Is Moving From Windows to Linux The Right Choice For You?

[Deleted member 178]

@illumination i going to install Kubuntu v15. i forgot how to do lol , lucky i did the guide ^^ i also have to check again all the article we did

 

[Sven]

For a long time, AMD users were SOL in Linux. NVidia has always been more accepting of Linux and didn't adopt the "Windows or die" attitude that most companies had and still do have in many cases. That 3000 is not that old. neither is the 6470. You sure you weren't trying to use Ubuntu with the desktop effects enabled? Because that could have been the issue. In fact, your card/s sits well within the range of the minimum Ubuntu requirements. One of the biggest reasons people choose Linux is because it works so well on old/crappy hardware.

I'm not sure about using or not using desptop effects was enabled or not. I guess I'll give Ubuntu another go and see if it works this time

 

[Nico@FMA]

For servers there are 3 distro's that are best or most suited.

1: RHEL/CENT OS
2: Debian
3: Fedora

For desktop you should use:
1: Mint
2: Ubuntu
3: CENT OS

Other distro's are great yet they have slight differences and do not enjoy the insane community support like the names above.
Also hardware support is fantastic with these brands and software support rivals Windows, and if for whatever reason you need a Windows like program then Wine is ur best bet and if you want to play games then you can get a wine based program (subscription fee powered) and it will let you play the most high end windows games (but then without the standard windows bogg down issues.)
Security wise each of these Linux version comes with a arsenal of tools that individually make Windows ##### in their pants.
Here a little rundown:

RHEL and CentOS Stable, older kernel and base packages. There is a long release cycle, and “current” packages based on two-year-old releases are common. Arguably the most deployed Linux distribution. Great Security and Fantastic resource usage A favorite of Linux veterans. <<HELL YES>>
Pro's: Very stable and reliable; very well supported; used almost everywhere (Number 1 server OS); very traditional layout and management approach.
Cons: Very long release cycle; packages will be older and generally more difficult to bring to current if required but 99.9% bug free which can also be a good thing.

Fedora Less stable, but much more frequent kernel and package updates. Can be considered the testing distribution for RHEL/CentOS.
pro's: Quite cutting-edge – sometimes bleeding-edge; lots of supported software with recent releases
Cons: Can be less than stable due to fast-paced package and release updates; generally thought to be Red Hat’s testing distribution and requires more hand work and modifications as updates are good but not as clean as CENT OS.

Ubuntu A mixture of stable, older releases with current maintenance, and less stable, much more up-to-date revisions. The LTS releases are the ones to watch for stability and long-term support. May be easier for novices.
Pro's: Solid release cycle based on LTS (Long Term Support) and intermediate releases; user friendly, with lots of “helper” commands
Cons: Tends to move quickly and packages can be less stable than others; has unique conventions that don’t translate to other distributions.

Debian Ubuntu is based on Debian, and you’ll still find some similarities between the two. Debian functions with three concurrent releases: "stable," "testing," and "unstable." Production workloads should be using "stable," and that release cycle can be quite long.
Pro's: Very stable and reliable; wide variety of support packages; all-volunteer maintainers; supports large variety of architectures
Cons: Very conservative; release cycle can be slow and requires great knowledge.

OpenSuse Although distantly related to Red Hat, OpenSuse is quite different from all other Linux distributions. It relies on the YaST configuration tool, and while a capable distro, has been marred by the involvement of Novell and Microsoft.
Pro's: Stable, solid distribution; plenty of support packages; has sys admin tools such as YaST
Cons: Has been stunted by Novell’s acquisition and dealings with Microsoft that assume rights over portions of Linux; has unique sys admin tools such as YaST While a great OS without the Microsoft part it sort of fails compared by the names above with the Microsoft part.


Cheers

 

[jackuars]

If you got Windows pre-installed and then install any Linux Distro alongside, then 99% of your drivers/hardware troubles are solved. I never had troubles with Linux Mint though with my hardware, even without Windows installed.

So I'll rephrase the title of this Topic "Linux or Windows" to "Linux and Windows"

 

[Nico@FMA]

If you got Windows pre-installed and then install any Linux Distro alongside, then 99% of your drivers/hardware troubles are solved. I never had troubles with Linux Mint though with my hardware, even without Windows installed.

So I'll rephrase the title of this Topic "Linux or Windows" to "Linux and Windows"

Please don't rephrase the topic, while Windows is great in its own right, Linux is just so far apart and in many ways so much more mature then Windows that it would be a insult to put Windows shoulder to shoulder with Linux.

Nuff said.

 

[Ink]

Well a clash of opinions is all well and good in the texture of a woven discussion but to say that windows is better supported than linux is a bit of a misnomer.

Consider this.:

• Supported by whom.?
• Support for which kind of user as this could have hundreds of different connotations.
• The ever increasing malware problem on windows.
• The closed source nature of windows and mac.(Can you be really be sure surveillance software is not in these products.?)
• Windows and mac maybe indeed top operating systems,but this in itself is a security risk.
• Windows is more capable than linux you declare.Well i would sincerely disagree with that statement.
• Whatever you can do on windows can be easily achieved on linux.

Idiots
Common Linux is boring and supported by Stallman, and open-source can be surveillance software too.
Support
You don't see hardware manufacturers shipping laptops with Linux (except Ubuntu), nor do gaming machines.
Logic
Why would you spend $2500 on a home gaming PC for Linux.
Mac
OS X feedback is more finely tuned than compared to the clunky clicks of Linux variants.
Malware
Not just Windows, but every OS.
Not willing to reduce the risk and take the easy way out?
Switch to Linux.
Truth Hurts
Fact is, Windows and OS X are kings of home desktop. Did I forget the huge hype around Windows 10?

 

[Deleted member 178]

Logic
Why would you spend $2500 on a home gaming PC for Linux.

i love this one, so true . I love Linux, but people, just be realistic, Linux is a pain for Mr Average Joe. As Geek we are all happy with Linux , but just us ^^

 

[Venustus]

As a gamer I could not live with just linux!!
Nice wallpaper Nico!

 

[Cch123]

I'm not thinking of moving to linux anytime soon. This is mainly because our entire software ecosystem of the world are built around Mac and Windows. Let me give you an example. Suppose you are working on a project and all your group mates, teachers etc. are using Microsoft Office. If you are using linux, there is a real possibility of compatibility issues, from things like unsupported features and different formatting etc. Even google docs is not a good replacement as the formatting of Office and Google are very different. (Just try uploading a project document to google docs and see what I mean. Or download from google docs and open in Office) Do you want to risk your grades because you ardently support linux?

Also, with recent moves by Microsoft, I can expect fewer people to want to switch to linux. Microsoft is now switching their business model to software as a service.

Lastly and most importantly, security wise recent versions of Windows is comparable to Linux. Sure, you don't get to tinker around as much in windows, but a properly secured windows is dang secure too.

If you are really paranoid, how about enjoying the security of both linux and Windows? You can consider Browser in the Box. It runs chrome/firefox in virtual machine running on a locked down version of linux. Its designed with support from the German Government. I haven't tried it yet as you can't test it out in a VM, but the concept sound really interesting. @Nico@FMA what do you think of it?

Cheers

 

[Deleted member 178]

I'm not thinking of moving to linux anytime soon. This is mainly because our entire software ecosystem of the world are built around Mac and Windows. Let me give you an example. Suppose you are working on a project and all your group mates, teachers etc. are using Microsoft Office. If you are using linux, there is a real possibility of compatibility issues, from things like unsupported features and different formatting etc. Or download from google docs and open in Office) Do you want to risk your grades because you ardently support linux?

i cant say better, facts rules our world not ideology.

If you are really paranoid, how about enjoying the security of both linux and Windows? You can consider Browser in the Box. It runs chrome/firefox in virtual machine running on a locked down version of linux. Its designed with support from the German Government. I haven't tried it yet as you can't test it out in a VM, but the concept sound really interesting.

will test it now

 

[jackuars]

Suppose you are working on a project and all your group mates, teachers etc. are using Microsoft Office. If you are using linux, there is a real possibility of compatibility issues, from things like unsupported features and different formatting etc. Even google docs is not a good replacement as the formatting of Office and Google are very different. (Just try uploading a project document to google docs and see what I mean. Or download from google docs and open in Office) Do you want to risk your grades because you ardently support linux?

As long as Kingsoft Office is available for Linux, you don't have to worry about MS Office documents. It has the best compatibility for MS Office formats. It hasn't given any problems to me [yet, although the Linux version is in alpha stage].

 

[Deleted member 178]

It has the best compatibility for MS Office formats.

but if you do advanced formatting on MSO, KSO can't adjust properly. you have to re-adjust many things.

anyway in a company, you have to use what they use if not , they will tell you to find another job.

 

[jamescv7]

In my experience simple things which WPS/Kingsoft Office can do, will work flawlessly through formats of MS Office. But of course as mentioned; features are always far better than WPS at any angles therefore as @Umbra stated, adjustments are needed.

Now if you cannot handle the price of MS Office then use the re-arm feature for longer trials or do it on virtual machine and reset when trial expires

Many users take it for granted since MS Office is available from torrents but its a violation already for piracy.

@Cch123 : During my last first semester of first year CS student, I've used WPS from my subject which related to MS Office tools; all of my homework are done on WPS and if certain features miss then I installed MS Office on VM.

Its complicated process but I've prefer this than to download something illegal.

 

[SkyJP]

If you wan't a chrome OS lookalike os try Chromixium.

Except Chromixium is just Ubuntu, modified with a desktop environment and some other addons that take no more than 10 minutes to install....

 

[Vipersd]

PCLinuxOS or Mageia could be the answer for those who have problems with Ubuntu/Debian distros and drivers. Try it in live mode and see if it fits your needs.