Why switch to Linux?

The first question any home user contemplating switching to Linux should ask is, "Why bother"?

Most people are intrigued by the fact that it's "free", but if you already have a working OS on your computer, then you don't particularly need another free operating system.

Why I switched
I initially wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I read up on Linux on the internet, and found the concept of an open-source operating system fascinating. The main reason I switched, though, is that my Windows OS has become so corrupted by installing and uninstalling software, crashing software, and occasional power outages that there are certain software packages it won't even let me install anymore, let alone run. So it was a matter of either reinstalling Windows to clean things up, or try something different. I chose the latter.

First I downloaded a "Live" CD, just to see what things looked like. The concept here was interesting, too -- the idea of running an operating system completely from a disc, without changing anything on the hard disk or having to repartition or reinstall anything. The Live CD ran well, although without any significant write access anywhere, there wasn't much one could do with it. It was more of a proof of concept -- the OS would, indeed, work on my system.

Then I read about an "OS anywhere" system. This centered around a self-booting USB hard drive with a Linux OS that you could carry with you anywhere, and that would run on practically any computer. I thought this sounded great. I tried to build my own with the live CD and a USB HD I put together from a blown-out laptop, and discovered that I had a lot to learn about Linux before I could pull off a stunt like that (I have since successfully done so, although you can buy one much easier).

Finally, I took the plunge. I figured I had enough unused hard drive space around that I could afford to repartition the hard drive. I figured I would try it out from time to time, just for fun.

The first distribution I chose was Mandriva. Unfortunately, after several attempts at installing it, I simply couldn't get it to boot reliably on my system. I then tried OpenSuSE, and it installed without a hitch. I have been using OpenSuSE ever since (about two months as of this writing).

Repartitioning the hard drive was simple, and I haven't missed the space Linux took up. In fact, I had to repartition again to make even more room for Linux -- which is something of a challenge when you have NTFS and ReiserFS sharing the same hard drive (Norton Partition Magic did the best job of anything I tried, although it's very skittish around ReiserFS).

Why should you switch?
If you're even wondering about Linux, and have read this far, you probably have enough interest in switching. Although there are many lively online debates about why Linux is better than Windows, my experience as a home user leads me to the following conclusions:

1) Linux has been much more stable for me than Windows. This is not to say that I haven't crashed Linux -- in fact, as of this writing, I'll probably have to reinstall KDE because of some kind of corruption I've managed to cause. The stability of Linux comes mostly from the lack of the infernal "registry" that causes so much trouble within Windows. You can install and uninstall software much more cleanly on Linux, which means that programs don't interfere with eachother as much. Just beware of "dependencies". If you don't know what these are, you'll soon come to find out.

2) Linux is, apparently, more secure than Windows. I'm a little concerned about this argument, because it seems fallible to me. Linux is affected by far fewer viruses, but it also has somewhat more rudimentary security. In fact, since it's open source, you would think Linux would be very easy to break into if someone really wanted to. I conceive of the difference this way: suppose you live next door to an art museum. You have a rudimentary home security system, and the museum has a state-of-the-art system. Which one is more secure? More people want to break into the museum, but it's easier to break into your house. In the end, it's hard to tell.

3) Linux is infinitely more configurable than Windows. You can choose from several desktops, you can configure those desktops exactly as you like, and you can even "create" your own OS by building your own kernel and packages. Most entry-level home users won't necessarily go this far, but you can if you like.

4) There are a lot of little things you can do with Linux much more easily than in Windows -- particularly file operations (like backing up your system, creating .iso files, archiving, etc.).

5) Most Linux distributions come with an incredible amount of software already included -- and "free". With Windows, all you really get is Windows.

Why *not* to switch
There are some things you should know about Linux before you decide to take the plunge -- some of which I learned the hard way:

1) Linux is not for people who are uncomfortable searching for, downloading and installing software. If you are not proficient in these three steps, or are unwilling to learn, stick with Windows. And good luck.

2) As far as I'm concerned, it is not practical to install and maintain Linux unless you have broadband internet access. Practically speaking, all of your updates and support are going to be on-line, and if you try dialing up, it's going to take forever to get anything done.

3) Linux is an alternative to Windows. It is not a replacement for Windows. Most of your cherished Windows software will not run properly on Linux, even with many of the ever-improving Windows emulators available. There are myriad alternative applications that run in Linux and perform many of the same functions, but, by and large, they do not have as many features as their Windows counterparts. In most cases, this is a good thing. But if you have a mission-critical application that will not run with Linux, don't switch.

4) Installing Linux is easy, but you will be surprised how much time it can take to get the system up and running -- and keep it that way. There's a steep learning curve for Linux, and you should be prepared for it. Do not attempt to repartition your hard drive and install Linux if you only have an hour to devote to the process.

5) If you're one of those "I know I should back up this system, but I probably won't bother", you'll probably not want to try dual-booting Linux. You never know what could happen.

We'll look in future columns at some more basic issues of switching, as well as some things I've found along the way to make it easier.

Regards.