I’ve never bothered to try Linux as past experiences with it is not as amazing as people say. What advantages does Linux have to Windows? And it terms of real life usage, such as developing software or websites for a local company, why choose Linux over Windows when the majority of the companies users would use Windows anyway?

All I can think is that I should have a computer specifically for Linux so I can still test things on a Windows computer.

Honestly I've only really noticed a few things:

* more responsive feeling terminals

* easier tool installation with a package manager

* shorter and nicer file paths

That's about it 🤷‍♂️

@12bitfloat that’s actually really good feedback. Thanks! 😊

I was expecting there to be lots of people saying Linux is this all powerful operating system. But I just don’t want to change to Linux and not go back to Windows easily if I had any problems developing anything for windows devices

Amazing cli, tends to be more compatible and easier to use with most dev technology. Horrible desktop experience though.

also most flavors come pre-installed with C/C++ libraries, Python and Perl not to mention Bash is incredibly powerful.

As a developer, being able to just start a system and be able to develop out of the box is a god send. Especially when working with C++. Setting something like SDL2 project on Windows was always an hour long ordeal with setting paths and environments while with linux I just use the package manager to install sdl2 and everything else already works. It's also relatively easy to set up compiling for windows directly from linux if you know what you're doing (takes some trial and error at first) and I can always confirm code works through wine for a quick check and using an emulator (or a friend) for a real world check. Starting with linux gives me great incentive to make my software cross platform out of the box!

also yeah, more responsive in most cases and no mandatory updates that's impossible to turn off.

It doesn't matter what I develop on. It seems a LOT of customers only want Windows solutions. So I just develop and game on the same PC at home. I do have Linux dual boot, but I rarely boot in to Linux.

@Hazarth also very good advice, had no idea what Linux packages were until today.

However I am very confused with this mandatory update stuff? Aren’t updates a good thing? The NHS (yes I’m British) was hacked a few years ago because they didn’t update, so surely mandatory updates are good? I am intrigued to hear reasons against updates though, I like knowing everyone’s views

@ars1 I think that’s why I’m not a huge fan of Linux. It just seemed difficult to use as a general computer for everything from writing to gaming. Maybe it was just the Linux OS I used 🤷‍♂️

I'm on Linux at home because it doesn't have forced, lousily tested updates, it doesn't spy on me, it doesn't try ever harder to force me to something like a Microsoft account, and it's so nice to use for desktop that I migrated friends and family end users from Win 7 to Linux.

However, there are two exceptions: Windows is better at running Windows appliations (no shit) and also gaming.

@adamjkeith It depends upon who is doing the updates.

@Fast-Nop the Microsoft account and using other Microsoft stuff is a bit annoying yea, I’ve turned all the notifications for that stuff off.

Does Windows spy on you? And if it’s not used for bad reasons (like advertisements) then isn’t that good? It would make using the device quicker and therefore more effective in everyday use?

@adamjkeith

The thing about updates is that they are good, but I think it's useful to take context into consideration:

for example, me, as a literal nobody using a system that most people don't even recognize and with decent grasp on security with no random services enabled on my lappy? I probably don't need to keep on the bleeding edge of security here

On the other hand my server, I update that as frequently as I remember, pretty much every week or so when I log in. I also have it hardened so it should be safe

My issue here is, I'm often traveling, my lappy battery is kinda busted and my internet is often unstable or incredibly slow... So I'd like to run my updates when I have control over the situation and I can waste the bandwidth... Microsoft on the other hand believes I should drop everything no matter what and not use my computer every couple of days for several hours just because hackers exist.

I despise that with a passion.

@Hazarth ah yea the travelling wouldn’t fit well, that makes more sense. I check for updates every time I use any electronic device from VR to my toothbrush, I guess that is why I’ve never really had issues with my laptop and annoying updates as I check every day!
I guess I’ve never really thought much about travelling without a reliable internet connection… well as long as I’ve needed to use the internet.

Let’s hope windows doesn’t become like the Nintendo DS where a single update would stop you being able to use “tweaked” games. 😅

@adamjkeith It's becoming ever more difficult to even install Windows without a Microsoft account, and obviously, that will be used for all kind of spying. Just like the so-called "telemetry" where Microsoft refuses to disclose what exactly they transmit.

I don't want to be spied on because I want my privacy, and Microsoft thinks otherwise. I don't want someone else to decide how I use my computer. There's nothing that Microsoft could contribute. Actually, if they wanted something to contribute to more productive use, they could start with fixing the increasingly broken Explorer search function.

I gave them my trust with Win 7 which was so good that I moved from Linux to Win 7, but they fucked up big time afterwards, and I won't give them a second chance anymore. Not that the news would even justify that anyway.

Linux tends to be light weight compared to Windows so it can extend the life of an old computer by a year or two just be having the OS not hogging system resources.

Another positive is that you can choose what software you want on the device to a lower level than you can on Windows - this doesn't seem like a big deal but you can control what's on your machine much better.

Lastly is the issue of Microsoft spying or potentially spying on you. Telemetry sounds good but the reality is that you don't actually know what it is being transmitted - maybe it's just log data or maybe it's something more sinister. Also means that's extra surface area for an attacker to exploit.

One counter argument for Linux is that it can be more confusing to run things and figure things out especially for just general use. My recommendation is to try something like Zorin OS which gives you a not so bleeding edge OS but is stable and has a familiar interface and focus on comparability with Windows programs.

Telemetry is definitely a big deal. Microsoft was one of the big players in the PRISM fiasco years back. It obviously still does shit like that.

This a million times what @zlice wrote.
It's like day and night how you approach issue solving on Windows and on Linux.
It's so much faster and much more liberating, to be able to look at the source code to diagnose your problems.
Also you don't have to deal with "A problem occurred" issues.

Also I must mention the communities. Most software have a small crowd who develops one or another piece of software. Just being able to talk with them you can learn a shitton. It's incredible how much they know.

As an example:
Windows update: i have some updates for you. I already installed them and will complete it when you power it down or its after your work hours and reboot the pc without your consent.
Linux update normal: i see that xxx packages have an update. I have to download xxx mb and (after the download) X Mb space will be taken/will be freed.
my configuration: Like normal but with the following at the end: these services run with updated libraries, do you want to restart them?

Linux = freedom
This equation has lot of meaning, open source code base, absolute freedom to customize your distro however u like, easy package management and installation, great for developers especially it's blazing fast , the desktops are so gorgeous and flexible which makes multi tasking hella fun and easy, the terminal is one of the greatest tools to automate tasks and easily handle any part in your system, you also get to use open source software which you also have full knowledge who spies and who doesn't on you , let's not forget that gaming on linux is getting famous day after the other and the support provided is evolving

It does what you tell it to, instead of what Microsoft tells it to. Plus you have a lot of options/customisability to set up a machine to do exactly what you need - I've some old crapola laptop suffering under a pile of stuff in a corner of my room that has been running a tiny web server with zero downtime in years, and the only time it has ever had any updates is when I triggered them myself. (It's actually kinda funny/sad that the most reliable machine in my household is that POS laptop with the worst specs...)

Surprised nobody has mentioned that in the majority of cases Linux OSs are legitimately free to use, the barrier for entry can be very low to revitalise some old hardware and start learning new things about technology.