In our last post, we explored what the Lenovo Linux program is and what is currently available at Lenovo. Today, we are going to cover some of the reasons why people might be interested in Linux. It can be a complicated topic so we'll just cover some basics - but let me know any questions and I'm happy to answer (or cover in more depth in future posts).
What is Linux?
Linux is an operating system, much like Windows and OSx, with the big difference being that it's "open source". That means anybody can go and read the code and you can go and make changes yourself. This means it's completely free, both in cost and in what you can do with it, and that has some big advantages over closed source systems.
Why use Linux?
- Cost: It's free! You can download a version of Linux from the distribution provider of your choice (there are many) and use it however you like. Some distro's will have support licenses if that's what you need
- Security: Linux has been designed with security in mind and is arguably the easiest way to avoid malware and viruses. Because all the code is readable by anybody it means it has been well reviewed and the quality of code is high. Having contributed some code to the Linux kernel I can personally attest that the standards for code being accepted is high!
- Privacy: There is no user data collection or tracking by default. The open source community believes strongly in privacy. It's nice to know that your personal data is completely yours.
- Flexibility. Does your operating system work as you want it to? There is an enormous choice of versions of Linux available with a plethora of different user experiences. If you really want to change something there's always the ability to make the changes yourself!
- High Stability. Linux is very stable and stays running fast without regular reboots being needed. There's a reason most of the worlds servers are running Linux!
- Open-Source. This is the reason you get all the above - a single company doesn't get to define how the operating system works or get to change it to maximize their revenue. It's been developed by a community for the community which means it's focused on what the end user wants and needs. That's powerful!
Linux isn't for everyone. We'll cover some of the limitations in a future post, along with details on how you can try it on your system (without affecting the Windows that is installed).
If you have any questions, comments or want to share experience of why you've tried or used Linux, please comment below!