Why you chose to switch from windows to linux

[acid45]

Well, when I started having an interest in linux was not too long after the release of Windows ME. It seemed like Windows was going the wrong way.

So I tried to get a Red Hat installed on my Pentium-S 75MHz. I didn't know anything about bootable CD's while burning so I could never figure it out.

Then I gave up went to the nearby computer store, yelled at a guy for selling me something worse than what I had then left. Then I re-installed Win98.

After a few years I ended up being bored with computers and games. I was really really bored, so I tried taking up linux again. Still didn't work, I tried the same year old CD's.

Years later I go to school and I had a linux class and there was a guy there that always had his own laptop playing with debian linux, programming etc.

I bought a magazine, linux format because it said it had a linux distro that you could install using the CD. It cost me $20! That was slackware 8.1 Little did I know slackware was the BEST distro out there. No GUI tomfoolery, just linux, pun intended

After trying it out on my aunts computer I said yay this one works. Looking on the net for help I quickly stopped trying to fix things. After a while I started trying to fix things but didn't usualy end up with success, just more broken things.

Then I stopped using linux and stole a version of windows XP. Since then I've been trying to learn linux and I no longer have a stolen key :P She got a new computer and already had windows XP pro, although the computer came with windows xp home on the recovery disks She asked me if I wanted to use her CD key 'cause she knew I had an illegal copy.

Now I'm trying to learn linux, only reason. Windows sucks but they do have a lot of good games, and it works when my foolishness gets me in trouble in linux.

Oh! And I'm a caboose.

PS I have started su rooting

[thedreampolice]

I love the idea of the GNU so I try and use GNU software whenever I can.

[LinuxFanatic]

I just got fed up with Windows BSOD and numerous reboot sequences. One of my friend, had a PC quest magazine with a redhat 6 on. I tried the install sequence, with moderate success. Some devices worked - not all the devices worked, could not get sound etc. But still stability wise, it was far far superior. So from then on, I have been using linux for most of my works, which is basically checking e-mail, browsing the net and some document creation and some programming (mainly c). In this I have an advantage, I write my stuff in Tex/Latex. So, availability (rather non-availability) of office suit was not an hindrance. As time went, thing improved in leaps and bounds for linux, everying from availability of programming to user inetrfaces. For couple of years now, I am an exclusive linux user. Now even have removed the windows (vfat) partition.

[XbaxeSysAdmin]

I switched to linux because i had to keep a antivirus , fiirewall and ad-aware everyday , sweeping for any junk that made it to my boxes. I was sick of it because i only had a p3 1ghz and it was dam slow.I learnt about linux through here and now run a totally linux box . It boots WAY faster than win ME and can do more cool stuph. ( i do have a p4 with XP onit but thats for my family )

[acid45]

I know what you mean about SLOW.

My mom has a p3 600 and I'm going to see if I can convert them over to linux. Probably something like ubuntu or mandrake. They(my brothers and mom) have AVG, ad-aware and spybot, with the ad-ware monitors also working.

They are always complaining to me about the speed of these tools and I tell them to leave them on, not necessarily the ad-ware software. They don't and by the end of the day they've been infected. I told them I'm not fixing it for them anymore. That's like 6 times this month...well last month.

I on the other hand have a "blazing fast" athlon 2600+ so with winamp f@h apache sql server and avg running and +200kb/s downloads going I don't have any problems, just a lot of hard drive clicks. If I add the gimp or a lot of browsers to the mix it gets slow.

I'm trying to find replacments for all of their software so they don't have ANY excuses not to run linux.

pros
free
stable
secure

cons
not as user friendly as windows
games

I'll start them off on a dual boot and then they can migrate over completely.

[Parcival]

Palladium, NGSCB

By doing a forum search, you would have found e.g. this and this out of the many threads covering this question.

[acid45]

You chose linux as a safeguard?

Sorry, I don't know how to search or something.

I did do a thread search and it didn't bring anything up other than people asking which distro was the best, about 23 of them.

Thanks for the links. The first one confuses me though.

I get it now... their security sucks :P

[blackbelt_jones]

For me, also Palladium.

[Parcival]

Originally posted by acid45
You chose linux as a safeguard?

No. I chose Linux because I want to run free software that gives me free access to my own private data in the future.

With the concept of NGSCB implemented in Palladium the danger exists you are not able to look at your own private files anymore in case the subscription to your software runs out and you don't want or are not able to subscribe to it again. If you look at the mess concerning legal music downloads and DRM protected MP3 files resulting in incompatibilities between various online music shops and MP3 players, you get an idea what I'm talking about. This is the exact oposite philosophy of what e.g. OpenOffice is all about. With OpenOffice you will always be able to look at your files since it is free software with no monopoly behind it tempted to have your liscence of Word run out on e.g. January 1st 2010.

Having all encrypted communication between your software and your hardware promises great security (and Microsoft doesn't get tired advertising it - see link in previous post), but it also greatly reduces your freedom.

Another thread search would have pointed you at this thread.

[acid45]

so palladium is just renamed to NGSCB

[blu.gecko]

Why I choose linux over windows, is becuse If I went to any software store, I would pay 89.00 for XP HOME or more for the basic system, if I wanted a office program I would have to get Microsoft Office, unless a linux user let my know about openoffice.org for windows, not to mention spyware and antivirus, now I could download everthing for the net, but that breaks software contracts and soforth. I use Windows XP on my older laptop for my daughters games, but she is 5 years old and loves nemo, and aurthor.

[acid45]

You do know OOo is available for windows right?

[ions]

DRM, privacy and licences.

[eskiled]

pure curiosity.

[bburton]

I started using Linux shortly after my family got our first computer. I had heard about it from a friend, and it sounded interesting. I really had no idea what to expect, or what Linux really was, but I decided to give it a try anyways. So I went down to the mall and bought a boxed copy of RedHat 5.2, which was the popular distro at the time.

To tell you the truth, at first I didn't know what to expect. Keep in mind that RH5.2's default WM is FVWM95... I thought it was a cheap ripoff of Windows. But I soon realized that there was much more to Linux; I discovered exotic windowing enviroments like AfterStep, and Window Maker. I found out that there was much more to computers than the "Start Button", or "My Computer". I knew some people at school who used Linux.

I got interested.

The next big step for me was when I built my own computer, a year or so later. I had Linux (RedHat of course) on there as a second OS. As I started to play games less and get interested in computers more, I was using Windows less, and Linux more. Eventually, due to a teacher recommending it to me, I switched from RH to Debian. I've NEVER looked back.

Linux is a completely different world from Windows. I actually enjoy getting down and dirty with my OS. I enjoy having absolute control over every aspect of the look and feel of my computer. I love being able to fire up dselect or synaptic (or just do an apt-get), and install/upgrade my software. It's spoiled me. No going to the store to purchase the software, no CD keys, no rediculous EULAs.

I still use Windows (XP), because it came with my laptop. Really all I use it for is games. I agree with the Free Software movement, yet I still believe proprietary software is fine. I will always pursue a FOSS product first, then only if I can't find what I'm looking for, will I go non-free.