Every device which is used today, whether it’s a desktop, laptop, iPad, mobile, etc., all have an operating system. You can say the operating system is the heart of these devices. One of the most popular operating systems being used today is Linux. Currently, the Linux kernel has 20 million lines of code, and this is the smallest it has ever been. Linux is one of the biggest open-source projects in the world you would have come across. As a fun fact, 95% of Linux is written using the C programming language. In this blog we will uncover the Linux pros and cons. But first, let me briefly tell you what Linux is.
What is Linux?
Linux is a Unix like open-source operating system developed by Linus Torvalds in the year 1991 on 17th September and thousands of open-source contributors. So, what does a Unix-like operating system mean? The UNIX operating system was there even before Linux existed. Linus Torvalds came up with the idea of creating an open-source distribution of Unix, which is now called Linux. Right now, Linux is more popular than Unix, but the base of any Linux operating system is Unix because it follows the same architecture of shell and kernel and other applications.
Linux is an operating system that is reliable and secure than other operating systems. It is completely open source, which basically means you can take the base of a Linux operating system and create your own operating system. Linux is everywhere, which means any operating system you take will have some kind of a Linux system within it. For example, in the Windows system, you have a command prompt, in Mac OS, you have a terminal. There are several distributions of Linux currently which are being used by IT organizations. CentOs, Ubuntu, Fedora, Suse are a few popular Linux distributions and free to use on as many machines as you want.
Pros of Linux
Free
Linux is free to use under the GNU public license, so you don’t have to anything to use an open-source Linux operating system. Unlike windows, where you would need a license, Linux is free to install.
Security
Linux is popular because it is very secure. As this is an open-source operation system, there are thousands of developers working on it to identify potential threats and viruses and making sure that Linux OS remains secure. So, it is very hard to hack a Linux OS. Another reason why it’s secure is that the number of Linux users is way lesser than windows, so it not profitable for hackers to target Linux systems that are being used by a lesser population.
Speed
Since Linux is very secure, you do not need any antivirus on a Linux OS. This makes Linux faster, as all the memory consumed by an antivirus software gets saved here. Also, the user interface is of Linux is much lighter and simpler as compared to windows, which helps it run faster.
Runs on Minimum configuration
Linux requires very minimum/basic system configuration to run on. If you are using a system that is 10 years old, even that system can run a Linux operating system with ease.
Programmer Friendly
Linux OS comes with compilers, bashes, shells and many other useful inbuilt packages, which are very useful for a developer/programmer. Since you have the source code of a free Linux OS, programmers can also customize the operating system based on their needs.
Few other very common advantages of using Linux are a big and active community for troubleshooting, very simple to install, updates with a single command, plethora of driver support, etc.
Cons of Linux
Learning Curve
From a user standpoint, working on Linux with ease would take some time. You need to spend a good amount of time on Linux to get a hold of it, this can get a little frustrating. That’s one of the reasons people go for Windows, as it is pretty easy and simple to use.
Software Support
There are plenty of software out there which you would find only to support the windows system. At such a moment, you really don’t see a point of using Linux at all. For example, Microsoft applications won’t work on Linux. You would need to go with some other similar application on Linux.
Tech Support
Since Linux is open source, there is no dedicated tech support for the issues raised. It is all dependent on the user community. Whereas in Windows, they have teams for all kinds of technical issues.
Lack of Games
Gaming had become a need in today’s world, and Linux is very poor at it. Many popular games are not supported on Linux systems. This is one of the reasons the young generation would like to go only to mac or windows.
Hardware Drivers
When compared to Windows, Linux has a smaller hardware driver selection option. Though many important drivers are still getting added to Linux driver portfolio. A lot of Linux users keep on complaining about the lack of drivers available. You need to find workarounds to find drivers for old hardware.
Few other consequences of using Linux is that there is no standard edition of it, it lacks commercial applications, compatibility issues with open-source codes, etc.
Is Linux right for you?
Many people are confused about which operating system to choose because, depending on their requirements, the operating system should not be a bottleneck. But now that you know the pros and cons of Linux, it would be fairly easier for you to decide if Linux is the right choice for you or not. If you are working in IT as a developer, Linux will be preferable for you. Also, Linux is being used by new technology domains such as DevOps, Cyber Security, Big data, etc. But if you are a normal user and want to have a system for you day to day activities or just for browsing, you don’t need to go for Linux. Gamers are highly recommended not to go for Linux.
Final Thoughts
Linux is one of the most popular operating systems and it will always remain that way as it has plenty of contributors working on it day in day out. But having said that, Linux is not for everyone. Although it has a few disadvantages, it still is one of the most cost-effective solutions available for computing needs. So, go ahead, select one of the free GUI based Linux systems and give it a try. I would recommend starting with Ubuntu (Linux distribution).
