by Heartbleed, they were still indirectly affected because software that relies on OpenSSL are commonly used on those two platforms. One of Google’s security team members was credited with discovering the Heartbleed bug. Had OpenSSL been closed-source, we’d all be relying on a single entity to audit the code and alert us to any problems. A fix for Heartbleed was rolled out within a couple of days of the announcement. There is a lot of closed-source software with security problems that aren’t fixed that quickly, or ever fixed at all.

Heartbleed wasn’t a failure of open-source, or a celebration for closed-source, but rather a collective “dropping of the ball” with regards to a widespread assumption that a critical piece of software was perfect without enough people actually validating it. It was a wake-up call that resulted in a who’s who list of companies jumping in to fund the OpenSSL project and other widely used software. Everyone wins.

Chung

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Following similar logic, the newly discovered FREAK (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FREAK) exploit that dates back to the 1990’s should have been discovered much sooner.

And again the OpenSSL source code being available for review by millions of eyeballs achieved nothing for more than 15 years.

It impacts just about everything that relies on SSL/TLS and will likely cost more and take longer to fix than Heartbleed because it can’t be fixed by a simple software update.

Why not? Updates will soon be available to fix at least the most popular three of the six vulnerable browsers.

Just because software is closed-source in no way increases the odds that it will be sufficiently reviewed by more than one person. …

In the business world, scheduling code reviews for security issues often takes a back seat to product release schedules. …

Had OpenSSL been closed-source, we’d all be relying on a single entity to audit the code and alert us to any problems.

A single “entity” stands a much better chance than a single person: Microsoft’s Many Eyeballs and the Security Development Lifecycle

There is a lot of closed-source software with security problems that aren’t fixed that quickly, or ever fixed at all.

How do you know about closed-source software with security problems that aren’t ever fixed at all? Any examples or pure guesswork?

In 2015, the Linux Foundation’s executive director Jim Zemlin argued that the complexity of modern software has increased to such levels that specific resource allocation is desirable to improve its security. Regarding some of 2014’s largest global open source software vulnerabilities, he says “In these cases the eyeballs weren’t really looking”. Validity of Linus’s Law

Bruce

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”rather, the most certain way to judge the effectiveness of security features in software is to let a bunch of software engineers poke through the code.” But how do I know the software hasn’t been poked at by a bunch of hackers from China or Romania??

Linux security certainly has been poked at by malicious people, just like Windows and Apple. The difference is that in Linux and Apple (Apple OS X is Linux based) there is a world-wide and open community working on the solutions, not employees of the company who’s loyalty to the company also dictates that you keep quiet until a solution is found.

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”rather, the most certain way to judge the effectiveness of security features in software is to let a bunch of software engineers poke through the code.” But how do I know the software hasn’t been poked at by a bunch of hackers from China or Romania??

If anyone ever did try to hijack any major Linux distro, it is almost certain there would be a very large outcry from developers and users of that distro. It most assuredly would become known. Linux isn’t just an OS, it’s also a community. And although there are some examples of problems not solved for long periods, anything which might threaten security or credibility of Linux has been dealt with swiftly and decisively, once the threat has been recognized. A lot of that decisiveness is derived from the personality of Linus Torvalds himself, but it’s also just in the nature of hard-core Linux users to demand personal integrity among auditors and developers.

It hasn’t been the Linux mainstream developers who have been misusing Linux for black-hat hacking. It’s been fringe groups or teenagers (script kiddies) with very little connection to or knowledge of the technical details of how Linux works. Malicious users usually simply subscribe to pre-made packages of software and tools, and then buy “fulz” of pre-colllected personal data. Very little originality or skill involved.

But if there ever is a full-blown cyber-war, I’d bet it will begin and end in the realm of Linux and UNIX servers. That’s just my opinion.

-- rc primak

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Linux disto’s have package maintainer who check the code to make sure someone doesn’t tamper with it before going to the depository where you download the ISO. This video explains the whole matter in beautiful detail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVpbFMhOAwE

”rather, the most certain way to judge the effectiveness of security features in software is to let a bunch of software engineers poke through the code.” But how do I know the software hasn’t been poked at by a bunch of hackers from China or Romania??

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This is exactly the type of anti-Microsoft article that makes me give the bare minimum to Windows Secrets for a paid subscription. If not for Fred Langa’s columns, I would have ditched this ages ago.

I don’t have anything against Linux, but more and more I’m seeing columnists and articles on this site essentially taking pot shots at Microsoft all the time. I don’t expect anyone to be a cheerleader for them, but come on…Give me articles that make Windows more usable, not switching to a different operating system. If you have to go there, then you really have no reason to exist as “Windows Secrets”.

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Heyitstrick (above, comment #4), says:
…”but more and more I’m seeing columnists and articles on this site essentially taking pot shots at Microsoft all the time…”.

Heyitstrick:
– have you asked yourself…why?

I salute WS for opening up to LINUX
as a mature, working alternative to MS’ problematic OS.

At our office we switched to Linux,
and never looked back.

If we had more money,
we could have switched to MAC OSX,
(by itself, a Linux-derivative OS!).

So, no more botched MS Windows monthly updates and nightmares.
A time sink-hole…

In this last 14 months
we are simply more productive.
And I truly mean that.

Linux just works!
Why don’t you just try Linux, Heyitstrick?

WS staff:
looking forward to more useful Linux articles, OS and program reviews, etc.

SF99
– Pale Moon 25.2.1 and FF 35
– Ubuntu Linux 12.04 (32-bit)
– Samsung Tablet Galaxy Tab3 / Android 4.2.2

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…”but more and more I’m seeing columnists and articles on this site essentially taking pot shots at Microsoft all the time”.

Rick: have you asked yourself…why?

SF99 – Yes, I asked myself (as a Linux user myself) why you attributed the quote to me rather than Heyitsrick. 🙂

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sorry, Rick… 🙂
Yes, I meant to respond to “Heyitstrick'” (comment #4).

All is well, Rick.

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The article is right on. Linux works on older machines and it frequently updates. I am bound to Windows only because Quicken doesn’t make a Linux version. I’ve been toying with Wine, a windows emulator, which should run Quicken just fine. If Microsoft doesn’t offer free upgrades to Windows 10 from the awful Windows 8, I’ll probably make the switch on my desktop. On the road, I already use a Linux laptop with Libre Office and Skype and, for the cloud (e.g. One Drive, Google Drive), all you need is a browser.

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The article is right on. Linux works on older machines and it frequently updates. I am bound to Windows only because Quicken doesn’t make a Linux version. I’ve been toying with Wine, a windows emulator, which should run Quicken just fine. If Microsoft doesn’t offer free upgrades to Windows 10 from the awful Windows 8, I’ll probably make the switch on my desktop. On the road, I already use a Linux laptop with Libre Office and Skype and, for the cloud (e.g. One Drive, Google Drive), all you need is a browser.

Why don’t you just run Windows in a virtual machine on Linux? Plenty of ways to do that. Here’s one way: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/18768/run-windows-in-ubuntu-with-vmware-player/

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Thanks for the tip. Looks promising.

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Sorry, but this is the kind of column that makes me want to let my Windows Secrets subscription lapse every so often. While I understand that there are virtues (and problems) with every OS, I have chosen to use Windows. I have tried Android and Apple but not Linux. Do I want to try Linux? No. Do I can about Linux? Not really. And that’s by choice. As a Windows user, I look forward to Windows Secrets to give me info on Windows (like it used to); I don’t need Apple info, Android info, or Linux info. If you want to do that, change your name. It is sad because I’ve enjoyed your newsletter for a long time. I really wish you would keep to Windows and how to use it better.

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Interesting and informative article and thanks for thinking first of the needs of computer users rather than the typical polarization seen at other sites.

Daily, I use both MS Windows and a distro of Linux that goes by the name of Puppy SlackO.
MS Windows is my main OS to accomplish work, but Puppy boots from a DVD with out a hard drive mounted and gives me a greater sense of security while online where most malware exists. Malware that might infect a session is less likely to be saved for the next session.
Thus I use MS Windows less for web surfing and Puppy more so.
Too bad MS hasn’t promoted this ‘live CD’ concept.

I’ve tried out Mint as a virtual OS in VirtualBox on a Win7 platform.
I like it. BUT….several apps I use regularly in MS Windows will not run on Linux distros. Not under Wine, either.
So, Linux distros will likely remain a lesser option for me. But still useful.

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The newsletter is supposed to be about WINDOWS. It’s even in the name. Screw diversity and the horse it rode in on. If you want crap about linux, look for it elsewhere.

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George,

The fact that you are ONLY interested
in MS Windows,
does not preclude “other people”
having other OS interests.

And some are important,
in case you haven’t looked around lately.
LINUX, OSX, Android…

The world is NOT an MS monopoly game anymore…

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SF99

As I said in my post, I have used other OSes; however, not Linux. And I know other folks are interested in other OSes; not a problem and I never said you should all be Windows folks. All I said was that a Newsletter called Windows Secrets should focus on Windows, that’s all. If folks want info on Linux, OSX and the others…let the Secrets crew publish OS Secrets. And the world never was an MS monopoly game anyway.

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SF99

As I said in my post, I have used other OSes; however, not Linux. And I know other folks are interested in other OSes; not a problem and I never said you should all be Windows folks. All I said was that a Newsletter called Windows Secrets should focus on Windows, that’s all. If folks want info on Linux, OSX and the others…let the Secrets crew publish OS Secrets. And the world never was an MS monopoly game anyway.

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The article is right on. Linux works on older machines and it frequently updates. I am bound to Windows only because Quicken doesn’t make a Linux version. I’ve been toying with Wine, a windows emulator, which should run Quicken just fine. If Microsoft doesn’t offer free upgrades to Windows 10 from the awful Windows 8, I’ll probably make the switch on my desktop. On the road, I already use a Linux laptop with Libre Office and Skype and, for the cloud (e.g. One Drive, Google Drive), all you need is a browser.

Why don’t you just run Windows in a virtual machine on Linux? Plenty of ways to do that. Here’s one way: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/18768/run-windows-in-ubuntu-with-vmware-player/[/QUOTE]

VMware Player and Oracle’s VirtualBox (http://virtualbox.org/) are both great options, but Wine can be better in cases when there are…

[*]Older computers — Wine creates a “compatibility layer” that translates Windows library calls into corresponding Linux library calls so it doesn’t require partial and/or full virtualization. Without the need to run a complete copy of Windows, it requires a lot less RAM and CPU power.

[*]Budget considerations — No need to purchase additional Windows licenses. OEM copies of Windows can’t legally be transferred to a different computer so reusing Windows from a Dell, HP or other OEM system that’s being scrapped isn’t authorized by Microsoft. At $100 a pop for a Windows 7 Home OEM license, it might not be financially practical to run a Windows program that’s used just every now and then.

Wine isn’t a perfect solution, but it’s definitely worth trying first before going with virtualization even on a fast computer (a Windows 7 or 8 installation can easily eat up 16GB of disk space and a couple gigabytes of RAM even before any other software is installed).

Chung

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The article is right on. Linux works on older machines and it frequently updates. I am bound to Windows only because Quicken doesn’t make a Linux version. I’ve been toying with Wine, a windows emulator, which should run Quicken just fine. If Microsoft doesn’t offer free upgrades to Windows 10 from the awful Windows 8, I’ll probably make the switch on my desktop. On the road, I already use a Linux laptop with Libre Office and Skype and, for the cloud (e.g. One Drive, Google Drive), all you need is a browser.

Hi rms800,

If you use Wine a lot, take a look at PlayOnLinux (http://playonlinux.com/) and CodeWeavers’ CrossOver (http://codeweavers.com/). They both use Wine but with custom GUIs that make installing and managing programs a lot easier.

Chung

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While I understand the Windows defenders wondering why there is a linux article on a Windows Secrets newsletter, I really liked the article. I have used Linux since 2007. My main distro is PCLOS KDE. I still use Windows XP, and 7 but only because of Quickbooks and Excel. I use Gnucash in Linux but I have customers that use Quickbooks so I have to keep up to date on it. Libre Office Calc will probably do everything Excel will do but writing the macros is so much different from Excel. Who can possibly know how to use anything more than a small percentage of Excel or Calc’s capabilities. Linux is different from Windows and if you don’t have time to delve into it then continue to use Windows. No problem, but you still have to learn to use the new version of Windows every 3 or 4 years. Anyone remember Window 8? I have never been exposed to it but don’t every want to either. Linux is free and most of the forums associated with each distro are very friendly and helpful.

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Well it got busy here 😆
Just wanted to say I always said there is a STEEP learning curve to Linux, more so if you are using Ubuntu w/ Unity to. If you just want to cruise the web with the default browser and are willing to take what ever the distro gives you you will be fine. Anything a bit different and you will be begging Linux people for help. Just tyr to find a forum as helpful as we have here.

Well I said that before,but I just bought a laptop w/ W8.1 and I am rapidly heading for a change of opinion about that learning curve….

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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If you would like to try/use a command-line version of Linux with Windows, not as a replacement for Windows, look at Cygwin (http://www.cygwin.com). From their home page,

Cygwin is:

a large collection of GNU and Open Source tools which provide functionality similar to a Linux distribution on Windows.

a DLL (cygwin1.dll) which provides substantial POSIX API functionality.

It runs in the equivalent of a CMD window and allow you to use the tools on your Windows files.

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Thank you “houndhen.” Your observations are important to a lot of folks who have older XP qualified hardware or better and are looking at a way to keep computing on a shoestring. Over the past years several of us have refurbished older computers and made them available to those who could not afford the upfront cost. Given the licensing restrictions for Windows and OSX it became useful to try linux, first Ubuntu, and then Linux Mint. The advantages are ease of installation, a huge app base, and no drive by downloading of apps you didn’t want. Yes, there are some limitations, but part of the fun is to find alternative linux apps that get the job done after simply downloading and installing the app.

One of the things that has helped newbies is the realization that the Google Chrome Browser works the same way on linux as it does on Windows thereby easing the transition for those whose main concern is receiving email and surfing the net. You mentioned LibreOffice suite and I use that on all my boxes. Nevertheless, the driving force is that there are no worries on licensing. Download the iso image, burn to dvd and install on a thousand computers if you choose. The user is notified when security and other updates are available. Moreover, I have found that the OS is 99% plug and play for a desktop connected to the internet by cat5/6 cable.

So Windows is a fine product and the wheels of corporate America and the world run on its roads. However, not all of the good software engineers reside in Redmond or even America. Thankfully, they are everywhere. And a lot of them contribute to Linux. The end user can choose from many flavors of Linux and desktop GUIs, whether or not you use “touch,” and get the job done.

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The Linux article was excellent, I know this is a Windows newsletter but most people on here will be at least power users and IT Pros like myself so use all sorts of OS’s at one time or another. Personally over the last 10 years or so I have dabbled with Linux Distros and apart from some highly specific apps and distros like Tails Linux I have found it largely frustrating and annoying. It is not hard as such just a total pain to run and configure Linux but every so often I have another look at a few distros – decide usually they are still a bit c**p and move on. This article inspired me to have another go and so I installed Mint 17.1 on a test box. Results amazing! OK it is not quite as user friendly as MSFT or APPL but then I am not as familiar but ……………… all the normal irritations demanding hours of faffing with command line and bash shells to fix are gone. Network, wired and wireless just works AND it is easy to set static IPs on a network. File Sharing both ways from Windows and MAC work with no drama, with no cursing and throwing things, no trying to figure out the latest obscure information required by Samba – just run the shared folders dialogue in the command centre (like windows cp) et voilla sharing is on. Media files – they play, whatever I try Flac, MP3, MP4 movies etc all stream and play from shared media libraries Windows and Mac and even my i-Pad over wireless out of the box without any hint of needing codecs and that’s with Banshee. Oh and the media library / editing is excellent as well.

I am impressed

Thanks for the article and the link to the online Linux courses

Jonah

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I just got to chime in, sorry.

First I deliberately ignore Heyitstrick’s diatribe (#4), it IMHO is condemning itself.

Suggestion to WindowSecrets: Create an area for discussion of “other” desktop systems and make desktops (GUIs) a general part of your mission statement.

Second: Thank you Heyitstyrick for the suggestion in post #6, I will follow up and try it.
Maybe that is a way around for products of stubborn companies that do not make Linux versions of VERY popular programs like TaxAct, Quicken, Quick Books a.s.o..

Third and last:
Recently I installed and compared eight different Linux versions because I am looking for an alternative for the minimal requirements of 80% of my customers.
Test bed was an older HP machine with run-of-the-mill AMD 2.0Ghz cpu, only 2GB of RAM and a networked Brother printer. The tests were not done in a scientific manner, I simply noted my individual experience with the distros. All were run and then installed from a live CD.

Here is my subjective rating in descending order of usefulness.

Linux Lite Lets me choose install partition & size; GOOD!
I LOVE the Whisker menu; entries require no higher Unix education.
Thunderbird, Firefox and Libre Office in default install.
System update in character oriented Terminal window; a clear NO NO for casual users but then, how often do they have to do it?
Printer install worked after some acceptable fiddling.

LXLE Simple but okay graphical interface for updating system.
No email client but easily installed.
Printer installation easy enough & printer is working.

Zorin 9.1 Good & polished but seems sluggish.
For high power computers?
And all those geeky Unix program names, GRRR!
Junked. Hey Zorin lovers, this is my personal judgement for a special purpose.

PeachOSI Browser home page locked! What are they thinking?
Garish colors (personal taste)!
Seems ‘sluggish’.
Junked.

Netrunner Bare bones Unix look & feel, all the cryptic Unix program names.
Not usable for “typical” Windows users.
Junked.

EvolveOS Beta and yet another UI.
Junked.

Q4OS PRIMITIVE Installer; reminds me of Windows 3.1.
Trinity UI; boooo.
NO office.
KDE – Martian looks.
Junked.

PCLinuxOS Destroyed working GRUB boot loader.
Does not boot!
JUNKED!

Let the flame wars begin. Soo much Linux in WindowsSecrets.

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Thank you for your article, it is quite informative for Windows users who may be curious about Linux. I have been using Linux for some years together with Windows. In general my recommendation is to install Linux side-by-side with Windows, in dual boot mode. Linux is quicker to start and shutdown than Windows. The various desktop options are less sofisticated than Windows (more raw), no real Aero preview mode, which is quite useful in Windows. Drivers is another area where Linux is poorer than Windows, because many hardware suppliers don’t develop driver software for Linux, forcing Linux users to rely on generic open-source drivers, some of them are less than optimal, especially regarding graphical cards. Some devices like printers, webcams, etc., may not even work in Linux due to the lack of any driver software, proprietary or open-source.
I work with both systems on a daily basis, ten to twelve hours a day. If a user has basic requirements, like browsing the internet, reading and sending emails, write a document or a spreadsheet, than Linux is more than adequate, probably safer than Windows, faster, as long as the user certifies that the computer hardware is fully compatible with Linux (it can be tested with a live dvd Linux distro).
If a user has a high-end computer with a powerful graphical card, it is probably better to have both systems installed and running. In this scenario, I suggest to leave the Linux system to a more conservative and secure use, like accessing homebanking.

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A tip of the hat to the author for this article on Linux. I for one like to see a little diversity and being open minded.

I have been a Slackware user since the early 90s and am currently using it on a combination web server (apache), file server (Samba), mail server (sendmail), list server (mailman) and time server (chronyd) — and there is still plenty of processing time left over for Seti@home. I manage it all from the command line and really like it.

Unfortunately I still run Windows on my desktop for two reasons. First there is always a piece of hardware or a program that is not supported in Linux. It still has not reached the required number of users needed for software and hardware vendors to support Linux to the same level as Windows. Second, it is still a Windows world for the most part in the office and I have to be familiar with its menus, quirks and features to support it. Sad, but there it is. Perhaps that will change one day.

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There is one, and only one, reason that Linux is not the most installed operating system in the world. That reason is the command line. The command line is required to install any software and if you get one space or comma or forward slash wrong in the long long series of characters required you must start all over.

In this manner Linux is still in the DOS 4 stage of development. Microsoft early on figured out that they needed an automatic method of installing software. Hence you hit the install button and the Windows software does the installing.

I’m sure that Linux people are smart enough to come up with such. I’ve long suspected that they have a “I’m smarter than you are, you can’t do this.” I sure wish they would get over it. I’ve played around with Linux for years, but always run into this command line blockage. I would have Ubuntu on all my computers if they would get past this. I would even pay a reasonable price for it.

drc

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The command line is required to install any software

I’ve also “played around with Linux for years” and have only had to resort to using the command line once… and that was many years ago (so long ago that I can’t even remember the Linux distro I was using back then).

For example, here’s a screenshot of Ubuntu’s Software Centre:
39481-ubuntu
Click to enlarge

… and here’s a screenshot of Linux Mint’s Software Manager (my favourite distro):
39482-Linux-Mint-12-Software-Manager
Click to enlarge

Hope this helps…

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Please excuse a novice poster, but after reading the faq and searching, I can’t seem to find how to start a new thread on the linux topic. I want to ask why centos, recommended to me by a linux person is not included. I had mentioned I was thinking of ubuntu, he robustly recommended centos. Thanks and again, sorry.

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There is one, and only one, reason that Linux is not the most installed operating system in the world. That reason is the command line. …

donrc,

I agree almost totally with you. Only installing software is the worst example for command line bashing. Take a look at Linux Lite; you can install over 13,000 pieces of software from the Ubuntu (& Debian?) library out of the GUI, absolutely no command line.

Still, you are correct, any required fiddling or tweaking will likely end up on the command line.

The whole thing is an outstanding example of the might and reach of Marketing!

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In the last Windows Secrets post David Robinson writes: “Linux also runs happily on older hardware. If you have a working Windows XP computer that you want to update to something modern, chances are that a newer Windows version will run poorly — if at all. Linux will run just fine. Using older hardware also avoids one of the Linux limitations: possible lack of support for the latest cutting-edge hardware.” I have seen this claim in many Linux forums in som way. Unfortunately it seems very depending on wich brand of old hardware you are using. I am happily running Ubuntu 14.04 with dual boot Win7 64Bit Home Premium on my hpCompaq SG3-351SC (4MB RAM). On my Acer Aspire 5820TG TimelineX laptop (4MB RAM) I could run Ubuntu 13.04 with dual boot Win7 64Bit Home Premium but upgrading to Ubuntu 14.04 was not possible (the system became unbootable). I was forced to install Ubuntu 13.10 from USB image on the Linux partition. Ubuntu 13.10 is slower than 13.04 on the Acer laptop but works ok. Trying to install Mint on my old Dell Optiplex 170L with dual boot WinXP SP3 just did not work. Ubuntu 14.04 did install but was useless because of extremely laggy respons. Puppy Linux installed just fine and was quite responsive as well as Lubuntu 14.10 I am runnig now. But WinXP is much faster on that old Dell Optiplex 170L (2MB RAM). The claim that Linux makes your old hardware “sing” again must thus be taken with some grain of salt. 😉

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jbgreter
That’s why I used LXLE on old laptops, because I could not install 14.04 (KDE, Mint, Peppermint), or it ran too slow and had wireless issues. I even tried some of the other “lite” distros without much success. I even had to revert to KDE 12.04 on my I-7 desktop.

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Hi, I just wanted to say that a good way to experience Linux without having to forgo Windows entirely, is to install Oracle’s virtual machine (VM) which operates as an entirely separate computing environment within Windows and then installing the distro of your choice. That would allow one to “play” with Linux, but, retain a Windows environment.

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Hi, I just wanted to say that a good way to experience Linux without having to forgo Windows entirely, is to install Oracle’s virtual machine (VM) which operates as an entirely separate computing environment within Windows and then installing the distro of your choice. That would allow one to “play” with Linux, but, retain a Windows environment.

Or as stated several times by several members you can just run a live cd of linux without affecting your Windows installation. No need to install a VM.:cool:

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I’m looking forward to more Linux articles and information. Been a Windows Secrets subscriber (Lifetime), but lately found the excess Win8 and Win10 irrelevant. I’m not going past Win7. That said, I HAD WinVista on an older Dell 2GB RAM, but it got REALLY slow. Any time I wanted to do something, there was a slow boot, then 30-60 minute delay while things updated, virus checks, slow loading. Then frequent freezes while stuff happened in the background. No viruses, apparently just bloated OS. Totally fed up, installed Linux Mint, and now boot in less than a minute, fast response, no freezes, updates in minutes, fast shut down. Quite a different user experience from Windows! So MORE info on Linux apps, especially equivalent to the Windows apps, especially admin/system type, would be welcome and useful (I’ve found many, would like to see more).

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There is one, and only one, reason that Linux is not the most installed operating system in the world. That reason is the command line. The command line is required to install any software and if you get one space or comma or forward slash wrong in the long long series of characters required you must start all over.

In this manner Linux is still in the DOS 4 stage of development. Microsoft early on figured out that they needed an automatic method of installing software. Hence you hit the install button and the Windows software does the installing.

I’m sure that Linux people are smart enough to come up with such. I’ve long suspected that they have a “I’m smarter than you are, you can’t do this.” I sure wish they would get over it. I’ve played around with Linux for years, but always run into this command line blockage. I would have Ubuntu on all my computers if they would get past this. I would even pay a reasonable price for it.

drc

I’ve been using and experimenting with many Linux distributions for the last 20 years. I almost gave up when I bumped into the command line problem. However, Ubuntu and PCLINUXOS dropped that necessity more than a few years ago, as did nearly every other distribution. There’s no need to use the command line to install programs. Just use the distro’s Software Manager. Many use Synaptic Package Manager. Derivatives of Ubuntu (Mint, for example) use the excellent Ubuntu Software Manager.

If you’re still stuck on the command line, you need to try a distribution made in the last eight years or so before cluttering this forum with such outdated statements.

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Overall a nice article. I’ve been running a dual boot XP / Ubuntu system for a few years now, with Ubuntu being the primary OS for the last two years. My email program from Windows, Agent, runs fine under WINE, so other than my annual use of Turbo Tax I really haven’t needed, or missed, Windows.

When it comes to ease of use, my 11-year-old son is as adept on his Win 8.1 laptop as he is on his Ubuntu 14.04 desktop, and he’s been able to run many of his favorite games on his Ubuntu system.

I’m curious to learn the upgrade cost for an XP user to jump to Win 10. It wouldn’t make sense to spend $100 or more for 10 when I can buy 8.1 for $90 now and get the free upgrade to 10.

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Nice job Kathleen, but so little space and so much to say, a lot if info was left out :/

I would like to think that any Windows user would have already explored using a “distribution” or “Distro” of Linux by now, on their own, as I did.

One important thing omitted from your article was that anyone can try a “Live CD” version of Linux without ever actually installing it to their HD. You get the .iso file, burn it to a CD/DVD and boot from it to run that version of Linux. You are able to explore Linux as often as you want, only thing is that since its on a DVD any changes you make won’t be saved.

Choice #2 is that you install Linux “beside” Windows, it’s on your HD but it behaves like another program, so if you want to remove it, simply use Add/Remove to get rid of it. It will not run very fast in this mode either but faster than running from an optical disk

Choice #3 is to actually fully install Linux to your HD on partitions made just for that purpose, making your system dual boot. Be careful here… you don’t want to install Linux OVER your Windows OS, or maybe you do, that choice is yours.

Here is the best tip I can give you when installing Linux is to put the Grub Bootloader,btw … Grub is “Grand Unified Bootloader”, (which controls the booting of Linux), on the SAME PARTITION AS LINUX. Read that last part again!

Why do you want to do this? If you allow Linux to install Grub where it wants to go by default, it will put Grub in charge of booting BOTH Windows and Linux. That might be OK for some, but if Grub gets corrupted you can’t boot either OS! Putting Grub on the partition where Linux resides prevents this, if Grub gets corrupted somehow, you can still boot to Windows and vice versa. So watch when you install and you can easily choose where to put Grub.You will also need to use the free program Easy BCD, to allow give you the choice, on boot up, of Windows or Linux. Plenty of articles out there that discuss all this in more detail, check YouTube as well.

I’d suggest trying many distros of Linux using the Live CD method, that way you can see what hardware will and won’t work with any Linux distro. I have used Ubuntu 14.04, LuBuntu, and Linux Mint. My wife’s machine had Win XP on it, now it happily runs Lubuntu and is connected wirelessly to my router and printer. LuBuntu isn’t as processor instensive as Ubuntu, it’s older brother. If you have an old machine you want keep using but it has a slow processor and low RAM, Lubuntu should be fine for you. On the machine I am using now to write this I have Mint 17.02 Rebecca installed with Win 7 64 a dual boot. It works wonderfully and I spend more time in MInt than I do in Win 7 and I LOVE 7!! I run no virus scanner or firewally with Mint! It’s nice to be free of all that.

In the end it’s up to you to make the choice to try Linux or not. I find that Mint is very Windows Like in it’s appearance and operation. Do I see it as a replacement for Windows? For what I do, yes it can be, for others it can simply be a wonderful. free compliment to Windows. Using it in dual boot, Windows doesn’t ‘see’ the Linux file system at all, in Computer Management. Just the reverse is true in Linux, it can access ALL the Windows files and partitons, that makes it a nice way to find and recover Windows files if it becomes infected with malware etc.

Good luck!

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terrabill – Centos is well-thought of but it’s not the Linux distro I would recommend to someone new to Linux.

Have a look at The Best Linux Distribution for New Users article for some comparisons by Linux.com.

Another 2 articles to have a look at:

The Best Linux Distributions (which mentions Centos but not in the ‘suitable for new users section’).

Top 5 Linux Distros for beginners – 2014

Also, have a look at newlinuxuser.net for more info and links.

Hope this helps…

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terrabill – Centos is well-thought of but it’s not the Linux distro I would recommend to someone new to Linux.

Have a look at The Best Linux Distribution for New Users article for some comparisons by Linux.com.

Another 2 articles to have a look at:

The Best Linux Distributions (which mentions Centos but not in the ‘suitable for new users section’).

Top 5 Linux Distros for beginners – 2014

Also, have a look at newlinuxuser.net for more info and links.

Hope this helps…

The links do not mention LXLE, which is a must to consider if installing on an old laptop with Broadcom wireless. It’s the only distro I’ve installed that I have not had to tweak or install special drivers, especially after header updates.

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Regarding “An Introduction to Linux for Windows users”

I am a long time reader of Windows Secrets, a Computer A plus certificate holder, worked as a Computer Technician and Network Administrator for several Information Technology Companies.
In 2014 I went to the “dark side” Linux, because I got tired of Microsoft forcing its idea of computing down my throat and its never-ending Tuesday Windows Updates. I’m retired now and live in a rural setting.
The only Internet access I have available to me is via Satellite. With only 5MB per month and two computers to keep updated, I used all my bandwidth before a month was over.
This prompted me to search out a better solution. I searched and tested several distros of Linux and settled upon Linux Mint 17.
I’ve been running Mint now for several months and love it. I have found it to be every bit as good as Windows, actually better than Windows. I promote Mint at every chance I get.
Mint’s software manager has 71797 packages are currently available in 12 categories. I replaced every Microsoft or Windows software with one of the 71797 open source software packages from Mint. I won’t list them all but the list I have installed is quite extensive. Some of the are Linux versions of Windows programs.
Linux Mint’s Update Manager is far superior to Windows update in that it updates every software package installed on your computer. The downloads are measured in KB rather than MB as Microsoft Updates regularly are. In fact, since migrating to Mint I have not even come close to reaching my bandwidth allocation.
In my humble opinion Linux Mint is the perfect desktop operating system for people wishing to dump Microsoft. It is completely graphical. User friendly. Free! Also support is provided by user forums, tutorials, and even a free course from EdX for those wanting to understand the command line side of Linux.
Linux Mint is now at version 17.1 http://www.linuxmint.com/
You can download it for free, burn it to CD or USB stick, and run it live without destroying your Windows installation. Then after you made your decision either install it permanently ( first backing up your data ) or formatting your USB stick or throwing away your CD. The choice is all yours and at no cost to you! I used a 8 GB USB stick that I made bootable because with it I could install some of Mint’s software packages to test them. Whatever you might decide I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised with Mint.

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Thanx for the informative article. However it, and the responses, illustrate the reason I (and most users) stay away from Linux by the droves. I don’t want to work with an OS that comes with dozens of different major versions, options and choices. The Linux community has identified the fragmentation of the their OS as a main barrier to its widespread adoption and have often tried to encourage some sort of unification. But their answer seems to be yet more versions, options and choices. Yes Windows is a pain, but a unified, consistent, and supported one.

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Thanx for the informative article. However it, and the responses, illustrate the reason I (and most users) stay away from Linux by the droves. I don’t want to work with an OS that comes with dozens of different major versions, options and choices. The Linux community has identified the fragmentation of the their OS as a main barrier to its widespread adoption and have often tried to encourage some sort of unification. But their answer seems to be yet more versions, options and choices. Yes Windows is a pain, but a unified, consistent, and supported one.

I haven’t seen dozens of major distros. I believe your point is that people are lazy and want a company to make decisions for them. There are plenty of comparisons on the Web to help one make a decision on which distro will work best for them.

Linux, specifically, is very well supported. It’s supported by a world wide community of developers. Some are volunteering and some are company funded like SUSE and Red Hat. Many or most of the distros are fixing bugs and sending the bug fixes upstream.

As for software to use on and/or support Linux, there are good products and bad products. Some have good support and some have no support. Just like with any OS.

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Thanx for the informative article. However it, and the responses, illustrate the reason I (and most users) stay away from Linux by the droves. I don’t want to work with an OS that comes with dozens of different major versions, options and choices. The Linux community has identified the fragmentation of the their OS as a main barrier to its widespread adoption and have often tried to encourage some sort of unification. But their answer seems to be yet more versions, options and choices. Yes Windows is a pain, but a unified, consistent, and supported one.

Maybe you aren’t aware that there are versions of Linux that are considered ‘LTS’ for Long Term Support. Plus you don’t have to upgrade to a newer version, if it works and you like it, keep it! 😀

My feeling is that Linux will never be popular because it doesn’t get pre-loaded onto PC’s. If it were, and more people were exposed to it, the useage would go up considerably imho.

For something that is Open Source and free, to work as smoothly as it does is a credit to the developers. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to convert you or anyone to even try any version of Linux! If you don’t have the interest, then by all means stay with M$ and watch them botch, release after release in hopes of getting it right. Just look at Win 7, it works just fine, but that doesn’t suit M$.. so here comes v10 … Oh wait what happened to 8 and 8.1?? Epic fails both of them.

Cheers

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Thanx for the informative article. However it, and the responses, illustrate the reason I (and most users) stay away from Linux by the droves. I don’t want to work with an OS that comes with dozens of different major versions, options and choices. The Linux community has identified the fragmentation of the their OS as a main barrier to its widespread adoption and have often tried to encourage some sort of unification. But their answer seems to be yet more versions, options and choices. Yes Windows is a pain, but a unified, consistent, and supported one.

Maybe you aren’t aware that there are versions of Linux that are considered ‘LTS’ for Long Term Support. Plus you don’t have to upgrade to a newer version, if it works and you like it, keep it! 😀

My feeling is that Linux will never be popular because it doesn’t get pre-loaded onto PC’s. If it were, and more people were exposed to it, the useage would go up considerably imho.

For something that is Open Source and free, to work as smoothly as it does is a credit to the developers. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to convert you or anyone to even try any version of Linux! If you don’t have the interest, then by all means stay with M$ and watch them botch, release after release in hopes of getting it right. Just look at Win 7, it works just fine, but that doesn’t suit M$.. so here comes v10 … Oh wait what happened to 8 and 8.1?? Epic fails both of them.

Cheers

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Maybe you aren’t aware that there are versions of Linux that are considered ‘LTS’ for Long Term Support. Plus you don’t have to upgrade to a newer version, if it works and you like it, keep it! 😀

My feeling is that Linux will never be popular because it doesn’t get pre-loaded onto PC’s. If it were, and more people were exposed to it, the useage would go up considerably imho.

For something that is Open Source and free, to work as smoothly as it does is a credit to the developers. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to convert you or anyone to even try any version of Linux! If you don’t have the interest, then by all means stay with M$ and watch them botch, release after release in hopes of getting it right. Just look at Win 7, it works just fine, but that doesn’t suit M$.. so here comes v10 … Oh wait what happened to 8 and 8.1?? Epic fails both of them.

Cheers

I was a Microsoft Support Technician for 31 years and I recently switched to Linux Mint.
Remember: Windows Millenium, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Win 8, Win 8.1 all failures to one degree or another.
Where was Windows 9 it failed before launch!
Now Microsoft wants to force feed us Windows 10.
They are a commercial company and profits are driven by sales.
They have to kill old products (even good ones) and sell new ones.
As you made clear, Linux is nothing like Windows.
If you like the version you have you can keep using it.
And yes there are many LTS versions Linux Mint is just one of them.
Dell does sell some PCs with Linux pre-installed but you need to go look for them.
I believe HP does too.
The problem is that Microsoft discourages them from advertising it.
Microsoft gives the PC manufaturer huge discounts to pre-load their PCs with Microsoft products and the perception to drop their discounts if they push Linux or any other O.S.
Being the 300 pound gorilla that they are gives them clout no one else has.
This effectively controls the market in their favor.
Microsoft is not above creating a monopoly.
Remember the browser wars?
Now they just go about it differently, they buy shares of their competitors (Apple) but no one owns Linux.
They can’t buy Linux shares to control them so they rersort to other methods.

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Maybe you aren’t aware that there are versions of Linux that are considered ‘LTS’ for Long Term Support. Plus you don’t have to upgrade to a newer version, if it works and you like it, keep it! 😀

My feeling is that Linux will never be popular because it doesn’t get pre-loaded onto PC’s. If it were, and more people were exposed to it, the useage would go up considerably imho.

For something that is Open Source and free, to work as smoothly as it does is a credit to the developers. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to convert you or anyone to even try any version of Linux! If you don’t have the interest, then by all means stay with M$ and watch them botch, release after release in hopes of getting it right. Just look at Win 7, it works just fine, but that doesn’t suit M$.. so here comes v10 … Oh wait what happened to 8 and 8.1?? Epic fails both of them.

Cheers

https://system76.com Has Linux pre-loaded Laptops.
https://www.gnu.org/links/companies.html lists Companies that sell computers with GNU/Linux preinstalled
:o:They do exist but you have to google them.

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Thanx for the informative article. However it, and the responses, illustrate the reason I (and most users) stay away from Linux by the droves. I don’t want to work with an OS that comes with dozens of different major versions, options and choices. The Linux community has identified the fragmentation of the their OS as a main barrier to its widespread adoption and have often tried to encourage some sort of unification. But their answer seems to be yet more versions, options and choices. Yes Windows is a pain, but a unified, consistent, and supported one.

It’s a very interesting point…

With Linux, a new user typically picks a “distro” (http://distrowatch.com) after trying out a few of them and seeing which has the most appeal and/or works best with his/her existing hardware. Having so many choices is certainly overwhelming.

With Windows, a new user first chooses between the various editions (since XP there’s been more than 20+, and not all run x86 Windows software):

[INDENT]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP_editions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista_editions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8_editions[/INDENT]

After the initial boot, the user then spends the next several days, weeks and/or months tweaking the look-and-feel with all kinds of additional software to change the Windows toolbars, add desktop widgets, virtual desktops, firewall and so on (e.g. Start10, Fences, NeXus, ZoneAlarm). Once that’s done, it’s still running Windows, but it no longer looks or functions exactly like the Windows computer across the street. The loss of the Start Menu in Windows 8 only made customizing even more appealing. With the exception of company computers managed by IT staff, just about every Windows user heavily customizes his/her workspace to suit personal tastes and workflow.

So when it comes to fragmentation, really the only difference between Linux and Windows is when the fragmentation happens. 😉

Having used both Windows and Linux for years, I’ve found that backwards software compatibility for commercial software is definitely better in Windows, but not for all Windows software. Where Linux has the software advantage is how long it’s still supported — for example, I’ve got an old (but nice) flatbed scanner and an equally old webcam that stopped working starting with Windows Vista/7 but still works fine in the latest bleeding edge releases of 32-bit and 64-bit Linux. I can also run games from the early 90’s using DOSEMU (http://dosemu.org/) and Wine (http://winehq.com/) while the same games hang or crash in newer versions of Windows.

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With Windows, a new user first chooses between the various editions (since XP there’s been more than 20+, and not all run x86 Windows software):

[INDENT]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP_editions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista_editions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8_editions[/INDENT]

A new user doesn’t choose XP or Vista. Most new users would even find it difficult to buy Windows 7 now.

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A new user doesn’t choose XP or Vista. Most new users would even find it difficult to buy Windows 7 now.

Obviously, someone buying a new computer right now wouldn’t have to decide between Windows XP and Vista (at least we hope not :eek:), but they still exist and not every new user buys the latest model, so with millions of XP and Vista computers out there they are likely to run across one.

Windows 7 is still readily available in-store and online — a quick check on BestBuy.com lists more than 400 models of Windows 7 laptops to choose from. Even with Windows 10 just over the horizon, Windows 7 will still be in demand for at least another year or two. Dell, HP, Lenovo and others aren’t going to ignore a sale just because a customer doesn’t want Windows 8.

A new user buying a Windows 8 computer has a choice of four editions: “consumer”, Pro, Enterprise and RT. Besides the included software, each edition also has differences in functionality (e.g. consumer editions don’t support Active Directory logins) and one doesn’t run existing Windows software. A lot of high-end Windows software won’t work on home/consumer editions of Windows.

Between Windows, Mac and Linux, the Mac OS is the least fragmented. Mac users don’t have to choose between home and professional editions. Even compatibility (outside of gaming) is less of an issue because there’s Microsoft Office for Mac. There used to be Internet Explorer for the Mac but it wasn’t feature parity with the Windows version because it didn’t support ActiveX which is still heavily used by business applications.

The point is that two of the most frequently quoted reasons why Windows is better than Linux is “fragmentation” and “compatibility”. The reality is that both OSes suffer from it. Just as Linux has built up different distributions/editions over the years, so too has Windows during the same time frame. Windows compatibility was a big selling point but web-based applications, better cross-platform frameworks, software containers (e.g. Docker) and other technologies (Wine, AMIDuOS – http://amiduos.com/) are saving users from having to think about the operating system as much as they used to. We’re past the time of everything being about the operating system. It’s all about the apps.

Chung

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As we say on our side of the water: in for a penny, in for a pound!

Like ‘feduchin’, I’ve been a Windows user since way back when – I love the plethora of software and still use it for virtually all my day-to-day work.

The point he and many others may be missing is that times have changed and not everyone needs a machine that can trade futures online. In fact, unlike us, the vast majority of people accessing the internet these days are doing so via either a pad or a smart phone – more often than not with Apple’s Unix based OS or Android’s Linux (Unix clone) based OS. The 2014/15 online sales stats are unequivocal on that fact – even the days of the laptop look numbered.

As I’ve said elsewhere, as a long-term Windows user I really hope that Windows10 works straight out of the box – and Microsoft appear to now realise that Win10’s success depends on this. But I also remember Win95 staggering into Win98 and only finally coming right with Win98se – before descending back into oblivion with Millennium. And NT morphing into Win2000 before finally coming right with WinXP – well, after 3 service packs. And let’s not forget Vista which only came right with what was essentially a ‘service pack’ called Win7. Currently, we’re still experiencing the Win8/8.1 debacle so it really needs a leap of faith that our next journey will take us straight to Shangri-La.

So, to return to the plot, all that the vast majority of users want to do these days is: Search online, email, look at their photos, listen to music, YouTube, Faceache and Twit – and perhaps write a letter. Who needs an OS that takes up 20gb of space (even before you add any user programs) to do that?

Linux has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years and bears little resemblance to what it was even five years ago. A version such as the current Linux Mint17.1 (32bit mate version) is: undemanding on hardware, installs quickly (often without additional drivers) and comes preloaded with free software to do all of the above and lots more. It looks as smart as Win7 and, on the surface, has a similar feel – dramatically less of a learning curve than Win8! Like most Linux ‘distros’ it even comes with familiar programs like Firefox and a full version of LibreOffice. Because of the Android link, things such as Chrome, Picassa and Google Earth are easily installed. The average user would never need to know that the Linux command-line (terminal) of old is still buried in there – it’s also still there in Windows, but how many ‘normal’ people use it?

Best of all, Linux is free – that should mean at least $75 off the price of a new machine. Sadly that bit has rarely happened and manufacturers such as Dell and HP appear to have so far only used Linux to beat Microsoft into reducing its OEM deals to them.

So, if anyone has a working PC or laptop that needs a new lease of useful life they should consider something like Linux Mint (an easier transition from Windows than Ubuntu) before dashing out to spend their hard earned cash.

I personally await the final release of Windows 10 with bated breath.

Cheers, Chris

P.S. I’m writing this on an old XP machine, which just happened to be already fired up – this couldn’t make the point better that, other than to us geeks, the OS is not really all that important (provided it works) and allows you to efficiently achieve the task you had in mind.

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Just as Linux has built up different distributions/editions over the years, so too has Windows during the same time frame.

The only current Windows is 8.1; so a new home user has a choice of two, Pro or not. Nothing like the bewildering choice of hundreds of Linux distributions.

Bruce

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A pain by any other name is still a pain!
There will always be many solutions to a problem.
No one solution is perfect!
Therefore you pick the one best suited to your individual needs, hence the many distros.
This is not a weakness but rather a strength.

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I believe the only reason that Linux desktop editions don’t have more of a presence is because there are no ads for it on TV. I don’t believe it has anything to do with security or functionality any longer. My evidence is the difference in presence between OS X and any other Linux distribution and Windows to any Linux distribution. It all seems to center around how much money is spent on advertising.

OpenSuse wasn’t mentioned but is a good distro with a balance between stability and new technologies with a focus on openness. For comparison, Ubuntu is usually further behind on technologies and is moving in their own direction with regards to being more proprietary. BTW, Last I heard, Microsoft invests in Ubuntu.

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I believe the only reason that Linux desktop editions don’t have more of a presence is because there are no ads for it on TV..

Actually if you look carefully there are hundreds of Linux ads on TV & Movies, look for product placement where the script calls for a PC a lot of the time it is running a Linux Distro – or at least a screenshot. I suspect this is because of the licensing issues around Microsoft and Apple and copyright especially if Microsoft and / or Apple aren’t paying for product placement on whatever the programme is then its a Linux Distro you will see. Check out the credits also – usually somewhere buried with “Data Wrangler” there is sometimes a reference to the distro used. BTW what is a “Data Wrangler” sounds like a great job to me – I can do that 😎

Jonah

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Having sped through your article, an aspect I didn’t immediately see considered is the ability of Linux to operate very nicely on retired gear. Old notebooks become servers, and file sharing spaces. I know it’s a reach, but not that big of a reach — for Windows Server guys to realize that value that remains in equipment that we have in storage.

One of the conversations I’m having more often (say in the past 20 months) is “continuity” planning — in the event that “World War IT” breaks out — how are businesses going to continue? If communication utilities are hacked? How will we rebuild B-B and B-C networks if the internet is shaky — fall backs like a BBS might serve as an order processing platform. Further — in being able to operate in isolation – not connected to a WAN. Inventory — where is that box?

These dialogues are more often “beer” fueled … and not really actionable but they have a strategic vein. Few I know are actually going to the time/expense to build systems, collecting old bones into unpowered piles that can be used as “bricks” — rebuilding networks that have been damaged. There are some, though…

Congratulations, you’re arriving at the same conclusions we’ve been fostering in the field for years. My response to you is sort of on the DHS front: Symmetry. Think of it like this: Linux IT Duffers are the National Guard of IT.

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To Windows Secrets staff:
It appears to me that there is a growing need for a “Linux Secrets” magazine.
There is no reason the two magazine could not exist side by side.
It appears that the need is there, judging from the conversations in this forum topic.
Just a thought to ponder.::rolleyes:

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Rick Corbett,

Thank you SO much for the info. I had been meaning to explore linux for years, it’s time to take the plunge.
Also thanks to Kathleen for the article and all the other posters, a treasure trove of useful info here.

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The author of the “An introduction to Linux for Windows users” article is David Robinson. We’re proud to publish it as the Top Story of this week’s Windows Secrets newsletter. I’m flattered that some of you thought I wrote it but I merely posted it to this forum in the Lounge, as I do all the Windows Secrets articles every week. We are always hopeful for feedback on the newsletter articles–so glad to read your thoughts here.

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terrabill
I am still reading this thread so forgive me if its already been mentioned but Linux easily runs off of a USB device (unlike windows) so it is easy to try for a few days and make customizations that stick and then dump the os and try another distro. A word of caution I have had the boot loader of a flash install trash the Windows boot setup on the HDD. I don’t remember if it was LILO or Grub (Linux boot managers) that did it but the same thing happened to the local ‘Linux Guy’ so it was not just me being me :huh:

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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terrabill

Hi terrabill,

See my post #18 in this forum. If the bootloader had been installed on the partition where Linux is, it wouldn’t have messed with the MBR for Windows.

hth you!

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Linux easily runs off of a USB device (unlike windows)

Windows too: Windows To Go

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Windows too: Windows To Go

No gots enterprise ed, nor will I be buying it. Yes it can be done, but I have not seen straight forward instructions on how to, only ooo run our program and it will make it for you.

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Thanks for the column. I an a newbie to Linux even though I’m 72 yrs old. I have found through a number of installations that for normal computer work, Linux Mint seems to be the easiest to install and setup. I spent significant time trying to network Linux, but finially found a simple way to do it. Now the only thing I have found that is lacking is software for taxes. It would be nice if someone would write a program even at a charge that would complete Federal and State forms. However, you can use Linux to do them on line. I am very pleased with Mint and put on my old desktop that would not support even Windows 7. It works great … fast and problem free. Thanks again for the article and I will look forward to continuing Linux discussions in the future.

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For those of you crying foul/pot shot, you didn’t site any specific instances. As someone else asked, are they pot shots or simply points of fact?

My hope is that people on the Window development and decision teams pay attention to the constructive feedback in order to create a better product.

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I may have missed it, but I do not believe you mentioned that Linux distros can be run as a trial from the cd/dvd without installing the distro and can be installed beside another OS for a dual (or more) boot. But great article. I am running Linux Mint Debian Edition which currently is a semi-rolling distro and love it. I have it on an HP Envy with a dual boot with Windows 8.1, but rarely boot Windows and then just to keep it updated.

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I have long been interested in some flavor of Linux, but not to complicate things by running Windows under Linux. And I depend on a program which works with a modem and one phone line, listens to an incoming call for a fax tone, if a fax tone, sends back the handshake, and receives the fax digitally. If there is no fax tone, it answers, sends an outgoing message, and records the voice mail. I started with WinFax Pro until it dropped voice, then HotFax Message Center until Smith Micro dropped it, and then FaxTalk Messenger Pro.

I have checked several times and never found a Linux program that will perform that function. Does anyone know of such a program which will run under Linux?

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I have long been interested in some flavor of Linux, but not to complicate things by running Windows under Linux. And I depend on a program which works with a modem and one phone line, listens to an incoming call for a fax tone, if a fax tone, sends back the handshake, and receives the fax digitally. If there is no fax tone, it answers, sends an outgoing message, and records the voice mail. I started with WinFax Pro until it dropped voice, then HotFax Message Center until Smith Micro dropped it, and then FaxTalk Messenger Pro.

I have checked several times and never found a Linux program that will perform that function. Does anyone know of such a program which will run under Linux?

Hi Meadi8r,

There are so many programs for Linux it would be impossible for me to point you to one.

But there are many good friendly forums where you could post your question and see what turns up.

You could try asking in:

The Mint forum :http://forums.linuxmint.com/
The Ubuntu forum: http://ubuntuforums.org/
A Linux forum: http://www.linuxquestions.org/

I have used these on occasion with good results, these forums are filled with folks who have forgotton more than I’ll ever know about Linux! 😀

Good Luck

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I have long been interested in some flavor of Linux, but not to complicate things by running Windows under Linux. And I depend on a program which works with a modem and one phone line, listens to an incoming call for a fax tone, if a fax tone, sends back the handshake, and receives the fax digitally. If there is no fax tone, it answers, sends an outgoing message, and records the voice mail. I started with WinFax Pro until it dropped voice, then HotFax Message Center until Smith Micro dropped it, and then FaxTalk Messenger Pro.

I have checked several times and never found a Linux program that will perform that function. Does anyone know of such a program which will run under Linux?

Hi meadi8r,

Because fax and voice are different telephony protocols, you’ll need a two programs. The first two that come to mind are HylaFAX (http://hylafax.org/) and Asterisk (http://asterisk.org/). They can be installed on just about any Linux distribution, and for your particular use case, an old computer will work fine. If you’d prefer something more unified, check out Elastix (http://elastix.org/) which is built on HylaFAX and Asterisk. I’ve seen Asterisk used for large groups (30,000+ people) and also know someone who uses it at home.

Chung

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I’ve been involved with Linux at work, but not out of choice.

In the unlikely event that I ever use it at home, do I really have to start saying “distro”? 🙁

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I’ve been involved with Linux at work, but not out of choice.

In the unlikely event that I ever use it at home, do I really have to start saying “distro”? 🙁

No, you don’t have to start saying “distro”. You could say “distribution” instead. 🙂

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In the unlikely event that I ever use it at home, do I really have to start saying “distro”?

Better than having to do Disco !:bananas::bananas:

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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I thought the name of this newsletter was Windows Secrets. I DO NOT subscribe to read about Linux. SCREW THIS!

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I thought the name of this newsletter was Windows Secrets. I DO NOT subscribe to read about Linux. SCREW THIS!

Ah common guys giv’m a break! It is of interest to many of the same folk who are interested in MS stuff. And for many is a secret. One article out of how many? Chill !

:cheers:

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Sorry to disagree on security of Windows systems vs Linux systems. The fly in the ointment is the user who isn’t savvy enough to know when social engineering has offered him/her a seemingly good offer to try–by clicking on a link, entering personal info or info about colleagues. I call this “casual stupidty” of users. It’s a very common problem.

The security permissions of Windows remain weak for this reason. Linux uses the 9-bit Owner, Group, World permissions of write/read/execute requirement on all files and folder thus making it by default more secure from the mindless, casual stupidity of the users. Windows has refused to migrate to this system and uses long after it shouldn’t a Windows Registry that lets virus writers include their configurations that activate on the next boot up.

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To those who have posted obscenities in this thread — you are not helping us to maintain a civil forum. Enough said.

Windows and Linux have their fans, but it is true that this is a Windows-centric newsletter. Not Android, not iOS, not MacOS, and not Linux.

That said, an occasional foray into Linux seems justified, as Linux security (or lack of it) has been in the news lately. In The Lounge, there is a whole area called Other OSes, and Linux has its own sub-area. This thread might be best suited to that little corner of the Lounge.

This article is not anti-Windows. I am a Linux and Windows user, and I follow (a bit) Linux forums as well as Windows forums like this one. I have seen anti-Windows posts and articles, and trust me, this article comes nowhere near the levels of invective I’ve read elsewhere.

Of course, donations and subscriptions are purely voluntary, and readers may choose whether or not to continue reading and contributing. My contribution will continue not because I want more Linux content, but because coverage of Windows 8 and Windows 10 is not being reduced to make room for more Mobile OS or more Linux coverage. So my attitude is that if I want the diverse content, I’ll read it; if I don’t want it, I’ll skip it and not run to the Lounge to complain.

My own experiences with both Windows 8 and Ubuntu Linux have been posted many times in the Lounge, so I don’t feel a need to post again what I’ve already posted before.

As for what I use now, it is 70 percent to 90 percent Linux. But I will not be giving up on Windows any time soon. Windows 10 is definitely in my future, and I have kept a Windows 8 System Builder PUL disk for just this purpose. But while I’m waiting for a Windows upgrade I can live with, Ubuntu works just fine for most purposes for me.

I may decide to take some space here to address (by way of replies) some of the misconceptions about Linux I’ve seen posted here, even in posts from current Linux users. Just because we use Linux does not mean we understand Linux in any kind of depth.

-- rc primak

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Great article. I’ve been using mint for almost 10 years now. I used to dual boot with windows on my desktop, but now only use windows on our laptop. If it weren’t for itunes, I would be 100% linux. David Robinson hit most of the high points about linux. One thing I didn’t read was about updates. With linux mint you get a minimal notification in the toolbar that there are updates available. Take it or leave it. No little window popping up, no nagware, etc. And then, when you decide to finally update, it usually takes less than 5 minutes. And you don’t have to reboot. Seems like everytime we turn on our windows laptop, there is another update to install. Linux is a great os, and I have found open source replacements for all my needs. Except for itunes. But once our ipods die, I’ll be converting my music to a different format.

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You can run itunes on Linux Mint:
http://www.ossdoc.com/2013/01/how-to-install-itune-on-linux-mint-and.html

I have not tried this, as I use XP in a VirtualBox

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For those who who’ve taken issue with my earlier post (http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//167089-An-introduction-to-Linux-for-Windows-users?p=987898&viewfull=1#post987898), you’re missing my point.

I don’t have a thing against Linux. I’m glad it exists. It’s powering a webserver that I have. I have Linux Live CD’s that I keep ready in case I need some alternative way to repair a Windows issue. See, that would be a useful topic for Windows users – as it goes directly to how to use Linux in a pinch to get to a Windows file system.

But what I don’t need, as a premium subscriber, is articles about how to use and possibly switch to another operating system. Why would I? It’s a site purportedly dedicated to imparting more knowledge and useful tips about — wait for it — Windows. I can’t make it any clearer than that.

Here’s a test for you: Go to a Linux forum and start posting tips for how to use/install/tweak Windows. See how that works out for you. Do you think you’d get “Hey, thanks for those Windows tips!”. Sure…

If Windows Secrets wants to branch out and cover more OS’s, that’s great! But do it under its own banner, that’s all. It seems understandable to me. Perhaps you disagree. But I don’t peruse Windows Secrets for info on other operating systems.

I came to Windows Secrets because of Fred Langa and his LangaList. He had and has the most useful information about getting the most out of Windows. Who knows, perhaps Fred is a big Linux fan, too. And I have zero problems with that. But I read his columns for Windows tips. I can’t be any clearer about this.

I use Windows and Macs on a daily basis, and, as mentioned, have Linux on a web server as well as Live CD’s. I enjoy the Macs, too, but I don’t want see Mac articles in my Windows Secrets subscription – unless it’s something relevant to me as a Windows user, such as how to install Windows on a Mac for dual-booting with Boot Camp, etc.

I wouldn’t want to see ASP.Net how-to articles on a PHP forum. See the point? In the end, it has nothing whatsoever about the value of a particular operating system. It has to do with having a site called Windows Secrets delving off into subjects really having nothing to do with Windows, per se. If people have an issue with my point of view, so be it.

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Here’s a test for you: Go to a Linux forum and start posting tips for how to use/install/tweak Windows. See how that works out for you. Do you think you’d get “Hey, thanks for those Windows tips!”. Sure…

If Windows Secrets wants to branch out and cover more OS’s, that’s great! But do it under its own banner, that’s all. It seems understandable to me. Perhaps you disagree. But I don’t peruse Windows Secrets for info on other operating systems.

Exactly. :clapping:

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For those who who’ve taken issue with my earlier post (http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//167089-An-introduction-to-Linux-for-Windows-users?p=987898&viewfull=1#post987898), you’re missing my point.

I don’t have a thing against Linux. I’m glad it exists. It’s powering a webserver that I have. I have Linux Live CD’s that I keep ready in case I need some alternative way to repair a Windows issue. See, that would be a useful topic for Windows users – as it goes directly to how to use Linux in a pinch to get to a Windows file system.

Agreed I would like to see that it would be very useful

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If Microsoft doesn’t offer free upgrades to Windows 10 from the awful Windows 8

They state Win10 will be a free upgrade for a year for Win7 and up.

See the Win10 forum here for links & details.

Lugh.
~
Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HD

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Linux … gives me a greater sense of security while online where most malware exists. Malware that might infect a session is less likely to be saved for the next session.

FYI, “sandboxing” is a way to do this with Windows–and maybe any OS. Not necessarily better than Linux for that, just fwiw.

I would like to think that any Windows user would have already explored using a “distribution” or “Distro” of Linux by now, on their own, as I did.

Probably not going to happen for a long time, assuming you mean desktop and laptop users when you say “Windows user”. Last time I checked a few months ago, Windows was over 90%, and Linux under 2%, of such users. Linux did have more penetration outside desktop and laptop use, of course.

I’d suggest trying many distros of Linux using the Live CD method, that way you can see what hardware will and won’t work with any Linux distro.

And software.

That’s the killer for me. Futzing around to see what will and won’t work on all the Linux distros. I imagine many people who consider Linux must be put off by the large amount of fragmentation, aka distros. It begs the question “If Linux is so great, why aren’t there 2-5 main distros for user-level PCs instead of dozens?” It’s been out for ~25 years now, should have matured.

Lugh.
~
Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HD

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…how to start a new thread on the linux topic. I want to ask why centos, recommended to me by a linux person is not included.

You should start your thread in the Non-Microsoft-OSes forum. Just click on the Post New Thread button.

As others have said, you shouldn’t start with CentOS, it’s a business-level OS afaik. The reason it and other distros are missing from the article is that there are 50-100 versions of Linux, of which I suppose 20-30 are/were significant variations.

Lugh.
~
Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HD

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…in Linux and Apple (Apple OS X is Linux based) there is a world-wide and open community working on the solutions, not employees of the company…

Afaik, OS X is Unix-based, same as Linux [via GNU iirc].

I didn’t know Apple had opened their OS to the world, sounds most unlike their practices in everything else.

…LINUX as a mature, working alternative to MS’ problematic OS.

…MAC OSX, (by itself, a Linux-derivative OS!).

Mature? Surely not for Windows users, as I said above. For computing professionals especially, how can such a fragmented OS be regarded as mature? Is Linux truly now in the overall state it should move forward with?

MS has always had a decent OS, usually with a poorer version nearby. Win7 is the best yet, and the preamble to Win10 looks similar to Win7, so there’s a good chance it’ll be solid too. But decent or poor, at least it is mature.

PS See above re OS X not being another Linux version.

Lugh.
~
Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HD

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I believe the only reason that Linux desktop editions don’t have more of a presence is because there are no ads for it on TV.

What would the ads be for? There is no “it” to advertise.

Man, I don’t believe it. I decided to go count how many distros there are now [to refine my 50-100 figure posted earlier]. Wiki currently lists 263 by my quick count. 263! Ah, some are no longer active–but I’m not going to count, over to someone else 🙂 Also looks like the list covers all uses, eg I see Red Hat, SUSE etc which are enterprise distros. But still, 263 :o:

I doubt your ‘no ads’ supposition though. Apple hasn’t been shy with ads over the decades, and after they surrendered the market in the 80s, have struggled to get much over 5%–not all that much beyond Linux’s 1-2%.

Similarly MS hasn’t been shy with Windows Phone ads. Ads will help sell a good or cool product, but not one with little appeal to the customer.

Lugh.
~
Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HD

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Remember: Windows Millenium, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Win 8, Win 8.1 all failures to one degree or another.

Shouldn’t you add OS/2, Linux, OS 1-9, OS X to that list–or do you think one of those hasn’t been a comparable failure? Apple’s stuff has improved since they dumped their old OS and hardware, so OS X looks good to me.

As does WinXP and the Win8s [for those who like the interface]. It’s also germane to add in the other successes imo–Win3.1, 3.11, 95, 98, 98SE, NT, 2000, Win7. Looks like a decent strike rate to me–so far MS can be relied on to produce at least 50% good OSs. But don’t mind me, the 90+% of Win users make our views relatively insignificant–and see above re marketing.

Linux is nothing like Windows.
If you like the version you have you can keep using it.

Definitely agree with first sentence. But you seem to imply you can’t keep using a version of Windows you like? Have you noticed how busy the WinXP forum is here? I’ll ask my pal who runs Win98–and Win95 until last year–to chip in here if he’s game.

Microsoft is not above creating a monopoly.

Yes indeed, back in the 90s–they seem to have learned that lesson though, quite painfully. Fyi they invest in both Apple and Linux, both of which are very useful to MS by keeping the anti-trust folks at bay. OS X or Linux dying would be bad news for MS.

Lugh.
~
Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HD

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Linux easily runs off of a USB device (unlike windows)…

There are at least two ways I’ve heard of to do that in Win 8 or later. One is “Windows To Go”, mentioned earlier, which works with enterprise Win, while another which is claimed to work for any PC is described in this article http://betanews.com/2014/01/13/run-windows-8-or-8-1-directly-from-a-usb-drive-on-any-computer-for-free/. I haven’t used either, so no idea how well they perform.

Lugh.
~
Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HD

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Windows Secrets not having an occasional article about Linux, would be like Chevy never comparing themselves to Ford.

Any alternative to Windows is better than none…though not necessarily better overall.

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…the Windows defenders…

I think “subscribers” would be more accurate than “defenders”, the issue most have is with the newsletter doing what it says on the tin.

Personally I agree with a recent post which said that articles which describe how Linux [or any other OS] can assist Windows users are more than welcome, and I have no objection to interesting posts in the Other OS forum being highlighted in the Newsletter.

I will probably install Linux on an old laptop sometime, and then I’ll find out the newsletters and forums dedicated to that topic.

Lugh.
~
Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HD

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I think “subscribers” would be more accurate than “defenders”, the issue most have is with the newsletter doing what it says on the tin.

Personally I agree with a recent post which said that articles which describe how Linux [or any other OS] can assist Windows users are more than welcome, and I have no objection to interesting posts in the Other OS forum being highlighted in the Newsletter.

Just to clarify a point. This fine discussion is occurring in the “Windows Secrets Columns” forum in the Lounge, where we post links to the Windows Secrets articles every week, as we publish them. We don’t post the article links to a range of fora in the Lounge–we post links to the new articles to this one. So you’re discussing a newsletter article in the forum devoted to newsletter articles. A minor point, but I thought I should mention it.
Best, Kathleen Atkins

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We don’t post the article links to a range of fora in the Lounge–we post links to the new articles to this one.

Understood, Kathleen. I should have expressed myself better when I said “I have no objection to interesting posts in the Other OS forum being highlighted in the Newsletter”.

What I mean is, if WS newsletter wishes to continue to acquire and publish articles about other OSs, it could do so in the Other OS forum. Then have a small mention in the newsletter, somewhat similar to your “Interesting Forum Posts” section perhaps, which highlights such articles.

A solution like this could satisfy those who welcome discussion of other OSs, without incurring the frustration of those who do not welcome it. My objection is not to coverage of other OSs, my objection is to losing two Top Story slots [incl the early April one] to topics which are not Windows.

Lugh.
~
Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HD

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I use Windows 98% of the time, but have long had Ubuntu or another flavour of Linux installed on an old notebook. Just to play with, use now and again.
There are some excellent programs available free in Ubuntu that have features you need to pay for in Windows.
A few times it has “saved my bacon”, when a USB has been unreadable for some reason in Windows, Linux has always read it.

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