Christofoo Review

I used to be more of an evangelist in my adherence to Linux, but then I stopped proselytizing, realizing that I really don't care if you use Linux or not. After all, every poor sap who chooses not to use Linux is just one more fool that I get to be superior to.

I have three computers that I use all the time, each with Linux on it

1. My Laptop runs Debian Stable, which is my favorite distribution, although it also has Windows 2000 in a VirtualBox for things I need for work. (And why am I using my personal computer for work? Grumble, grumble.)
2. My Desktop, including my recording studio, runs on Ubuntu Studio LTS.
3. My Server, including Windows (SMB) file and print sharing, runs Debian Stable.

So what do I like about Linux, compared to Windows and Mac?

First, let me dismiss Mac, which I've never even used because it's too expensive for me. I'm the kind of guy who drives an '89 Corolla, you know what I mean? Mac is no good for a cheapskate. I could care less whether "just works," or not, the bottom line is it "just costs too much."

So I'll focus on the differences between Windows XP and Linux. If you just want to skip to my guide on migrating from Windows to Linux, click here. Edit: it looks like I should be comparing Windows 7 to Linux, since 7 appears to be gaining market acceptance. Sorry, I don't foresee myself using Windows 7 in the immediate future, I'll update if it ever happens.

Linux advantages:

• Speed and reliability (actually boot times may vary, but Linux is much more responsive and uses less RAM, which is what I mean). The lightweight profile of Linux dramatically reduces the need to upgrade hardware between Linux versions. Most of my current hardware is from 2003-04 era and I'm still happy with it.
• Linux doesn't require any antivirus because it's secure by design. This ties in with speed. I think there is an argument that Windows 7(/Vista) is more secure by design, compared with Windows XP, however I argue this is not true in practical terms. The new Windows security relies on the user to make an endless stream of good decisions to maintain security. I think a Windows 7(/Vista) user would be surprised by how few security prompts are involved in daily Linux usage (there are none, unless the user is actually installing software).
• Most Linux distributions have slick package managers designed to deal with the gigantic software repositories which are part of a distribution. Repositories carry tons of free, open-source applications. Debian has over 20,000 packages in repository. By the way, click here if you want to read more about distributions and repositories.
• Free, meaning that no one can charge you for installing or upgrading,
• but also Linux is free to perform advanced functions such as booting from live CDs or usb drives (if you have never heard of doing this, these make the ultimate rescue disks,) or doing multiple hard drive installations (i.e. dual or triple booting, also an awesome backup and rescue strategy), or running application desktop servers (VNC)... the list goes on. Microsoft sells you a license that allows you to run Windows on one computer with one user interface and that's all you get, unless you shell out big time for "enterprise" features.
• Most (but not all) Linux installers are reasonably polite when they discover Windows already on your computer. You can change Windows' partition size to make space for Linux, and install as a dual-boot, so if you get stuck in Linux you can reboot to Windows. But remember that Windows installers are all very rude; if you reinstall Windows it will overwrite the boot record, so you will have to run a rescue disk just to get Linux back.
• A lot of the really great Linux applications (especially content creation) are cross-platform - they have Windows versions. This isn't necessarily about "switching" to the Linux world and being locked into Linux. If you love the applications you find, a lot of them can follow you back to Windows should you ever decide to go back to the dark side. For example, this can also be handy if your employer didn't supply all of the features that you need on your Windows PC at work.

Linux disadvantage:

There is one issue with Linux which I consider a serious technical downside. Linux doesn't have a nice mechanism for dealing with multiple versions of dynamic libraries. Here's a real world example: I'm running Firefox 2.0 on my old Debian 4.0 because Firefox 3.5 requires a newer version of GTK and I don't want to upgrade my system to get GTK just to get Firefox 3.5. I could upgrade my whole system and then the whole thing will be new (and I will actually do this within the next few months anyway), but I don't want to do it right now, so in the meantime I'm stuck with Firefox 2.0.

On the other hand, there is such a thing as a "running" distribution such as Debian Testing which will provide an endless stream of upgrades, rather than major point releases. Click here to read more about Linux distributions and repositories.

Windows users aren't immune from this problem either. For example, Windows Vista came along and broke a lot of applications and drivers and hurt a lot of users (what's up with MS charging people to downgrade?). However, Windows users can stick with an operating system longer than Linux users can (unless their Windows XP computer gets clogged up and they don't know what to do, which is a very real threat), for example Windows XP has been the OS of choice for the last 7 years, whereas I prefer to upgrade Linux every 2-4 years to escape obsolescence. (But at least my upgrade is free and doesn't invovle any hardware upgrade.)

Windows XP advantages:

Although I'm definitely a Linux advocate, I'm not afraid to praise Windows XP for what it's got:

• Restore points are really handy for rolling your computer back to a point before it was broken. Although I would like to see Linux acquire this feature, I can't remember the last time I needed it in Linux. On the other hand it is really easy to damage a Windows installation, and this feature is a saving grace.
• There are a few commercial applications that are really indispensable, and which really won't run under Linux, even with Wine, most notably Quickbooks. Actually Quickbooks is the only one I've found that I couldn't get around in all my years on Linux. Technically you can put Windows into a VirtualBox to run that type of application, but if that's the case, do you still have a reason to migrate?
• If you like to play a lot of video games on your PC, Windows XP is it. If there are just a few games you like to play, I'd say check the game maker's site to see if they make a Linux version, if not also check the game's status in the WineHQ database, and also do some research on the Linux versions of your video card drivers, or just try it, or just forget it. There are plenty of fun puzzle games for Linux, including a minesweeper clone and solitair. Let's leave it at that. Wait, I just realized that this is a big disadvantage for Windows, being a bigger waste of time. Then again I've wasted plenty of time gaming on Linux. Sauerbraten is kind of fun once you get good at free-for-all, and tetris (see Ksirtet) is really addicting.