Why do I use Linux? Why do I spend much of my time suggesting others use it? Is it just because it's available for free?
I'm not a programmer. Yet Linux is built on the philosophical principle of freely sharing source code. This is how those who create Linux frequently advocate it.
But if I'm not a programmer, and source code therefore means little to me, why do I use Linux? Why do I spend much of my time suggesting others use it? Is it just because it's available for free? (Spoiler: no.) These are interesting questions that are not discussed very often.
I list my personal reasons for using Linux below. Some are downright practical, while others are more philosophical. I invite you to post your own reasons for using Linux in the comments below.
On the other hand, if you're one of those teetering on the brink of switching to Linux, reading this list might be a good place to start, and you may find some inspiration to make the leap (if you are a Linux beginner, you might also consider getting a copy of my free-of-charge book too).
Control over my system
I have the freedom to do what I want with Linux. Crucially, there's no "right way" or "wrong way" of doing things (although there are sensible and efficient ways of doing things, of course).
In the Linux community, you'll never hear somebody say, "Hey! You're not supposed to do that!" or, "Serves you right for doing it the wrong way!" Instead, what you're more likely to hear is, "Hey! I didn't know you could do that! That's cool!" Innovative solutions are encouraged. Feel free to explore.
This freedom extends to my choice of software too. If I don't like a particular piece of software, I can use an alternative. This is true even of desktop or system components, which in Windows and Mac OS X are considered set in stone. I can even run Linux without the Linux kernel if I want to!
Here's an example of why this kind of freedom is good. When using Ubuntu on my netbook, I bypass the built-in Network Manager program that configures wi-fi, and configure the network manually.
Put simply, this lets me get online straight away after waking the netbook from suspend. But if I did this kind of tweak under Windows, people would point out that it's somehow "wrong". You should do things the way Microsoft tells you to! Get back into line, soldier!
Under Linux, I can do what the hell I want, and nobody will ever tell me otherwise. That's not just how I roll. That's how it is with Linux.
NEXT PAGE: Linux is on my side
Comments
Lemon said: Even as an enuthuiast OSits not a comfortable feeling knowing that there is no one accountable for your experienceIT IS WHAT IT ISthey dont have to worry about their profit margins affected bad publicitybranding getting dragged through the dirttheres bad programmers everywhere and that includes in the free source code world i just feel better when someone is held accountable for quality rather than some joe soap doing as it wantsIve heard this story near 15 years ago and linux has gained no ground since thenits fun but will never crack it in the real world
Alex said: Good article as yo points out Linux is generally a more technical OS despite huge improvements its still very much an enthusiasts OS One minor point when you say you can run Linux without the Linux kernel this is not true Linux IS the kernel most of the toolsappscompilers etc are from the GNU Operating system So really all Linux distributions are GNULinux OSs if we are being completely correct
yo said: LINUX is made for tech savvy people No everyone is comfortable in using it Where as Mac OS X is designed to ease life and so is windows
william said: i have tried various flavors of linux and i would absolutely love to stay with linux however the two main things i love is editing videos and playing games none of which work properly through various programs in linux of course there is wine but its no where near guaranteed that will workif you have any recommendations on what to try be my guest
Peter said: Ive sampled both Ubuntu and Linux Mint which while based on Ubuntu has a better GUI in my opinion However while there is much too admire there wasnt enough to convince me to change from Win XP which I think Ill be sticking with for some time to come Ill nevertheless keep an eye on Linux continuing development though and when the time comes to say goodbye to XP I may make the jump to Linux