Learning Debian GNU/Linux

Reasons to Choose or Not Choose Linux

Here are several reasons for running Linux. The more of these that are true of you, the likelier you are to be happy in running Linux:

You want a stable and reliable computing platform.

No other popular operating system is more stable and reliable than Linux. If you’re tired of crashes and hangs and the lost time and data they entail, you’re a candidate for Linux.

You want a high performance computing platform.

Linux can coax blazingly fast performance out of hardware below the minimum required to load and run other popular operating systems. And, with ample memory and a fast CPU, Linux goes toe-to-toe with anything Microsoft or other vendors offer. If speed is your thing, Linux is your hot rod.

You need a low-cost or free operating system.

If you’re someone on a budget, such as a student, or if you need to set up many systems, the low cost of Linux will let you reserve your hard-earned capital for hardware or other resources. Linux is the best operating system value on the planet.

You’re a heavy network or Internet user.

If you use networks, especially the Internet, Linux’s advanced support for TCP/IP may light up your life. Linux makes it easy to construct firewalls that protect your system against hackers or routers that let several computers share a single network connection.

You want to learn Unix or TCP/IP networking.

The best way—perhaps the only way—to learn more about Unix or TCP/IP networking (or computers generally) is through hands-on ...