The Student News Site of Marshfield High School

The Marshfield Times

The Student News Site of Marshfield High School

The Marshfield Times

The Student News Site of Marshfield High School

The Marshfield Times

Linux is a better alternative to Windows

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exc-58ebce0f29687f93407b94bc

For most average people if they want an operating system (OS) to go with their computer, whether custom built or refurbished, Windows is their choice.

What many don’t know is that instead of shelling out around one hundred dollars for a legal copy of Windows 10, people can just use Linux.

Linux is an free, open-source OS that works on every combination of hardware possible. It also is not a demanding piece of software so it will not require a beefy computer to run.

Realistically any 10 year old PC or laptop could become a web browsing machine.

If we consider web browsing is all that most families use their computers for, the need to constantly buy new computers or laptops is an unnecessary waste of money. Linux fulfills all the requirements for web browsing and more. Linux usually includes a vast array of useful utilities already bundled in with it. These utilities include programs such as: photo editing software, music players, video players, web browsers, and full-fledged word processing suites.

What if a user does not want any of the bundled apps? With Linux, users have the option to change almost every feature that exists. Whether that is uninstalling the bundled apps and using different ones, or changing the visual aspects of the OS, Linux is the most customizable OS ever.

The one fallback to Linux is software support. Because Linux is not based on the same code as Windows or MacOS, not all programs that work on those two operating systems work on Linux. And because more people use MacOS and Windows there are many programs that don’t work on Linux, most notably video games and editing software. Software has to be ported to Linux for it to work, and since not many people use Linux, developers don’t take the effort to port software to Linux.

The best feature to Linux is its security. Users in Linux do not have access to the kernel, which is the most basic, far-reaching part of the OS. If malware gains access to the kernel then the entire operating system is compromised. In Windows, if a user sets themselves as an administrator, every time they log on they are running in administrator mode with administrator privileges. In Linux, users do not log on with administrator privileges. Every time they need to do a high level function they have to enter their password to enter a one time admin mode where the user is informed exactly what the change they are implementing is trying to do. In Windows the user is just informed the program they are trying to install will require access to the hard drive, like every other program currently running.

In short, even though Linux has less software compatibility, it is free, isn’t resource heavy, is fully customizable, comes bundled with many optional, useful applications and it is less prone to getting viruses and malware.

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Linux is a better alternative to Windows