Linux is an open-source Operating System.

People can change codes and add

programs to Linux OS which will help use your computer better. Linux evolved as a reaction to
the monopoly position of windows. you can't change any code for windows OS. You can't even see
which processes do what and build your onw extension. Linux wants the programmers to extend and
redesign it's OS. Linux user's can edit its OS and design new OS.

All flavors of Windows come from Microsoft. Linux come from different
companies like LIndows , Lycoris, Red Hat, SuSe, Mandrake, Knopping, Slackware.

Linux is customizable but Windows is not. For example,NASlite is a version of Linux

that runs off a single floppy disk and converts an old computer into a file server. This ultra small edition
of Linux is capable of networking, file sharing and being a web server.

Linux is freely available for desktop or home use but Windows is expensive. For server use,
Linux is cheap compared to Windows. Microsoft allows a single copy of Windows to be used on one
computer. You can run Linux on any number of computers.

Linux has hign security. You have to log on to Linux with a userid and password. You can
login as root or as normal user. The root has full previlage.

Linux has a reputation for fewer bugs than Windows.

Windows must boot from a primary partition. Linux can boot from either a primary
partition or a logical partition inside an extended partition. Windows must boot from the first hard disk.
Linux can boot from any hard disk in the computer.

Windows uses a hidden file for its swap file. Typically this file resides in the same partition as the
OS (advanced users can opt to put the file in another partition). Linux uses a dedicated partition for its
swap file.

Windows separates directories with a back slash while Linux uses a normal forward slash.

Windows file names are not case sensitive. Linux file names are. For example "abc" and "aBC"
are different files in Linux, whereas in Windows it would refer to the same file.

Windows and Linux have different concepts for their file hierarchy. Windows uses a volume-
based file hierarchy while Linux uses a unified scheme. Windows uses letters of the alphabet to
represent different devices and different hard disk partitions. eg: c: , d: , e: etc.. while in linux " / " is the
main directory.

Linux and windows support the concept of hidden files. In linux hidden files begin with " .
", eg: .filename

In Linux each user will have a home directory and all his files will be save under it while in
windows the user saves his files anywhere in the drive. This makes difficult to have backup for his
contents. In Linux its easy to have backup's
7 differences between Linux and Windows
1. Windows doesn’t have a proper command line
The most noticeable thing is that running simple little things isn’t easy on either versions of
Windows. There doesn’t appear to be any equivalents of the little things that make things
easy for you, no grep, no wget to name just two. This means that you basically have to stop
doing certain tasks without spending lots of time working out how to do it. Want to download
a huge file? wget -c path_to_large_file doesn’t exist, and in fact there doesn’t seem to be
anyway to resume large downloads using the default software setup.

2. Each application looks completely different

Rather than using a standard toolkit, each app looks different. This is sort of nice – things
have more personality, but also annoying – there isn’t any convention. Even between
Microsoft’s own apps. Guess this is by design, but seems a weird choice. By the same
token:

3. There aren’t any native themes

Well, you can change the colours or make it look like the Redmond theme in Gnome but
there isn’t much more. The defaults in both 7 and XP are bearable, but it’s nice to have a
little more control over things. On the other hand this surely makes developing much easier
as you can assume a lot about the users set up.

4. No central updating system

No way to update software at all. Honestly – no dependency system either – each bit of
software just includes everything rather than sharing libraries.

5. Suspend/resume just works

A plus here, hardware just works without config. I’ve given up with this on every linux
computer I’ve used.

6. No way to save the system when crashes occur

No equivalent of pkill, no way to switch to virtual terminal, no ctrl-alt-backspace to kill the
graphical interface. ctrl-shift-esc has something like htop, but it doesn’t have a kill, just a
“please end process” button that doesn’t do anything when it’s actually crashed.

7. Files have to have an name extension to work

Rather than deducing the mime type of a file, you have to manually name things with an
extension such as .txt or .mp3. Slightly archaic, but guess it works. Annoying if you forget,
as you end up with files that won’t load without renaming.

[or]

Linux vs. Windows

Answer
Users who are considering making a change from Windows to Linux or Linux to Windows
commonly want to know the advantages and disadvantages of each of the operating systems.
Below is a chart to help illustrate the major advantages and disadvantages of each of these
operating systems.

Topic Linux Windows

The majority of Linux variants are available for Microsoft Windows can run between
Price free or at a much lower price than Microsoft $50.00 - $150.00 US dollars per each
Windows. license copy.

Although the majority Linux variants have Microsoft has made several advancements
improved dramatically in ease of use, Windows is and changes that have made it a much
still much easier to use for most computer users easier to use operating system, and
Ease
because of the familiarity of Windows and although arguably it may not be the easiest
because it's more likely they are using a Windows operating system, it is still Easier than
computer at home, in school, or at the office. Linux.

Although Microsoft Windows has made

The majority of Linux variants and versions are
great improvements in reliability over the
Reliability notoriously reliable and can often run for months
last few versions of Windows, it still cannot
and years without needing to be rebooted.
match the reliability of Linux.

Linux has a large variety of available software Because of the large amount of Microsoft
programs, utilities, and games. However, Windows users, there is a much larger
Software
Windows has a much larger selection of available selection of available software programs,
software. utilities, and games for Windows.

Many of the available software programs, Although Windows does have software
utilities, and games available on Linux are programs, utilities, and games for free, the
Software
freeware or open source. Even such complex majority of the programs will cost
Cost
programs such as Gimp, OpenOffice, StarOffice, anywhere between $20.00 - $200.00+ US
and wine are available for free or at a low cost. dollars per copy.

Hardware Although hardware manufacturers have made Because of the amount of Microsoft
great advancements in supporting Linux it still Windows users and the broader driver
 will not support most hardware devices. support, Windows has a much larger
However, for the hardware devices that have support for hardware devices and almost
driver support they will usually work in all all hardware manufacturers will support
versions of Linux. their products in Microsoft Windows.

Although Microsoft has made great

Linux is and has always been a very secure
improvements over the years with security
operating system. Although it still can be
Security on their operating system, their operating
attacked when compared to Windows, it much
system continues to be the most vulnerable
more secure.
to viruses and other attacks.

Many of the Linux variants and many Linux

Microsoft Windows is not open source and
Open programs are open source and enable users to
the majority of Windows programs are not
Source customize or modify the code however they wish
open source.
to.

Although it may be more difficult to find users

Microsoft Windows includes its own help
familiar with all Linux variants, there are vast
section, has vast amount of available online
Support amounts of available online documentation and
documentation and help, as well as books
help, available books, and support available for
on each of the versions of Windows.
Linux.