Whats so good about Linux?
I've read from a lot of places that Linux is better than Windows for hacking and stuff, but why? I've thought about switching to Linux a long time ago, but I've always just been too lazy, but since I found this site and it has great stuff on it, I might actually start using Linux.
So what makes Linux better than Windows? I have some basic questions about it, and some a pretty stupid, but oh well.
Can you run all Windows programs on it? Like how you can't run .exe programs on Macs or whatever. Is there anything you can use on Windows but not Linux?
stupid question Linux can get viruses right? People who use macs always talk about how there better because they don't get viruses(i know they can get them, its just no one makes them for macs >_> ). So if I used Linux I'd still need to use anti virus programs right?
possible stupid question? Is linux faster than windows? I believe I read an article or something here that said it was, but I don't know. Is it faster(im not saying I don't believe that article, I just want to make sure I understood what it said). And if it is, is it much faster? Would I notice a difference between Linux and XP?
Theres a few more things I wanted to ask, but I can't remember them right now, so I'm just going to leave it like this for now and hope someone helps me and I remember what I wanted to ask.
Edit: You can run all Linux types(or whatever they're called) without installing them, right? If you just do that, do you just put it on a CD, have your comp boot from the CD, and you'll be using it? Then can you just restart, take out the CD, and start up XP again? Or is there a better way to quickly start using Linux just to see if I like it and want to stick with it?
install cygwin and then come back when you've learned how to use bash.
by that point, you won't be worrying about using your old windows programs anymore.
also, get a shell account.
(rootshell.be, for example.)
the best way to see "why linux is supposedly better then windows" is to try it out, not ask questions that could be answered by trying it out.
once you've learned your way around the command line, (and I mean just the basic/intermediate stuff, not complete mastery), THEN try out the GUI.
this way, you won't get frustrated and you won't come asking silly questions that have been asked over and over again.
you can use alot of windows programs. using a windows emulator called wine. I have aim and even some windows games running on my linux box.
linux probably could get a virus. i've never seen one. once a virus infects a linux system it usually dies out because it has a hard time spreading so linux viruses have a relatively short life.
linux is usually faster than windows unless you use programs that take up your system resources. mine runs about the same speed because of programs like beryl which really dont serve a purpose but to make the gui fancy. u'll notice when u boot from a live cd it will take some time to unpack everything from the cd.
If you want to start using linux download ubuntu-7.04-desktop-i386.iso from ubuntu's website copy that to a cd as an image. ( i use nero) you can poke around with it that way. if you want to install it you can partition your hard drive and dual boot.
- i recommend this because its hard to switch completly to linux. * or add another hard drive so as not to cramp your windows space.
So what makes Linux better than Windows?
Because of the inevitable flame war, I will simply say "What makes linux better than windows (if it is at all <not my opinion>) is all a matter of your personal experience when you try it for the first time."
Can you run all Windows programs on it? Like how you can't run .exe programs on Macs or whatever. Is there anything you can use on Windows but not Linux?
Out of the box, Windows programs will not work on linux, but there are a few Windows Environment Emulators out there (example is Wine/Winetools) that will allow you to run many programs, and windows games like World Of Warcraft in linux.
Also, there are alot of programs that have been ported from "Closed Source" Windows versions to OpenSource so that they can be used in Linux/Unix. Here is one of many sites that list the Windows -> Linux programs. http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html
stupid question Linux can get viruses right?
Linux can still get virii, it's just the basic fact these days that viral infection is a popularity contest. Back in my younger days, Unix systems were being hit…then OS/2 and Mac's became popular and they were then targeted. Now that Microsoft holds the marketshare, they are being hammered (that and the basic fact that some of the modern programming languages make creation an easier task for many of the nubs out there).
Using antivirus wherever possible is always recommended…
possible stupid question? Is linux faster than windows?
This is the only question I will give you a definite "yes" answer on, but with stipulations. Many of the mainstay Linux systems like Slackware and Debian can be loaded with absolute bare minimum systems software…it is then YOUR responsibility to custom craft your software/device drivers for your system. This is what drew me to linux in the first place….Windows is highly generalized in it's OS installation…but every linux box is different, it accurately depicts the individual who installed it. My Slackware and Debian boxes are different from any one else who has Slackware and Debian computers anywhere in the world.
Edit: You can run all Linux types(or whatever they're called) without installing them, right? If you just do that, do you just put it on a CD, have your comp boot from the CD, and you'll be using it? Then can you just restart, take out the CD, and start up XP again? Or is there a better way to quickly start using Linux just to see if I like it and want to stick with it?
Most linux systems can be made into a Live CD, but it's a double-edged sword…
Pro: You get to try out linux for yourself without doing anything to your windows operating system.
Cons: You're getting a linux OS that someone else has crafted for what THEY thought would be good. Another cons is one of the questions you asked above…performance, running an entire OS from a CD and your RAM/Virtual Memory is going to be slow. The final cons I'll put up here is the most important one to me…If you are using a Live CD then you will have to ability to easily go back to windows. This means the first time you get pissed off at linux you can throw the CD against the wall and never look at it again. This is a very bad way to learn…"Like anything you may try to learn, it's going to be difficult. If it's not, why are you wasting your time?"
no flaming, I tried keeping my personal opinions to a minimum as not to enrage any Windows users who have never tried Linux :P
Alright thanks tonz.
And what is cygwin? I just googled it and found there website, but I want to actually know what it is before I install it. I read the stuff on there and some stuff on wikipedia, but I'm still a little confused.
Is it something that makes your Windows seem like its Linux? So that way I could see if I like it instead of installing Linux? I was just going to partition my hard drive tonight and install Linux on the second partition, so if thats what cygwin does, then I'll just not use that and wait until later when I install linux.
Protomin wrote: Is it something that makes your Windows seem like its Linux? So that way I could see if I like it instead of installing Linux?
you just answered your own questions.
cygwin does not affect your current windows installation.
if you're brave enough, by all means partition your drive and stick a distro on there. I just don't want you to get discouraged, which you WILL be if you don't have a clue how to use linux before you start dicking around with it.
[personal opinion] also, if you're using ubuntu like someone else suggested, you may as well be using windows. [/personal opinion]
Thanks for all that regret. I was doing a lot of crap when I was posting my last post, so I didn't see anything you said.
And whoever told me about cygwin(can't remember name and i'm too lazy to go and check it right now >_> ), are you saying it would be better for me to install cygwin before I actually install Linux? So that way when I do install it I know more about it instead of possibly messing things up?
Protomin wrote: And whoever told me about cygwin(can't remember name and i'm too lazy to go and check it right now >_> ), are you saying it would be better for me to install cygwin before I actually install Linux? So that way when I do install it I know more about it instead of possibly messing things up?
You don't have to install cygwin, though it will help you learn linux with minimal changes to your current system.
A book works well too.
http://www.amazon.com/Linux-Programmers-Users-Graham-Glass/dp/0131857487
^That one helped me out a lot.
Also, it never hurts to RTFM, once you're using it.
"man <utility>"
Why are you guys saying Ubuntu is just like using XP? I asked some friends and a couple of them said they used it. I googled it but I couldn't really find anything that would tell me if its like XP or not without installing it >_<
And while I'm talking about it, which distros(or whatever they are called) do you think are good? I know it all depends on who is using it, but you guys are saying Ubuntu is just like XP, so I'm just asking if you guys know of ones I should avoid or if you think would be good. Or just I just look at a site that is full of different ones and see which one I'd like the most? >___>
I personally like linux as well except for some compatibility issues. Which can make things really run slow and half the time, doesn't turn out 100%. Maybe I am just retarded and thought i was supposed to drink the wine… :o. Anyways linux is great if you take advantage over the terminal. You can do some really cool things! B) It's also fast and easy when you get the hang of it.
I know this is about linux but if you feel risky and want to spend $100, I would suggest Mac. The OS X, I have yet to install it on my computer yet. But I will very soon. The OS X actually has a Unix foundation. Mac is easy to use. It has some really cool features. No viruses (there is but, you don't really have to worry about them, kind of like linux). You won't have to worry with compatibility issues with hardly any applications. + You will still have the open source community right by your side. :) I just witnessed this last week. But one of my buddies that has a Mac, he started clicking on every application he had. Normally one would think it would freeze, but no… not Mac. It was amazing!!!! :o
I still recommend trying out linux though. Go explorer the different flavors, there are many to try. What I don't recommend is staying with Windows. :p
Protomin wrote: Why are you guys saying Ubuntu is just like using XP? I asked some friends and a couple of them said they used it. I googled it but I couldn't really find anything that would tell me if its like XP or not without installing it >_<
And while I'm talking about it, which distros(or whatever they are called) do you think are good? I know it all depends on who is using it, but you guys are saying Ubuntu is just like XP, so I'm just asking if you guys know of ones I should avoid or if you think would be good. Or just I just look at a site that is full of different ones and see which one I'd like the most? >___>
Maybe you should stop asking questions and just pick something to do. We can't pick a distro for you. That's your decision.
lesserlightsofheaven wrote: [quote]Protomin wrote: Why are you guys saying Ubuntu is just like using XP? I asked some friends and a couple of them said they used it. I googled it but I couldn't really find anything that would tell me if its like XP or not without installing it >_<
And while I'm talking about it, which distros(or whatever they are called) do you think are good? I know it all depends on who is using it, but you guys are saying Ubuntu is just like XP, so I'm just asking if you guys know of ones I should avoid or if you think would be good. Or just I just look at a site that is full of different ones and see which one I'd like the most? >___>
Maybe you should stop asking questions and just pick something to do. We can't pick a distro for you. That's your decision.[/quote]
I didn't mean to sound like I'm asking for a distro. What I was trying to say was that some of you said if you're using Ubuntu then you'd rather be using XP(or something like that). So that sounds like you are saying Ubuntu isn't a good distro. So what I was trying to ask was if there were any other ones, kind of like Ubuntu, that I should avoid.
Then I asked if there were any that were better for new people, but I'm guessing no so I'll just stop asking dumb questions right now until I actually try something out for myself.
Every OS has it's pro's and con's. I personnally use XP Pro, If you know the ins and outs,hidden features and tweaks for it, You can make it kick ass. Linux is ok except for incompatablity issues with some software. And yes linux can get a virus I gave a few. In my opinion use what you feel more comfortable with. Most people just install linux because they think it will help them hacking (LOL) OR their a Douche who's trying to be cool "IE: I use linux not windows"
I find linux to be better simply because I can make it do ANYTHING I want. I know what is on my system pretty much down to a T, and I know that there is no company behind me looking at all my data..
Now about linux being more secure then windows.. This is true with 'out of the box' linux will have few to none online services running making it much harder to hack, then you default into a non admin account. (on ubuntu the only way to even be on a admin account is in the terminal IIRC, which is the best way).. But if you secure your windows box right theres no reason you should really have to worry about this..
As for AV, *nix has a good user permissions, meaning that one user cant get outside of his area, this basically prevents virus from doing the mass damage that they do on windows (thought this is because most people in windows are on a administration account) And with the open source thinking of linux a lot of bugs get fixed before they are even exploited. There are around 8 virus for linux/mac (non of which are active) and most AVs will scan for these and the known windows virus to protect the clients.
As for the speed.. I have found this to be mostly true, but then this is based on the programmer not the OS.. that being said Firefox takes less then a second to load (which is about the highest load time on my system) where on vista it takes around five seconds for me.. But this really depends on what the program uses and your DE and system in general…
Overall, if you need to try it first.. i like it, and yet my friends hate it. Also as to using live cd's.. they are decent but dont really give you a idea of the power behind the system so i would say duel boot (also that way when you cant do something with wine you can just install it in windows.. xD)
hope this helped, 4w4k3
Alright so I'm thinking about installing Linux soon, and I have some more questions.
First of all, I don't know if people have mentioned it in this topic, but will I need to install drivers when I install Linux, or does it take care of that stuff by itself or something?
Also, I asked this before but I don't think I got a definite answer. Should I install cygwin first to see what linux is like, or should I just partition my hard drive and install Linux on the second partition and play around with things and get used to it that way?
Edit: 4w4k3, it takes you around a second to start FireFox, right? Is that with or without a bunch of extensions installed? Right now I have like 30 extensions and it takes FF like 5 seconds to load. It isn't a big deal at all to me, but if it takes a second to load with a bunch of extension, then I could see how much faster it is. Of course it being slow for me could be because I have a lot of crap installed, but I'd probably have that on Linux too, so yeah >__>
First of all, I don't know if people have mentioned it in this topic, but will I need to install drivers when I install Linux, or does it take care of that stuff by itself or something?
Unless you have specialized hardware (like a high-end video card) most of your hardware should be picked up and installed. Things like your soundcard and some default video options are generally picked up pretty easily and will look amazing with a little tweaking to your xorg.conf and alsaconfig files. Other drivers for, say ATi Radeon cards and Nvidia cards, will have drivers available for use on their offical websites.
Also, I asked this before but I don't think I got a definite answer. Should I install cygwin first to see what linux is like, or should I just partition my hard drive and install Linux on the second partition and play around with things and get used to it that way?
If you have the free HD space available, you can partition off some of your free space (generally 10Gigs is enough to just play around with). Grub or (my personal favorite) LILO are very good boot loaders that will allow you to choose between windows or your linux distro on boot. Alot of people do it that way so they can have the best of both worlds.
Alright, thanks. And I think I'm going to make a new partition to install it on, but do I need a boot loader? I remember a while ago I installed two paritions of XP(why, I don't know >_> ) and I could just change some stuff in the Systems Properties. Is there something like that in Linux, or would that depend on which distro I get? I guess it would, so my best bet would probably be getting a boot loader.
So well thanks for everyone who posted here.
OK! time for me to throw my opinion into the mix.
Ubuntu is evil! It teaches you nothing, stay teh fuck away from it.
WINE is not an emulator; that's actually what wine stands for, so don't call it one ok. Wine and it subsidiary Cedega reinterpret system calls.
Get linux. Get a proper distro, if you really want to learn, install Debian like 5000 times, each time becuase you broke it by going "I wonder what happens if i….. oh… that breaks it" Because that's the only way to learn.
I run SHITLOADS of different distros, and i'm still not sure that i've found a favourite, I'm pretty damn keen on Mandriva, but i'm still open to change.
I hope this helps a little, i'm generally on teh irc as Pickle or Dilbert, if you want linux help see if i'm about
No, i'm against it becuase it has no root account, because there are things thatshould be there that aren't, becuase it has system processes that undo changes i made to system files when i tried it.
The whole thing is a Piece of shit, It's all you have to do it their way, whereas the beuty of linux is that you can generally find a new way to solve a problem (even though the doe will like contain the coment : " ##HACK HACK HACK ##UGLY HACK FIX!!!! REMOVEPOSTEHASTE! "
but yeah, ubuntu bad! Get debian if you like that kernel, else try slackware (if you're feeling game), Mandriva is nice, Gentoo if you like messing with your hardware for hours xD
Yes. Get linux….Move from the limited Windows….Unix/Linux or BSD are Open sourced.. If you got linux, work with it, you will become creative, the Whole way of thinking would change… Actually Myself consider Unix/Linux is the hackers operating system… And for a beginning You can run the both Windows and Linux You can read my post here This is quoted from "Eric Steven Raymond's How to become a hacker"
- Get one of the open-source Unixes and learn to use and run it.
I'll assume you have a personal computer or can get access to one. (Take a moment to appreciate how much that means. The hacker culture originally evolved back when computers were so expensive that individuals could not own them.) The single most important step any newbie can take toward acquiring hacker skills is to get a copy of Linux or one of the BSD-Unixes or OpenSolaris, install it on a personal machine, and run it.
Yes, there are other operating systems in the world besides Unix. But they're distributed in binary – you can't read the code, and you can't modify it. Trying to learn to hack on a Microsoft Windows machine or under any other closed-source system is like trying to learn to dance while wearing a body cast.
Under Mac OS X it's possible, but only part of the system is open source – you're likely to hit a lot of walls, and you have to be careful not to develop the bad habit of depending on Apple's proprietary code. If you concentrate on the Unix under the hood you can learn some useful things.
Unix is the operating system of the Internet. While you can learn to use the Internet without knowing Unix, you can't be an Internet hacker without understanding Unix. For this reason, the hacker culture today is pretty strongly Unix-centered. (This wasn't always true, and some old-time hackers still aren't happy about it, but the symbiosis between Unix and the Internet has become strong enough that even Microsoft's muscle doesn't seem able to seriously dent it.)
Is Visual Basic a good language to start with?
If you're asking this question, it almost certainly means you're thinking about trying to hack under Microsoft Windows. This is a bad idea in itself. When I compared trying to learn to hack under Windows to trying to learn to dance while wearing a body cast, I wasn't kidding. Don't go there. It's ugly, and it never stops being ugly.
Sorry if it was long.. and @Richo: well said ^^ but why not to say OpenSuSE?
Alright so I was just looking through screenshots of some distros, and I have a question. The answer is probably yes, but I just want to be sure since I haven't used Linux before. Anyways, when I download one I'll be able to change it however I want, right? Since I don't know much about them I was just looking to see what looked nice and what I'd like to be looking at while I'm using it.
There were a couple that look'd nice, but usually they had something I didn't like about it. But just so I know, I can change it right? Like I was looking at the link at the bottom at some Mandriva screens, and it looks nice, but I don't like the orange-ness of everything. I'd be able to change the color of the start bar thing and the title bar of programs, right?
edit: i suck with links right now so the link i was talking about is: http://www.thecodingstudio.com/opensource/linux/screenshots/index.php?linux_distribution_sm=Mandriva%202007%20Spring%20One%20KDE
You can't judge a linux OS by a screenshot of the GUI. Because the gui in linux is basically an afterthought to the operation of the system itsself, you can choose any number of "WindowManagers" (as they're called in linux). Take Slackware 12.0 for instance…you get to pick between ICEWM, KDE, Fluxbox (my fav), Blackbox, XFCE, FVWM, etc etc…
The GUI in linux is definitely a personal choice thing and they are very easy to tryout on you system.