One of the reasons for the popularity of Linux stems from the license under which the system was released is the GNU General Public License. This ensures that the source code of the OS is freely available to everyone, and everyone can contribute to its development. This quickly added thousands of programmers to the platform development team. But what are the pros and cons of Linux in practice?
There is no doubt that a large number of developers have created an operating system with unprecedented efficiency and reliability, with countless freely available software packages for business and entertainment. Is everything really good? What are the pros and cons of Linux?
Advantage No. 1: Freedom
Most Linux distributions are free, meaning users do not have to pay for an installed copy. But this is only one aspect of freedom that is used en masse. In addition, OS distributions can be freely downloaded and legally installed on any number of computers and provided free (and legally) to other people. Since most distributions are open source, you have access to OS configurations and you can configure Linux the way you want.
You can even create your own distribution if you want, since the Linux kernel is freely available.
Advantage No. 2: stability
Linux systems rarely crash, and even when this happens, the entire shell usually does not fail. The blue screen of death, familiar to Windows users, never bothers Linux enthusiasts. According to reviews, it is this advantage that convinces users to switch to this shell.
Benefit # 3: Less Malware Vulnerability
Since most computer malware is designed to attack Windows (often using the Active X option, which is usually absent on Linux), the likelihood of a Linux virus being infected is significantly lower.
The same goes for spyware, trojans and worms. Despite the fact that there are malware for Linux, there are relatively few of them, and so far none of them have become widespread.
While Linux is inherently very secure, users should still use common sense when surfing the Internet. While users download and install only from the official repository of their distribution, security is greatly enhanced. One of the great security features on Linux is that files must be run for someone with administrative rights, which requires a password. Thus, even if the virus enters the Linux computer, it cannot work without a user who has administrator privileges that intentionally makes it executable.
Another important aspect of Linux security is the fact that the system is open source. Since the program code is available for viewing by everyone, it is closely studied by many, which greatly complicates the concealment of malicious code inside it. In addition, security updates usually come to Linux much faster than other operating systems, because so many people contribute to this.
Advantage number 4: the system does not slow down over time
This is a very big advantage of Linux over Windows. Unlike Windows, Linux does not easily download spyware, viruses, trojans, etc. In short, the default shell is protected from anything that can significantly reduce computer performance. In addition, since Linux does not have a registry similar to Windows, it does not receive errors that may slow down the device over time.
Finally, hard drives on Windows computers (especially XP and earlier) need to be regularly defragmented to maintain better performance due to formatting in NTFS. On the other hand, since Linux is usually formatted in a different way (using ext4), the user does not need to defragment the hard drive.
Unfortunately, few users take this aspect into account when analyzing the pros and cons of Linux.
Advantage number 5: successful work on older devices
If you have an old computer (especially Pentium III or later), you can install Linux and, in fact, get a new device. In many cases, Linux will run faster, and you can perform all the basic functions without delay, such as browsing the Internet, e-mail, games, and create and edit documents, spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations. Reviews also note that the OS also works great on new computers. Of the new distributions, Linux Mint 19 stands out in this regard.
Advantage number 6: a large selection of options
Linux comes in various sizes and options, and offers a wide selection of distributions that best suits your needs. Another advantage of this diversity is the innovation that takes place in the Linux world because it is an open source operating system.
Popular distributions such as Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS and OpenSUSE offer excellent software repositories in their package managers, where almost any type of software can be downloaded and installed on your computer for free. This offer includes almost everything you can imagine, including games, educational programs, office suites and much more!
Some small distributions, such as Peppermint OS, Lubuntu, Bodhi Linux, and Puppy Linux, are based on Ubuntu Linux and as a result have access to Ubuntu software repositories. One of the very pleasant aspects of these repositories is that the software they contain has already been tested for compatibility and security. The user can be sure that the software will be compatible with their installed OS and will not contain malware.
Benefit # 7: Great Update
On Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, PCLinuxOS, Fedora, and many others, most of the necessary software can be downloaded, installed, and updated from the central package management system provided by the OS itself. The result is a very smooth and successful application update process for Linux users.
Speaking about the pros and cons of Linux, it is worth noting immediately that there are many more advantages. Nevertheless, disadvantages of this shell also exist. They are as follows.
Flaw # 1: Many Windows Programs Will Not Work
Yes, the main drawback of Linux is application incompatibility. According to reviews from iTunes, Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, and many other Windows programs will not work on Linux. The good news is that there are ways to solve these problems.
For example, music libraries can be controlled from an iPod using programs such as Amarok, Banshee, or Rhythmbox on Linux. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are outstanding Internet browsers that can be used in place of Internet Explorer.
You can also run iTunes on Linux using Wine, VirtualBox, or Parallels, although reviews suggest that it is difficult to achieve good results.
LibreOffice and OpenOffice are great office suites that can be used in place of Microsoft Office, but with one caveat. The overall compatibility in both packages with Microsoft Office formats is good, but not perfect.
Flaw # 2: Fewer choice of peripheral hardware drivers
On Linux, the choice of peripheral hardware drivers (for printers, scanners, and other devices) is less than on Windows, although many new versions are constantly being added. Closely connected with this problem is the fact that not all versions of Linux work with common sets of computer equipment.
Therefore, the user may need to try more than one OS distribution to find one that works well with his computer. For printers, some manufacturers offer better Linux support than others. For example, HP offers excellent support for its devices for Linux. The disadvantages do not end there.
Drawback # 3: the need for training and experience
Despite the fact that most versions of Linux, especially the main ones, are very intuitive and user-friendly, some beginners have difficulties.
The Linux desktop environment is much like Windows in appearance. But in this case, there is also one feature. When moving to Linux, users get the impression that they rolled back their device to an earlier version of Windows.