What Made You Switch To Linux?

[Galahad 0]

Did anyone mention the ability to completely customize your system? And did I mention I just LOVE Linux?

I just started learning Perl, and already I'm writing insane scripts, that actually work fast, and get the job done... That's right... I wrote a simple email filter for Evolution mail, in Perl, and it works... No learning ability, just simple straightforward filtering, based on rules, black- and white-lists... Also, an email checker... Sometimes I just want to see if I have emails, and who from... Piece of cake, I check all of my accounts, and get a number of new emails, and if I want, sender and subject...

Yeah, you could do that on Wintendo too, but it would cost you much more, and would take much more time... One just has to love the command line

1. Why can't you just use Windows? It is universal and most companies use it. A lot of companies couldn't give a s&%$ if you know linux or not. Windows is really easy to code, and, if you're a gamer like me, you can play a HUGE variety of games.

Khm... What? What's a lot? Any company that wants to increase their profit, switch from Wintendo to one of Linux distros... When you know Linux, you're a guru, when you know Wintendo, you're a user... See the difference? And I wouldn't call Wintendo universal - I'd call it... Hmm... No, I wouldn't call it at all... And that gaming thing? Well, believe it or not, the world doesn't revolve around games...

2. Linux is very hard to understand for noobies. I know Windows Xp very well and I can code very easily. With linux, I tried to do some commands after learning, and it was a very difficult concept to conceive.

Wintendo is hard for newbies too... Because you are used to Wintendo, you claim Linux is hard... Yeah, right... I thought that too... Until I tried... And guess what, Linux actually makes a lot of things EASIER than in Wintendo...

3. Windows is very straightforward. Windows is fully explained and the user-interface is REALLY easy for someone who is new to a computer to get. Linux is really tough to setup things and programs are hard to execute sometimes.

Gnome or KDE or other WMs are also straightforward... And explained... Perhaps even better than Wintendo... Synaptic (for example) enables one to install/uninstall EVERY piece of software there is... And no registry to be broken...

4. DRIVERS! Most things that you buy for your computer today are for Windows Xp or Vista. On the package it says under system requirements that you must have a Windows Xp or Vista OS. Linux drivers are very hard to come by for things such as a capture card or wireless USB to connect to a network.

I'll agree with rvalkass on this one... I didn't have the need for drivers for any of my hardware - not my TV/FM card, my SBLive, network card,USB external hard drives, card readers, monitor, graphics cards, and the rest... All worked after installation... Only drivers I had to download were generic drivers for USB webcams... And it took me like 3 minutes...

5. Looks. Most people say it looks better than Windows, but I highly disagree with that. Windows is EASY to customize it's looks. You can create your own look and release it for others to use. I love Windows and how my desktop looks. I don't care about making windows wobble, because to me, I think it's just dumb.

Yeah, wobbly windows are dumb... But what about a rotating desktop? Isn't it coooool... Ok, let's get serious... Wintendo doesn't give you 100% liberty to cusomize... Gnome and KDE do... And if you install Beryl or some other effects engine... It get's even better... Wintendo will NEVER be able to have rotating desktop cube, running on 1GB RAM machine, with 64MB GFX card... I can bet on it...

6. LASTLY, people say that it runs faster than Windows, however, this is not true all the time. Windows is very speedy on a lot of computers. Okay maybe not old ones, but with just a little clean up with a simple program every week, you have a fast computer.

Yeah, Wintendo doesn't load bunch of fonts into RAM memory, it doesn't have registry to fill up a little more of RAM, and also doesn't have unneccessary services running in the backround, and doesn't allocate 20% of resources to spy on you... Oh, wait, that's not right, that's Linux

7. Viruses. I realize that Windows is the easiest OS to receive viruses, but if you aren't dumb and keep an anti-virus running and scanning, then you'll be fine. If you get a virus, they can be really easy to get rid of, unless you were stupid and downloaded a really hard virus.

I'm still trying to get my head around this one - and I can't... Wow... Windows is so cool... Yeah you have to pay for it, and have to pay for much of its software, but you get cool freebies - viruses... Jeez... You like viruses? I'll send you a few, to play around for a while ... Seriousely, dude, this is not an argument, this is... I don't know what this is... As someone above said, prevention is better than a cure... It's like you said "There's a cool fancy restaurant, that charges $15 for a glass of water, but I just have to watch for the germs on the glasses, They've got a bunch of them, some of them nasty. But even if I catch a germ, I get to pay another $15, and they cure me. Sure there is some chance I'll lose an arm, but hey, it's a fancy restaurant. I just have to be smart, and avoid really nasty bugs, like AIDS and stuff. I could buy a microscope and check for those bugs - that would be top smart"...
Again, I'm not on a mission to convert anyone, but when I see a list like this, that is not based on real experience, but more on heresay, it ticks me off... Dude, if you're happy with Wintendo, keep using it, and good luck with it...

[klusk 0]

i started using Linux just to learn something new....as i had heard from many guys about it....I just wanted to know what's such a big deal about Linux....my friends always thought it was some great hacker thing to have Linux I also thought it was a good way to stay away from my gaming ...as i played a lot of CS and fifa.but when i learned installing it and started using it , i realized how different it was from windows,and in some way,whether it be its free softwares(open source) or how it runs most of the hardware without drivers ,and a lot of other features like openGL and all that has come recently..i feel it is better than windows.... unfortunately i could not keep it as i started running a internet proxy server which worked better in XP (at least i thought so)...but i recommend people to try linux at least once and not at least rule it out just because you think running it is some great tech stuff or hacker thing...because once you know how to do it ,its easy and really interesting...

[iGuest 3]

What made me switch

What Made You Switch To Linux?

 

Probably like many of you I started using Linux out of curiosity and desire to learn. I know a lot of stuff about Windows, and I was never learning anything new. I had a few problems with the wireless (on windows) when the connection would drop out of the blue but Windows still said I was connected.

 

 

 

I started with Ubuntu about a year ago and slowly learned how to get most out of it. I learned to appreciate the Synaptic Package Manager, so easy to re-move stuff. Also, the Add/Remove feature is God bless!

 

 

 

There is alot of free software readily available for Linux, while the Windows one is bloated with junk! I simply couldn't return to Windows because it would be hard to find/install: a dictionary, a star simulator (so I can find the stars when I look at night), CD/DVD rip/write, codecs, Photo viwer (gThumb RULZ!), music player (Amarok is unbelievable!), and so on. I code in C/C++... In Windows I used Visual Studio or something, took a few Gigs on the HDD, on Linux I use Geany and it does the job very well, plus it's much easier to talk to the Geany developers and ask for help!

 

 

 

Then there's the ease to work: multiple workspaces, you can scroll on inactive windows, all these things makes Windows at work a pain!

 

 

 

Wine is great for SOME applications (uTorrent runs flawlessly!).

 

 

 

In conclusion, I have more software easily available in Linux and much less hassle! True sometimes I stumble upon some problems, but posting a message on the ubuntu forums and they help right away. Also, there's virtually no limit to what you can learn, I like learning new stuff, if I stop learning I die!

 

 

 

-Alex

 

 

 

-reply by Alex

[pedro-kun 0]

Well, I switched to Linux because I wanted to become somewhat free from Windows.

I always wanted to setup my computer the way I wanted.. Windows didn't let me do it. Also, coming from DOS, I loved the little command line... however, I expected a better command line than the one Windows brought with it.

 

And of course, there's the question of stability, usability, customizability, and many other *bilities that Windows just sucked at (for me, of course... there are people to whom I'd never recommend linux... but for my specific case, linux felt kinda right)

 

So, I went ahead, downloaded Fedora 3 and set it up on a VM. It sucked. I mean... I couldn't even play a simple MP3!!! After reading all about it, it became clear that there were reasons for that: patent-free systems couldn't use patented software.

From that, I learned a new attitude; i became "free"

 

After some time, I totally ditched the VM and installed Ubuntu 4.10 as my main OS (leaving Windows XP for the rest of the family). It was a very enriching experience; I learned some scripting, I started to wander in the forums, and established my position regarding free/non-free software...

 

It's not just about stability and speed. Linux is FREE. Windows, on the other hand, is NOT. It doesn't matter which of them is the best; I mean, you can't even begin to measure things like that because it all depends on who's using the machine at that moment. However, linux was the right switch for me, and suddendly the world of software grew exponentially.

 

Nowadays I work with Archlinux as my main OS and I have Windows XP (licensed) too because some school-related software works only on Windows. Wine is good, but not a real option; I prefer to have two OSes uncluttered - each one has its purpose.

 

 

@GMBlazed:

I use Linux AND Windows. For working, I find linux much more productive. Also, a lot of companies out there have no knowledge whatsoever to even give a *BLEEP* if you know linux or not. And what's the deal with coding in Windows? Is it easier to code in than linux? lol

Also, about being straightforward... the word you were looking for was "known". People *know* windows better and so it just seems easier to use... I mean "Start -> Shutdown"? lol

As for being fast, you may be right. Recently, linux distros clutter themselves and become slow. However, windows isn't all that better than them regarding this matter.

And THE LOOKS (oh my god the looks!). I don't give a damn if linux can wobble windows or fade them. Also, I don't really care if windows can change the titlebars' colors and fonts and button's appearance... That's plain useless. What I want when customizing my system is the possibility to create new keyboard shortcuts, for example, or use different window managers! Ever tried using a tiled window manager for getting work done? On Windows its a bit hard, I'm affraid. Who cares about looks anyway? I want function, not looks, damn it!

 

 

Well, right now I'm thinking about BSD

[bangms 0]

I'm not exactly running Linux but since I'm running my own server running on Linux, I guess I can say I've got a little feel for it. Also, I've played around with Ubuntu but that's pretty much it. I wanted to try it because I really wanted to expand my knowledge of different operating systems and to try different things other than Windows. Also, the fact that there are many customizations/distributions available is interesting too. Oh yeah...it's free. Well at least most are.

[curtis07 0]

In academy, my physics teacher was also the IT administrator for the school. He was always into open source stuff, and had some advanced server stuff goin' on with Linux. We had Windows NT 4.0 (I think) and he wanted to try something new he'd been researching for years. He built a rather nice server and put Mandrake Linux (before Mandriva, back when Mandrake was better than many alternitives) on it. He made all the computers on campus into thinclients and waited to see our reaction. Most people were quite noob-like and asked what was wrong with the computers. I heard wonderfully hilarious comments like, "you deleted the Internet!!!" The more nerdy types (myself included) found the Firefox icon and the OpenOffice suite and set to schoolwork immediately. Then we'd go through the KDE games. I thought it was awesome to have such a nice-looking desktop environment. I was very impressionable and open to new operating systems, and Linux just reached out and grabbed me. I still use Windows XP for many things (too much software that I need). I also have a Mac, which is also quite nice. I rarely use Linux, but only because both my computers have weird incompatible hardware. My next build will feature Linux, though.

[xpress 0]

Just To Test Which Is Best. I am a Windows XP user for 4 years and still using it.And running Ubuntu Linux and XP in dual booting mode. Some of the reasons forusing linux include its free availability, its open source community, and free of viruses. Plus a large amount of applications are available for free of charge on Linux like Gimp image editing tool, Open Office etc... and are built in in linux.

[williamm 0]

Did anyone mention the ability to completely customize your system? And did I mention I just LOVE Linux?
I just started learning Perl, and already I'm writing insane scripts, that actually work fast, and get the job done... That's right... I wrote a simple email filter for Evolution mail, in Perl, and it works... No learning ability, just simple straightforward filtering, based on rules, black- and white-lists... Also, an email checker... Sometimes I just want to see if I have emails, and who from... Piece of cake, I check all of my accounts, and get a number of new emails, and if I want, sender and subject...

Yeah, you could do that on Wintendo too, but it would cost you much more, and would take much more time... One just has to love the command line

Khm... What? What's a lot? Any company that wants to increase their profit, switch from Wintendo to one of Linux distros... When you know Linux, you're a guru, when you know Wintendo, you're a user... See the difference? And I wouldn't call Wintendo universal - I'd call it... Hmm... No, I wouldn't call it at all... And that gaming thing? Well, believe it or not, the world doesn't revolve around games...
Wintendo is hard for newbies too... Because you are used to Wintendo, you claim Linux is hard... Yeah, right... I thought that too... Until I tried... And guess what, Linux actually makes a lot of things EASIER than in Wintendo...

Gnome or KDE or other WMs are also straightforward... And explained... Perhaps even better than Wintendo... Synaptic (for example) enables one to install/uninstall EVERY piece of software there is... And no registry to be broken...
I'll agree with rvalkass on this one... I didn't have the need for drivers for any of my hardware - not my TV/FM card, my SBLive, network card,USB external hard drives, card readers, monitor, graphics cards, and the rest... All worked after installation... Only drivers I had to download were generic drivers for USB webcams... And it took me like 3 minutes...

Yeah, wobbly windows are dumb... But what about a rotating desktop? Isn't it coooool... Ok, let's get serious... Wintendo doesn't give you 100% liberty to cusomize... Gnome and KDE do... And if you install Beryl or some other effects engine... It get's even better... Wintendo will NEVER be able to have rotating desktop cube, running on 1GB RAM machine, with 64MB GFX card... I can bet on it...
Yeah, Wintendo doesn't load bunch of fonts into RAM memory, it doesn't have registry to fill up a little more of RAM, and also doesn't have unneccessary services running in the backround, and doesn't allocate 20% of resources to spy on you... Oh, wait, that's not right, that's Linux
I'm still trying to get my head around this one - and I can't... Wow... Windows is so cool... Yeah you have to pay for it, and have to pay for much of its software, but you get cool freebies - viruses... Jeez... You like viruses? I'll send you a few, to play around for a while ... Seriousely, dude, this is not an argument, this is... I don't know what this is... As someone above said, prevention is better than a cure... It's like you said "There's a cool fancy restaurant, that charges $15 for a glass of water, but I just have to watch for the germs on the glasses, They've got a bunch of them, some of them nasty. But even if I catch a germ, I get to pay another $15, and they cure me. Sure there is some chance I'll lose an arm, but hey, it's a fancy restaurant. I just have to be smart, and avoid really nasty bugs, like AIDS and stuff. I could buy a microscope and check for those bugs - that would be top smart"...

Again, I'm not on a mission to convert anyone, but when I see a list like this, that is not based on real experience, but more on heresay, it ticks me off... Dude, if you're happy with Wintendo, keep using it, and good luck with it...

Hey can you tell me where is a good place for me to learn Perl?

[williamm 0]

I like linux for some reasons, such as its free, it has a great outlook. Reminds me a lot of the mac, of the skins they have. Just things like that its pretty nice. Its not so complicated as windows is sometimes. User friendly. Very easy to handle and to install. I think the installing of it is amazing how simple it is. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to you know try other things that windows.

[jesseruu 0]

Well, the stuff I hear about wine were not quite true, possibly because of DirectX... I attempted to play 3 games, a logical ones, that probably use DX, and wound up with nothing... So, until I try to install DX on wine, and then try those games, I guess it's a bust... The lates version of wine, the one I installed, supposedly has support for native windows api, meaning you can put a dll in wine's virtual directory, and the software should work... We'll see

 

As for games, I see that FPS's are most dominant for linux... And so, I wound up playing Americas Army, that runs pretty smoothly and nicely with OpenGL... Too bad they halted development for linux...

 

Hopefully, we won't have wine one day, as windtendo won't exist anymore

I switched to linux because I really wanted to try something different I was getting really tired of windows. I'm not ANTI-windows but Linux just simply offers more variety and customization!

 

The best thing with linux is that it is FREE!!!

 

 

Jesse

[room2593 0]

I like linux because windows is like an uncompromising lover. She goes on a business trip and she doesn't call you to say that she loves you. Instead she gets drunk and gets herpes and spends all of the money in a casino. Then, windows comes back to you and expects you to love her as much as she did before. But you know that you're never going to get past the herpes, you're never going to forget that night where she left you.Then, Linux stumbles into your life. Maybe you're introduced by a friend, maybe you've heard of her, seen her around, but you never cared before.She doesn't know any of the people you know, that you're familiar with. But she's new, and different. Her looks grow on you until windows looks like a dog. And she never asks you to go to her mother's, she never begs you for children, she never asks you to do anything you're not comfortable with. And you take her and you love her and you never look back.Then, at work, you meet Vista. You find out that the old girl's still kicking. But now, she just looks so pitiful. She wears ten layers of makeup to cover the blemishes and the disfigurements. And when you ask her to take some papers to the boss, she stops and asks if you're sure you want to. You yell, "Yes, I told you to, jeez!" So she bats her eyes and runs away. You find yourself dreaming of Linux while you're at work.That's why I like Linux. I've been burned, Windows. I've been burned. You may look good on the outside, but you have no soul.I'll take VLC over media center.I'll take Open Office over Word.I'll take Firefox over Explorer.I'll take the Gimp over ... wait. Windows doesn't come with image software.I'll take Linux over you.

[saitunes 0]

I switched to linux after not being able to put Mac OS on a desktop computer, and the fact Linux is UNIX and OS X is built on UNIX, so its as close as I can get (legally of course)The final straw is windows, it keeps getting viruses, the computer seems to be riddled with problems only in windows, I run linux (Ubuntu or puppy linux) and it works great. If only the rest of the family wasn't so attached to windows

[AshTheGamer 0]

The Theme Really.It Kinda Is like the Apple Theme.The Only annoying thing on it really is the Wireless Problems I have On my Laptop But On My Pc It is fine.(I use the Live Disc I don't Use the Full Version)

[onscreen 0]

I switched to linux after not being able to put Mac OS on a desktop computer, and the fact Linux is UNIX and OS X is built on UNIX, so its as close as I can get (legally of course)
The final straw is windows, it keeps getting viruses, the computer seems to be riddled with problems only in windows, I run linux (Ubuntu or puppy linux) and it works great.

If only the rest of the family wasn't so attached to windows

I have to disagree on you with this. As long as you are extra careful and cautious on what you click in the websites, you wont attract viruses or Trojans. Even linux, it have virus too, only thing you have to do to know them is to look up in google. Same goes to OS X.

I used to have the same thinking as you but slowly, i learn to love what i hate and i am used to it now

[eukristian 0]

I got bored of Windows XP and Windows Vista GUI and I've seen all those Compiz Fuzion screenshots that simply look great . I started off with an Ubuntu on VMWare but after that I did a native installation of OpenSUSE , which in my opinion is the best Linux distro . I also tried the Mac OS X on my PC but because I have an AMD processor it was really hard to get it running (I used the Lawless PPC image) and the drivers are a nightmare . Mac OS X is a Unix based OS so I suppose it's a linux .