What is Linux?

Linux is the best-known and most-used open-source operating system. As an operating system, Linux is software that sits underneath all of the other software on a computer, receiving requests from those programs and relaying these requests to the computer’s hardware.

Who uses Linux?

You probably already use Linux, whether you know it or not. Depending on which user survey you look at, between one- and two-thirds of the web pages on the Internet are generated by servers running Linux.

Companies and individuals choose Linux for their servers because it's secure, flexible, and you can receive excellent support from a large community of users, in addition to companies like Canonical, SUSE, and Red Hat, each of which offers commercial support.

Many devices you probably own, such as Android phones and tablets and Chromebooks, digital storage devices, personal video recorders, cameras, wearables, and more, also run Linux. Your car has Linux running under the hood. Even Microsoft Windows features Linux components, as part of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

Why use Linux?

There are many reasons why Linux should be preferred over proprietary software platforms such as Windows and Mac. But here, we are listing the top ten reasons to give you a clear picture.

1. High security

Installing and using Linux on your system is the easiest way to avoid viruses and malware. The security aspect was kept in mind when developing Linux and it is much less vulnerable to viruses compared to Windows.

Programs cannot make changes to the system settings and configuration unless the user is logged in as the root (equivalent to the administrator user in Windows) user. Most users do not log in as the root; hence, they cannot do much damage to the system, except to their files and programs, since the downloaded file/malware will have limited privileges. You can browse the Internet without worrying about your system getting infected. However, users can install ClamAV antivirus software in Linux to further secure their systems.

The reason for this higher level of security is that since Linux is open-source software, the source code is available for review. A huge number of developers all over the world have gone through the code, which means that most of the flaws have already been discovered.

2. High stability

The Linux system is very stable and is not prone to crashes. The Linux OS runs exactly as fast as it did when first installed, even after several years. Most of us must have experienced how a freshly installed Windows system runs extremely fast and the same system becomes slow after around six months to one year. Then, your only option most of the time is to reinstall the OS and all the other software.

The uptime for the Linux servers is very high and the availability is around 99.9 percent. Unlike Windows, you need not reboot a Linux server after every update or patch. Due to this, Linux has the highest number of servers running on the Internet. According to an article on the ZDNet website, 96.3 percent of the top 1 million Web servers are running on Linux. Twenty-three out of the Top twenty-five websites run on Linux. The two remaining websites in the top twenty-five are live.com and bing.com, which belong to Microsoft!

3. Ease of maintenance

Maintaining the Linux OS is easy, as the user can centrally update the OS and all software installed very easily. All the variants of Linux have their central software repository, which is used to update the system and keep it safe. They offer regular updates and the system can be updated without rebooting it. The updating can be done periodically, with just a few clicks, or users can even automate the updating process. Updating a Windows system is not so easy compared to a Linux system. Also, in Windows, all the third-party software like Acrobat Reader and Firefox have to be updated individually.

4. Runs on any hardware

All of us know that with every new release of Windows OS, a huge number of hardware systems become obsolete as their technical specifications are no longer adequate to run the latest Windows OS. Linux makes very efficient use of the system’s resources. Linux installation can be customized for users and specific hardware requirements. The installation procedure is very flexible and allows users to choose the modules they want to install. This allows them to install Linux even on old hardware, thus helping in optimal use of all the hardware resources.

Linux runs on a range of hardware, right from supercomputers to watches. You can give new life to your old and slow Windows system by installing a lightweight Linux system or even running a NAS or media streamer using a particular distribution of Linux. There are also lightweight desktops like Xfce and LXDE which can run on lower-end PCs.

5. Free

Linux is completely free and users do not need to pay for anything. All the basic software required by a typical user and even an advanced user are available. Dozens of educational software are available under Linux. Even the equivalent of professional software for desktop publishing, photo editing, audio editing, and video editing are available. Businesses can use the software free of cost and reduce their IT budgets substantially.

6. Open source

Linux is also distributed under an open-source license. Open source follows these key tenants:

• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
• The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
• The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others.
• These points are crucial to understanding the community that works together to create the Linux platform. Without a doubt, Linux is an operating system that is ? by the people, for the people?. These tenants are also the main factor in why many people choose Linux. It's about freedom and freedom of use and freedom of choice.

More resources

If you’re looking for one of the most reliable, secure, and dependable platforms for both the desktop and the server, look no further than one of the many Linux distributions. With Linux you can assure your desktops will be free of trouble, your servers up, and your support requests minimal.