Linux Vs. Windows
Both Linux and Windows works as an operating system. Both are highly popular and are in the great demand. The working performance of both the operating system are excellent. That's why these are on the top position among the software world. Operation system provides the platform for running application software on the system. No software can run without the support of Operating System. Even though there are some difference between server operating system as well as desktop operating system. Here we are comparing both the operating system on the basis of requirement, performance and utility.
Flavors
The term flavor means the version or distribution of the software. Both Windows and Linux
have lots of flavors. Microsoft is completely liable for producing all the flavors of Windows,
whereas various distributions of Linux come from different companies (i.e. Linspire, Red Hat, SuSE, Ubuntu, Mandriva, Knoppix, Slackware, Lycoris).
Both Linux and Windows comes in two main lines: Desktop edition and Server
edition. The desktop edition comes in "Win9x", which consists of Windows 95, 98, 98SE and Me, and
Server based Operating System comes in "NT class" which consists of Windows NT, 2000 and XP. Windows
emerged before Linux with 3.x version (which later became famous as Windows 95). On the other hand Linux is the advance version
of Unix Server/ Desktop based operating system which has the capacity to
perform better and more proficiency on the various platforms also included
thousands of free open source application software. Thus it is more suitable and
cheaper for using Linux server based operating system rather then Windows NT.
Linux comes in both flavor 'Command Line Interface' and ' Graphics User
Interface'. All the Linux distributions which release within a certain
range of time uses the same kernel. (the center of Linux). The Linux distributions (often shortened to "distros")
differ in included software, GUI, install process, price, documentation and technical support.
Graphical User Interface.
Linux and Windows both have a GUI and a command line interface edition. The Windows GUI has changed
exceedingly from Windows 3.1(initial stage) to Windows XP (fairly large). There
are typically two GUIs in Linux, KDE and Gnome. The windows is much
easier to learn for the beginners, whereas Linux is not so easy to learn and
operate it. For the advanced user it is much suitable because the advanced
user can customize it easily and use it according to their requirement. Some
distribution of advanced version provides the screen shot look like window, so
that the beginners can be comfortable in handling Linux .If Linux is compared
to windows in terms of speed, efficiency and reliability, we can see the difference that the Linux without
GUI can fulfills all the above properties which a server versions of Windows can not
do.
Text Mode Interface
Text mode interface is the primary version of graphics mode, in which all
the task can be performed by giving commands only. Both Windows and Linux have
Command line Interface. In Windows it is called a DOS prompt, whereas in Linux
it is known as Shell. The DOS prompt for each version of Windows has
similar command interpreter, but it varies for the different flavors of Windows. In general, the command interpreters in the Windows 9x series are very similar to each other
but it varies from the NT class versions of Windows (NT, 2000, XP), whereas the interpreter
for NT class are also very similar for this flavor. In Linux, there are multiple
command interpreter supports all versions of Linux, but it usually uses one called BASH (Bourne Again Shell). Others are the Korn shell, the Bourne shell, ash and the C shell (pun, no doubt, intended).
Cost
If we compare Linux Vs. Windows in terms of total cost applied for running
a desktop or server, Linux is much cheaper in both the flavor from
Windows. Windows is very expensive because a single copy Windows can be
used for installation of a single computer. On the other hand a single copy of
Linux can be used infinite number of times for installing infinite number of
computers without spending even a single penny. Linux can be downloaded freely
from Linux distribution iso image of each of the Linux vendors.
Getting the Operating System
Installing windows is much easier then installing Linux, because the process
of installing windows is very same in all the versions for all sort of
platforms. But in the Linux, all Linux distribution have their own installing
program and it can be changed for different versions of the same
distribution. Thus there is no pre-written article for installing Linux without
saying about the version of Linux and configuration of computer system.
For each configuration and for each version there are different programs written
by the Linux Vendors. The installation of Linux also differs for the fresh
computers and for the pre-installed computers. Installing Linux is much easier
on the fresh computer in the comparison of pre-installed computers. Only experts
can installed Linux Operating System on the pre-existing OS.
There are many difficulties emerges in installing Linux because of its specific criteria of installing on the specific computer. Installing Linux on laptop is more difficult then installing it on desktop. The huge terminology and documentation included with Linux package creates problem in installing it.
Linux can be run directly through CDs, whereas Windows can not. For
installing windows, hard disk should be installed first. Generally Linux can
also runs from a hard disk, but few version of Linux run completely direct from
CDs without installing on the hard disk.
Linux also differs in functioning according to hardware configuration. e.g. the
CD based version of Linux differs in functioning from hard disk based
version. For example:- Lindows, do not write anything at all on the hard disk,
because it directly runs through CDs. The speed also differs depending
upon installing procedure. The continuity and downside of the speed are much
slower in CDs rather then hard disk. Linux CDs are also used for recovering
files from booting the system by the Linux CDs, if some times Windows becomes
fail to boot the system.
Advantages as Compared With Microsoft Windows
There are many advantages of Linux operating system in the comparison
of MS-Windows. The biggest advantage is that Linux is much cheaper operating
system, so it saves plenty of money. Neither it corrupt easily, nor destruct
from various virus, worms, and other malicious attacks. Installing
Linux needs no licensing fee, whereas Windows must need license.
Linux can be operated on older hardware, which creates problems for
installing newer versions of Microsoft Windows. This is because
Linux is written much more compactly. Linux needs no new equipment in
upgrading, whereas Microsoft Windows generally requires costly outlays for new
hardware if it needs the upgrading..
For security reasons Linux is much better due to having source code for
the Linux Operating System and also for auxiliary applications. Government,
Corporate organization and other agencies. It can monitor the code for security
holes. The user can customize Linux through changing source code according
to their own requirement.