Why does anyone use linux?

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Night Wing
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Re: Why does anyone use linux?

Post by Night Wing »

Short and sweet.

I started looking into linux because of Windows 8 which I loathed and despised when I tried the preview version of Windows 8 back in the summer of 2012. :x

My favorite linux distros:

SolydX
Mint 16 (XFCE)
Linux Mint 21.3 (Virginia) Xfce
MX Linux 23.2 (Libretto) Xfce
Linux Debian 12.5 (Bookworm) Xfce
Petro Dawg

Re: Why does anyone use linux?

Post by Petro Dawg »

Personally, I started using Linux out of necessity. By the time I got back to College in 2011 my one and only aging computer (WinXP) seemed to get continually slower and slower. I couldn't afford a system upgrade so I decided to go the Linux route. After seeing how much better the old computer ran (and still runs BTW), I was hooked.

Later my parents needed a computer and I (still a poor student) couldn't afford a new system for them. Luckily, the company I worked for part-time gave me a bunch of old XP computers that they were going to throw away. With a small investment in RAM I was able to build a decent system out of the parts which ran great under Linux (that computer is also still in use today). I've since brought new life to a plethora of old XP and Vista systems using various Linux operating systems. The ones with halfway decent processors and/or on-board graphics chips are now used to stream video to my TVs.

These days, I travel for work and to reduce the amount of baggage I bring with me, I use a persistent live boot of Linux on a USB drive as my personal computer. Now that I can afford other operating systems, I wouldn't take them if given to me.

it can be thought of like this... Some people would rather a limousine show up at their door and be driven to where they need to go; no exciting routes, speed limit is obeyed, and every problem is taken care of for them (Windows Users). Some people would rather fix up and drive an old muscle car themselves; take the most exciting routes, blast past the speed limit at every chance, and it's OK if the car breaks down from time to time because the driver knows how to fix it (Linux Users). Most fall somewhere in between and no preference is right or wrong, just a matter of personal tastes.
exploder
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Re: Why does anyone use linux?

Post by exploder »

i hate product activation. I can do as I please with Linux. I could go on and on but it really does come down to personal preference. :D
Eggnog
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Re: Why does anyone use linux?

Post by Eggnog »

I use Linux because I find it to be a fast, stable OS that does pretty much everything I need an OS to do. On each of my Linux machines, I have Win 7 in a VM to be used for those odd times I need something that only runs in Windows, like Quicken and sometimes MS Office when I need to do something work-related, or whatever. The upside is that I can run Win 7 if I have to and it's not actually running my PC.

I do have one desktop which has a Win 7 dual boot in a 500 GB partition. It's connected to my living room TV. That partition is used for gaming which is maybe 20% of the time, and then I reboot. For video, streaming, internet and general use it's booted in the other partition, which is Mint 16 Cinnamon using the rest of the HD, soon to be 17. And, yes, I have a small Win 7 VM on the Mint partition, too.

I can leave my PCs on for days and weeks at a time without worrying about memory leaks, innumerable background processes slowing the system down, internet security programs, and other such Windows peculiarities. My machines run a combination of Solyd and Mint. And I can't see changing any time soon.
fraxinus_63

Re: Why does anyone use linux?

Post by fraxinus_63 »

Watching this thread unfold, I still feel (as per my earlier post) that the title is misleading and is not helping us respond to the points raised in the original post.

The title could read instead "frustration getting Linux to connect to VPN", or something like that.

Many folk like me who love Linux and wouldn't willingly use anything else would still agree with the OP strongly that getting Linux to play ball with corporate VPNs and big intitutions' Exchange servers is often very painful. The answer may be out there if you Google enough - but people who are sufficiently hard pressed doing their job (managing people, fixing delayed or over-budget projects) already may run out of time and patience.

A case in point - my brother, a science academic and Linux lover who introduced me to Linux and FOSS 12 years ago. He works for a university but has finally had to ditch Thunderbird in favour of MS Outlook. He'd much prefer to go on using TBird but he no longer has the time to fix the constant issues with the Lightning calendar that ships with it - not just syncing issues but also the regular spectacular breakages that come with TBird updates. Yes, most of the problems are fixable if you have time - but they waste huge amounts of time and also cause considerable stress. If a geek like him has now given up then that's a bad sign.

Yes, I know that big institutions use suites of proprietary apps and the lack of open standards is a huge part of the problem. But an awful lot of people need to use VPNs and so on nowadays, and I'm afraid I would now be cautious about advising these folk to use Linux on their desktops.
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Pilosopong Tasyo
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Re: Why does anyone use linux?

Post by Pilosopong Tasyo »

fraxinus_63 wrote:Watching this thread unfold, I still feel (as per my earlier post) that the title is misleading and is not helping us respond to the points raised in the original post.
I tend to agree. The dual nature of this thread (the "misleading" title + the subsequent mixture of replies that answered both the title and the OP's issue with VPN) made moving posts to the more appropriate threads problematic, as doing so meant losing the logical flow of conversation in all threads concerned.

The OP's issue with VPN can be found in the following threads:
1. VPN - http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 7&t=160174
2. LT2P - http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 7&t=160155

I advice [future] participants to direct your replies to those two threads (whichever appropriate) if your responses are related to the OP's issue.
o Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime!
o If an issue has been fixed, please edit your first post and add the word [SOLVED].
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Pierre
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Re: Why does anyone use linux?

Post by Pierre »

Personally, I started using Linux out of necessity,and as my one and only aging computer (WinXP) seemed to get continually slower and slower. I couldn't afford a system upgrade so I decided to go the Linux route. After seeing how much better the old computer ran (and still runs BTW), I was hooked.
later discovered how little effort is involved in a memory upgrade. :P
- more memory + a 'nix O/S = a better PC.
Image
Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] - when your problem is solved!
and DO LOOK at those Unanswered Topics - - you may be able to answer some!.
teilnehmer

AW: Why does anyone use linux?

Post by teilnehmer »

Interestingly, Windows usually gets the benefit of defining the racetrack, and then everyone else gets bad ratings if they fail to run it the same way.
If you take all the things that Windows does successfully for you, and try them all out with Linux, you'll find Linux flawed.
If Linux were in that position, Windows would look really old.
- Windows can't be tested from a live CD
- Windows does not install next to other OS's
- Microsoft Office can't open documents from other office suites
- Windows doesn't come with a built-in software collection
- There are no secure repositories for software, so I have to download and update from some websites that may or may not contain viruses

Why does anyone use Windows? :)

Still, it's a shame the VPN thing doesn't work out for you. It should, it's basic functionality, and obviously it works for some. I guess with the display of dismissal of Linux as a whole, you might get more responses in that regard than to help you with your problem..
InkKnife
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Re: Why does anyone use linux?

Post by InkKnife »

Before I switched to Linux I was a long time Mac user and I know there were lots of issues with OSX VPNing into a Windows ecosystem.
Microsoft makes no effort to play nice with other OSs.
i7 3770, 12GB of ram, 256GB SSD, 64GB SSD, 750GB HDD, 1TB HDD, Cinnamon.
Yutahu

Re: Why does anyone use linux?

Post by Yutahu »

I've been reading this thread and wanted to share my thoughts.

I switched to linux about 6 years ago and haven't looked back (I must admit to having tried most varieties of linux and still swap about from time to time but sofar Mint is my favourite). I like how it works and the fact that everything I use my computer for works well with linux (and is free!!!). I'm not tied to an operating system (windows) that doesn't work well, or crashes or that continually asks me "are you sure you want to do that" and is bloated in the way that it runs.I can't remember ever having a virus on linux and (lol 'not ready for the big time') if its good enough for Google, NASA and the FEDs its good enough for me. :)

In answer to your question rxd I can assure you VPN works in linux. I use L2TP VPN and it works very well and I have had no problems with it. Just took a bit of setting up and thats it.

If you ask nicely people are more than happy to help :) as opposed to windows where you have to pay to get things done.
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