1.8.1. Why Use Linux?

But let's not lose perspective. Linux isn't just for personal Unix users. It's robust and complete enough to handle large tasks, as well as distributed computing needs. Many businesses are moving to Linux in lieu of other Unix-based workstation environments. Linux has an excellent price-performance ratio, is one of the most stable and powerful operating systems available, and because of its Open Source nature, is completely customizable for your needs. Universities are finding Linux to be perfect for teaching courses in operating systems design. Larger commercial software vendors are starting to realize the opportunities a free operating system can provide.

1.8.2. Linux Versus Windows 95 and 98

As you might know, Windows 95 and 98 do not fully utilize the functionality of the x86 processor. On the other hand, Linux runs completely in the processor's protected mode and exploits all of the features of the machine, including multiple processors.

We could debate the pros and cons of Windows and Linux for pages on end. However, suffice it to say that Linux and Windows are completely different entities. Windows is inexpensive (compared to other commercial operating systems) and has a strong foothold in the PC computing world. No other operating system for the PC has reached the level of popularity of Windows, largely because the cost of these other operating systems is unapproachable for most personal computer users. Very few PC users can imagine spending a thousand dollars or more on the operating system alone. Linux, however, is free, and you finally have the chance to decide.

We will allow you to make your own judgments of Linux and Windows based on your expectations and needs. Linux is not for everybody. But if you have always wanted to run a complete Unix system at home, without the high cost of other Unix implementations for the PC, Linux may be what you're looking for.

There are tools available to allow you to interact between Linux and Windows. For example, it's easy to access Windows files from Linux. Development is proceeding on the Wine Windows emulator, which allows you to run many popular applications.

1.8.3. Linux Versus Windows NT

Windows NT, like Linux, is a full multitasking operating system, supporting multiprocessor machines, several CPU architectures, virtual memory, networking, security, and so on. However, the real difference between Linux and Windows NT is that Linux is a version of Unix and hence benefits from the contributions of the Unix community at large.

There are many implementations of Unix from many vendors. There is a large push in the Unix community for standardization in the form of open systems, but no single corporation controls this design. Hence, any vendor (or, as it turns out, any hacker) may implement these standards in an implementation of Unix.

Windows NT, on the other hand, is a proprietary system. The interface and design are controlled by a single corporation, Microsoft, and only that corporation may implement the design. (Don't expect to see a free version of Windows NT anytime in the near future.) In one sense, this kind of organization is beneficial: it sets a strict standard for the programming and user interface unlike that found even in the open systems community. NT is NT wherever you go.

It seems likely that in the coming years, Linux and Windows NT will be battling it out for their share of the server computing market. Windows NT has behind it the full force of the Microsoft marketing machine, while Linux has a community of thousands of developers helping to advance the system through the Open Source model. So far, benchmarks of Linux versus Windows NT have demonstrated that each system has its strengths and weaknesses; however, Linux wins hands-down in a number of areas, most notably networking performance. Linux is also much smaller than Windows NT, has a much better price-performance ratio, and is generally seen as more stable. (While Windows NT is known to crash quite often, Linux machines run continuously for months.) It might seem amazing that "little" Linux gives Microsoft serious competition, but it's not surprising when you realize how effective the Open Source development process really is.

1.8.4. Other Implementations of Unix

In terms of features, other implementations of Unix for the PC are quite similar to Linux. You will see that almost all commercial versions of Unix support roughly the same software, programming environment, and networking features. However, there are some major differences between Linux and commercial versions of Unix. This stems primarily from Linux's roots as a "personal" Unix system, rather than one that runs only on large servers (although Linux is perfectly at home in either environment).

First of all, Linux supports a much wider range of hardware than other Unix implementations, simply because there is more demand under Linux to support every crazy brand of sound, graphics, network, and SCSI board. Plus, under the Open Source model, anyone with enough time and interest to write a driver for a particular board is able to do so. We'll cover the hardware requirements for Linux in the next section.

The value of commercial Unix implementations should not be demeaned: along with the price of the software itself, you usually pay for documentation, support, and assurance of quality. These are important factors for large institutions, but personal computer users may not require these benefits. A number of companies, including Red Hat and LinuxCare, are now providing commercial Linux support. Caldera, another Linux distributor, offers 24x7 support. In any case, many businesses and universities are finding that running Linux in a lab of inexpensive personal computers is preferable to running a commercial version of Unix in a lab of workstations. Linux can provide the functionality of a workstation on PC hardware at a fraction of the cost.

Other inexpensive versions of Unix exist as well, such as Minix (an academic but useful Unix clone upon which the early development of Linux was based). Some of these implementations are of mostly academic interest, while others are full-fledged systems for real productivity. But many personal Unix users are moving to Linux.