It's about this.
I am this guy.
Are you tired of having problems with Windows? Do you live in constant fear of viruses and other security exploits? Are you sick of feeling manipulated by Microsoft? Are you looking for a better computer experience? You don't have to live this way, continually spending hundreds on products that you don't even like. You have a choice.
You don't need Windows anymore. There's another operating system out there that's tested and enjoyed by millions of users and counting. It's called Linux, and it's fast, stable, secure, and free. That's right: not only can Linux-based operating systems be used freely for any purpose, but many are available at no charge. Imagine not having to type long licensing keys or being accused of software piracy! Plus, Linux is easy to use, and switching to Linux is easier than it has ever been. Does it sound too good to be true? Read on.
Linux is free software, but this doesn't have to do with how much it costs. Instead, it refers to the freedoms that users of the software are granted. Here's an explanation.
Computer programmers write software in human-readable instructions called source code. A finished program's source code is turned into a binary that computers can read. The programs that you run on your computer are in binary form. Unfortunately for us, it's impossible for humans to make sense of binaries. In order for people to see what a program is supposed to do, its source code must be made available.
In the early days of computing, it was common for computer manufacturers to include source code for programs that could be run on their hardware. This way, computer users could modify programs for their own needs and distribute them to others. In the 1970s, however, companies like Microsoft began to claim more restrictive ownership of their software by distributing programs in binary form only. It soon became the norm for software developers to release proprietary software, forbidding unauthorized copying and redistribution of their work.
Concern over computer users' rights prompted software developer Richard Stallman to launch the GNU Project in 1983. The goal of the project was to create an operating system comprised entirely of free software. According to the Free Software Definition,1 a program that is free software offers you, the user, four freedoms:
Access to the source code is necessary for people to exercise the second and fourth freedoms. Because free software is about freedom, the "free" part refers to liberty, not price. Free software may be either sold or distributed at no cost. In fact, many companies such as IBM and Novell make money investing in the development of free software.2
What's the only thing better than distributing free software? Making sure it stays free. This is possible thanks the GNU General Public License (GPL). The GPL is maintained by the Free Software Foundation, which allows software developers to apply the license to their works. If a program is released under the terms of the GPL, anyone is permitted to modify and use it for any purpose under the condition that they make the source code available if they distribute copies of the program.3
Note: In recent years, the term open source software has also come into use to avoid the ambiguity of the word "free" in "free software." however, the term "open source" has been criticized as being limited in scope and not necessarily referring to the other freedoms. Because the two terms are effectively equivalent in practice, they are sometimes used together (as in "free open source software" or "FOSS") to prevent the ambiguity of either.4
Consider the four freedoms of free software. They allow you to be productive. You can install free software on as many computers as you want without having to worry about activation keys. The development of the software is just as productive because a community of users can collaborate on it. Subject to public scrutiny, free software tends to be stable and secure, and a number of competing projects exist to give users more options and control over their computers.
Proprietary software is a danger to computer users because it is inherently secretive. Recently, a few Windows users discovered that Microsoft was stealthily installing files on their computers even though they had turned Windows Update off.5 Because the source code of Windows is not made public, no one could have known for sure whether Microsoft would do this until it actually happened. This is just one example of software developers hiding behind the secrecy of proprietary software to take advantage of their users. With free software, you can rest assured that a program does exactly what its source code indicates.
Proprietary software gives its users fewer choices. For example, Apple's distribution model limits the rights of its software users. If you want to use Mac OS X, Apple's operating system, you have buy a computer from Apple. Due to copyright restrictions that Apple imposes, no one can run legally run Mac OS X on a non-Apple computer. What's more, if something happens to your computer, you're at the mercy of Apple Inc.—not an independent hardware manufacturer. In essence, Apple's software-hardware tie-in gives it a monopoly over what you can do with your computer. Free software typically supports a wide range of hardware, giving people more choices.
In short, free software lets you do what you want with your computer, while proprietary software does not. Free software can be peer reviewed by a community of users; you can't trust proprietary software because only a few developers know exactly what it does. With free software, there are no secrets. You are in control!
Work on the GNU Project continued over the years by Richard Stallman and volunteers working under the principles of free software. By the early 1990s, the GNU operating system was nearly complete, except that it was without a working kernel—the central, underlying part of an operating system.
In 1991, at the University of Helsinki in Finland, a computer science student named Linus Torvalds was creating his own kernel as a hobby. Named "Linux" by a friend, the kernel was made available under the terms of the GPL for people to test and improve. Before long, volunteers were collaborating with Torvalds on the Linux kernel, confident that their contributions would remain free software thanks to the GPL. Others were packaging GNU and Linux together to create complete operating systems. Today, the term Linux is often used to refer to the family of operating systems that use GNU software along with the Linux kernel. Though the term GNU/Linux is sometimes used instead, this article will refer to such operating systems as "Linux."
Whatever you call it, Linux has caught on. Because the Linux kernel is very stable, a Linux system may run for months or years without crashing or even becoming sluggish. This quality makes Linux ideal for web servers, which are (ideally) on all the time. Linux has long been popular as a server operating system, and due to its other qualities, it's becoming much more popular among home users. Though Linux's usage share on the desktop is roughly 1%, it's increasing rapidly by most accounts.6
Linux is renowned for being secure. Very few Linux viruses have ever existed, and in spite of Linux's growing use on servers and desktops, no virus has ever spread widely.7 Some argue that it's because Linux has a stronger security model. Others claim that Linux, with a small percentage of users, would not be a worthwhile target for virus writers. Probably both are true; however, Linux's model of multi-user computing is worth examining.
A Linux user typically runs his or her computer as a limited user. This means that the user does not have the privilege of editing system files or other carrying out other administrative tasks. Such privileges are left to the "superuser," who is often the same person but with a different login. Under this model, any program that the user runs has the same privileges as the user, so a program that a limited user runs cannot touch important system files. If a limited user wants to perform an administrative task, he or she can enter a password to perform that command only with superuser privileges.
Though Microsoft has come to implement this model in Windows Vista, it has faced difficulties creating a multi-user operating system out of what was originally a single-user operating system. Linux has always allowed for multiple users, and the consensus among Linux users is that running as the superuser all the time is dangerous and in poor taste. Meanwhile, millions of Windows users remain who run as the superuser all the time. This allows any programs they may run, such as viruses, to have total control over the system.
Another testament to Linux's security and stability is that, unlike Windows and Mac OS X, it is free software. For example, Windows is subject to huge security vulnerabilities that Microsoft routinely exploits.8 Free software, however, allows for greater accountability. If someone encounters a bug in Linux, he or she can help other users by submitting a fix for it. This is markedly different from proprietary software like Windows, where if there's a bug, everyone has to wait for Microsoft to fix it. Of course, not everyone has the technical knowledge to fix bugs in software. However, most free software projects, including GNU and Linux, allow bug reports to be filed online so other people can be made aware of them and try to fix them.
Linux incorporates a number of advanced features that make it easier to use in the long term than Windows. If you've ever had to defragment your hard drive, you'll find the switch to Linux to be refreshing because you won't need to do it. Linux's file system keeps fragmentation at a minimal level, so unless your hard drive is nearly full, you'll never have to worry about it.
A number of little things make Linux easy to use. For example, files don't need to have certain file extensions, although they usually do. But if you have a file that Windows doesn't know what to do with because it doesn't have an extension, Linux will be able to work with it like normal.
Linux is very customizable. There are a number of options available for controlling the look and feel of your desktop as well as the behavior of your computer in general. This should be no surprise because Linux is free software. The open nature of Linux makes it easier to learn how an operating system works, and customizing your computer is often part of that experience.
Finally, most varieties of Linux make installing software easy by offering vast repositories of programs that you can download and install with just a few clicks. Programs downloaded from a repository can be uninstalled just as easily. Plus, you can receive security updates for certain programs downloaded from the repositories. And when you upgrade your operating system, those programs will be updated as well if there are newer versions available.
Although most of the programs you use won't run on Linux, there's a multitude of Linux software that can suit your needs just as well. If you want to get a feel for what Linux software is like, try these popular Linux programs—they happen to run on Windows too! They're not only free software, but they're also free of charge, so you can easily give them a try.
| Program | Function |
| Audacity | Audio editor |
| Firefox | Web browser |
| GIMP | Image editor |
| OpenOffice.org | Office suite |
| Pidgin | Instant messager |
| Thunderbird | E-mail client |
| VLC | Media player |
These programs are compatible with the file types you're probably used to using, such as DOC for word processor documents. Like software, data formats can be either free or proprietary. DOC is a proprietary format used by default in versions Microsoft Word prior to Word 2007. Only Microsoft knows exactly how the format works. The only reason DOC is supported in other office suites such as OpenOffice.org is because people have been able to guess at how parts of the format work.
When a company holds such a monopoly over a certain data format as Microsoft does with word processor documents, it can use its power to force its customers to continue using only its own products. This is called vendor lock-in, and Microsoft is trying to use this tactic to get people to buy the latest version of its office suite. The problem with vendor lock-in is that your data is subject to the whim of one company, which may discontinue support for the format that your data is stored in or force you to buy a new program to continue using it. For example, a recent security update to Microsoft Office 2003 disabled support for over a dozen file formats. To re-enable support for the formats, you must download a fix from Microsoft or edit the system registry.9
Linux programs commonly support free formats, which can be implemented by anyone. Free formats are often developed collaboratively, meaning that no single entity takes control of its development. Imagine having the same documents and spreadsheets on your computer 30 years from now. Will you still be able to find a program that opens them? If they were stored in free formats, the answer will probably be yes. If proprietary formats were used, you can't be so sure.
In general, Linux programs encourage and fully support free file formats, so no matter what programs you use, you can be sure that your data will be accessible for a long time to come.
A side note about programs: if there's a Windows program that you absolutely must use, whether it's an app you use for work or that game you're addicted to, then you can try using programs that run Windows software on Linux. However, though they don't work for every program and can be a pain to set up.10 It's better just to use Linux programs if you can.
We've already mentioned that free software allows for increased competition between software projects. This is very apparent in the Linux world as different companies, organizations, and individuals may choose to package and configure GNU and the Linux kernel to their liking. An operating system that consists of GNU, Linux, and related utilities is called a Linux distribution, or a distro for short.
Hundreds of distros exist,11 each with its own set of goals for its users. Some are intended for beginning Linux users; some are for advanced users. Some are designed for personal use, and some are optimized for server use. Some distros are updated frequently to include the latest software; others are updated less frequently and include more stable software. Some cost money, and others are free. Many offer different software repositories. Some can run well on older computers without much disk space or RAM. Odds are, there's a Linux distribution that's great for you!
The look and feel of a Linux distribution (and any other operating system) is mainly determined by its desktop environment, which provides the graphical user interface (GUI). Different desktop environments have different stylings of icons, windows, toolbars, and other visual elements. They may also have some different behaviors in the way of, for example, dragging and dropping files. The two most popular desktop environments for Linux are GNOME and KDE. The default look for each is shown below; however, remember that they can be heavily customized. (Click each image to enlarge.)
Are you going to continue using proprietary software when using Linux is easier than ever? The use of bootable "live CDs" allows computer users to run an operating system without affecting their hard drive. This is ideal for trying out an operating system because you can get a feel for what it's like before you install it. Many Linux distributions now offer live CDs that you can order from the Web or download and burn yourself. Place the live CD in your computer as it starts up, and you'll boot into that operating system. From there, you'll be able to install it on your hard drive if you like.
At this point, I'd like to recommend a Linux distribution called Ubuntu. In recent years, Ubuntu has become very popular among new users. It's what I installed when I started using Linux about a year ago, and I'm still satisfied with it. Ubuntu is based on the very stable Debian distribution, and a new version is released every six months. It is and will always be free of charge. Ubuntu uses the GNOME desktop environment by default, but a version with KDE is also available. Optionally, professional tech support is available at a cost, but it's hardly necessary due to the large amount of community support available from the Ubuntu Forums.
Here's information about downloading the Live CD, which can also be used to install the operating system. If you can't burn CDs, you can request free live CDs from Ubuntu's ShipIt service.
As a testament to Linux's growing popularity, Ubuntu is now available pre-installed on certain Dell desktop and laptop computers. For more information, see Dell's page on Ubuntu PCs.
If you have problems with Ubuntu or decide it isn't for you, I recommend trying out the Linux Distribution Chooser. It consists of a short quiz about your technical knowledge and what you want in an operating system. The site then recommends Linux distributions based on your answers.
I hope this information serves as a starting point for your journey into the world of Linux and free software! I'd be glad to try my hand at any other questions you may have. See the About Me page for my contact information.
Last updated August 17, 2008
Created January 4, 2008
Special thanks to Mark and Daniel for their help with this page, but above all, Luke, without whom it wouldn't have been possible.
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