I'm not the writer of this thing.. I just ripped it off http://dmartin.org/weblog/things-i-can-do-in-linux-that-i-cant-do-on-windows.
Things I can do in Linux that I can't do on Windows. > Submitted by dmartin <http://dmartin.org/members/dmartin> on Sat, > 03/03/2007 - 1:06pm. > > - Linux <http://dmartin.org/weblog/categories/linux> > - Open Source <http://dmartin.org/weblog/categories/open-source> > > Since I often hear from friends and people on the Internet about things > they can't do in Linux that they could on Windows, I thought I'd write up a > list of things I can do in Linux that I can't do in Windows. > > 1. *Update every single piece of software on my system with a single > action. *This is one of the main reasons I run Linux. Sure, > Windows has Windows Update, but that only updates the operating system, > Office, and a few other things. For every Linux distribution I've used > (Gentoo, Red Hat, Suse, Ubuntu), updating is simple. When you update, you > have every application, every library, every script - every single piece of > software upgraded automatically for you. And on most of them, they will > check for updates automatically and notify you. This is great for > security, > fixing bugs quickly, and getting the latest in features. > 2. *Update nearly everything on my computer without a reboot.* On > Linux, there is only one thing that requires a reboot after updates. The > kernel. And even then you can continue to run on the previous kernel. You > just need to reboot to get the benefit of using the new kernel (say, if it > has a bug fix or a new feature). In Windows, many of the updates to even > non-critical software require reboots. > 3. *Keep my system secure without software that consumes my system > resources, requires my time, and frequently nags me*. Basic > requirement for a secure Windows box include: > 1. Running antivirus protection. AV software consumes > resources and requires routine scans. > 2. A software firewall like ZoneAlarm or the one built into > Vista that constantly asks you if you want to allow software to contact > the > Internet. More time on your part. > 3. Running Adblock Adaware and/or Spybot Search & Destroy on a > routine basis, consuming your time, and requiring your manual > intervention. > People often forget or don't "get around to it". > 4. Never trusting software. You have to go through life > assuming every bit of software and every website on the Internet is > going to > screw you over. What a sorry state of affairs that is. > > All of this requires your attention, slows your computer, and ruins > the open experience of the Internet. None of this is necessary in Linux. > You get your software through your distribution. As long as you can trust > your distribution, you can trust the software available. Having a firewall > is a good thing even in Linux, but most of us have a firewall built into > our > Cable and DSL modems, or our wi-fi router. A software firewall in windows > is as much used to keep malware from calling out as it is to keep outside > intrusions from coming in, and you don't have the same concerns in Linux > (since, as I said, you can trust your software). > 4. *Run an entire operating system for free without pirating > software, and without breaking the law.* Most Window's users seem > to accept that breaking the law is okay, because it is pretty much > required. Either you break the law, or spend countless thousands of > dollars > on the software you need. You may not think it is a big deal, but if you > own a home like I do, you are putting it at risk. While unlikely, the > potential is there for software companies to come after you just like the > RIAA has come after countless people. With Linux, this isn't necessary. > You can run the software you need without paying for it, and without > breaking the law. I know I sleep better at night. > 5. *Take my settings with me where ever I go.* In Linux, all your > personal settings are stored in your Home folder, most in folders that > begin > with a period (like .gaim). So, I can copy all these settings from one > computer to another. I can put these settings on a USB drive. When I > switched from Gentoo to Ubuntu, I kept all my settings. On Windows, some > settings are under your home folder and some are in the registry. So your > settings are not portable. > 6. *Run Internet Explorer 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, and 7.0 on the same > desktop. * I have all installed thanks to the wonderful > IEs4Linux<http://www.tatanka.com.br/ies4linux/>project. I can even run them > side-by-side if I want. For a web developer, > that's huge. Testing browser compatibility to that level on Windows > requires multiple machines or something like VMWare. Further, when I run > IE > under Linux, I don't have to worry about any malware or virus getting onto > my system. > 7. *Understand everything that is going on in my computer. *Using > Windows is like working with a black box. You can see the outside, but you > have no idea what is going on inside. If you hit snags, your only option > is > to hope Microsoft fixes it. Or, perhaps you can submit a bug report to > Microsoft, spending *your time* improving software that a company > makes billions from. Under Linux, you can look at the system logs, where > you can see most issues. You can search for the log messages on Google, > and > can usually track the cause and often find a fix. If not, I can even go > look at the source code to find the offending problem. Granted, most > people > aren't capable or don't have the time to look at the source code. But the > fact that tens-of-thousands of geeks do is often very, very helpful. And > if > you do spend the time filling out a bug report, you are helping other > people > just like yourself, not contributing your time to a rich software company. > 8. *Customize every aspect of my desktop.* In Windows, you are more > or less stuck with what you are given. Sure, you can install buggy > skinning > engines, or you can pay Microsoft extra for the ability to put skins on > your > desktop. But even these aren't very adaptive. It's just a new coat of > paint on the same desktop. Under Linux, I can choose the window manager, > the desktop environment, the theme, the GTK engine, the icon theme, the > special effects (see Beryl or Compiz), the filesystem browser, and so on. > Nearly every aspect of the system has competitive options. If you look > around the internet at screenshots of various Linux desktops, you rarely > see > two that look the same. > 9. *Benefit from competition between projects for each system on my > computer.* As I mention in point 8, there are options for every > aspect of the Linux desktop. Not only is it fun to try the various > options, > but it leads to better software as multiple projects compete against each > other to be the best. Can you imagine competing printing backends, > competing desktop environments, or competing USB mounting systems on > Windows? I've been a Linux user for 3 years now, and I've seen remarkable > changes in systems used on the Linux desktop, from critical systems > (XFree86 > switched to X.Org, auto-mounting systems) to non-critical (my > CD-Rom eject button works!). > 10. *Run thousands of great pieces of software that only run on > Linux.* Just like Windows, Linux has software that doesn't run on > Windows. Great pieces of software like Amarok<http://amarok.kde.org/>, > Bluefish <http://bluefish.openoffice.nl/>, > Neverball<http://icculus.org/neverball/>, > Gnumeric <http://www.gnome.org/projects/gnumeric/>, > K3B<http://www.k3b.org/>, > Beryl <http://www.beryl-project.org/>, gdesklets<http://www.gdesklets.de/>, > and MythTV <http://www.mythtv.org/>. I know this is a > chicken-and-egg point, where Windows has the exact same situation. Too > often > I hear "I can't switch to Linux because it doesn't run [insert Windows > software]". My reason for pointing it out is just to make it clear that > this is a two-way street. > 11. *Learn about, support, and appreciate the value of free > software<http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html> > .* I believe free software is important to us all. Even if you use > non-free software, the free software movement ensures checks and balances > on > non-free software by offering an alternative. By running a free operating > system and becoming involved in the community, I've contributed to free > software, even if only in a small way. > > > > The main point I frequently try to make is that you can't expect features > to be 1-to-1 when switching operating systems. We like Adobe Photoshop or > Microsoft Office because we have used it for years, and we are *used* to > it. We hate change. It's natural that people have a desire for everything > to be identical. Did we expect Windows to be exactly like something else > when we started using it? Probably not. > > When you learn closed-source proprietary software like Photoshop or > Office, you have spent *your time* indenturing yourself to a lifetime of > spending $700 every so many years. And the same goes for every company you > work for that you insist you need Office or Photoshop. And if you don't > think that your company's expenses affect your salary, think again. > > Conversely, if you take the time to learn open and free systems like > Linux, Gimp, or OpenOffice, you now have given yourself a lifetime of > perpetually free software. The value of that is quite profound. No more > worrying about installing Office on more than one computer and running into > activation issues. I have OpenOffice installed on all 5 computers I own, > *and my flash drive <http://www.portableapps.com/>* where I can run it on > any computer I wish. > > Bottom line is, yes, you will have to spend time learning Linux and the > software running on Linux if you choose to switch. But by doing so, you've > set yourself up for a lifetime of free computing. For many of you, that's > going to be 40, 50, 60, 70 years. A period of learning isn't so hard to > swallow, when you can see the value of doing so. > > My advice, should you choose to try Linux, is to forget about making it > exactly like Windows. You will spend countless hours, and you will fail. > Once you spend signicant time on Linux, every time you use a Windows > computer you will say "Bah, I could do xyz if I was on Linux". > > If you are a Linux user, and you have other things you think should be on > this list, please contribute comments below. > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ FOSS Nepal mailing list [email protected] http://groups.google.com/group/foss-nepal Community website: http://www.fossnepal.org/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
