Operating system holds own against Windows, Macintosh
Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at 10:00PM 
The symbol for Linux is a penquin. Graphic by Courtney Niskala • niskalac@thejohnsonian.com By Devang Joshi
Webmaster
For many of us, the world of computing can be summed up by the epic battle between the Windows Operating System and the Macintosh Operating System (Win OS and Mac OS for short).
As an aside, I did not say Mac vs. PC because the term “PC” stands for personal computer and a Mac is a “personal computer,” so don’t ever say it again…seriously.
Anyway, moving aside from yet another dorky rant, the general public has a somewhat narrow view of what is out there in terms of OS’s other than our two favorite rivals.
In a since, Linux seems like the little guy in the fight, but Linux is more of the bear in the fight. Linux is an operating system developed as a variation of the UNIX OS. Modern-day Linux distributions (variations of the Linux OS such as MS Windows are different than Mac OS) all share a commonality in that they all use the Linux Kernel, which Linus Torvalds. originally wrote in 1991.
What’s the best thing about Linux? It’s free.That’s right, for the low, low price of nada you can download many different versions of Linux and burn them to a disk for your usage. You can also order distributions from companies if you pay for shipping.
Some popular Linux distributions are Red Hat, Mint, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Fedora etc., each with its own list of pros and cons and each with different styled GUI’s (graphical user interfaces such as icons, menus, etc.).
Ok, so yippee, there is this “thing” called Linux: Why should I care? Well, for starters, just about every website out there is run on a server running a Linux operating system. Not to mention banks and probably a great deal of other business.
On a Macbook? Your OS is based on the BSD (Berkley Standard Distribution) of Linux. Do you have an Android Smartphone? Go ahead and thank Linux now because the list is endless. It also goes without saying that for people in the technology field, Linux is a wonderful tool for development.
What are the pros and cons for you as a user? Well, Linux is fast, insanely fast, and is useful for bringing older computers back to life. It’s free, which is just plain wonderful, and it has grown fairly stable. Distributions such as Ubuntu even allow you to “dual-boot” operating systems, meaning you can run both Windows and Linux on the same computer (you just choose which one you want to start when you power-on your computer).
In a nutshell that’s Linux, our forgotten computer friend, working hard to help you live your digital life. So, after reading this, say a little thank you to Linux.
For questions, comments or concerns feel free to e-mail me at joshid@thejohnsonian.com
