What are the Advanteges of ubuntu?

Technology and Gaming Help and Support
#1

So actually from you guys i have become curious of this. Every time the age old flame war of pc v. mac someone brings it up. So i have been thinking about partitioning my hard drive for it. But i don’t really know how it would benefit me, which is why i am asking you. What exactly are the advantages of running a Linux or Unix based os?
The kind of answers i am looking for are sorta like does it have exclusive software? Does it run faster? How stable? Games (nuff said)?
I already figure it’s immune to most viruses since its not that well known but could it help me with viruses on my windows side if i got a Trojan or something?
By the way the os i am currently running is windows 7
Thanks in advance

(yes i know there is google, but i find an active forum with multiple people answering to be more reliable then 1 guy on some random guide/tutioral/blog page)

#2

Honestly, Ubuntu is only a good free alternative to Windows if you’re not much of a gamer. It’s got everything you need when it comes to media and Internet, some games too, but if you want to play PC games, forget emulation and play on the real thing. It’s specially good on netbooks and older computers, since the system requirements are much lighter than Windows.

However, if you want to get more serious with it, you have to learn terminal commands, since some of the more advanced programs require manual installation through Terminal, which is basically like the Command Prompt in Windows, but real.

#3

Since Lunix is all about the console and you can’t type for shit I’d say stay away from Ubuntu.

#4

Well, Ubuntu (and Kubuntu) are probably the best Linux distros when migrating from Windows if you’re a regular user. If all you need is a web browser and a word processor/spreadsheet editor than those are good enough.

They’ve got the largest software repository so you can get plenty of software and they’re one of the most GUI driven Linux distros around, so you don’t always need to use the terminal.

But if you’re a gamer… get Windows :stuck_out_tongue:

#5

If you’re a poor person, or have a sexual fetish for finding drivers and the GPL, go for it.

If you’ve already got Windows 7, there’s no reason to install. Keep a live boot disc handy for an emergency if you want.

#6

:3

#7

I have ubuntu on an SD card, it can boot from it and stuff.

#8

I’ve been using Fedora for years, and I like that better than Ubuntu. So you might check into that.

#9

The one of the advantage of ubuntu is that it comes with a control panel but also comes with a menu next to the Applications menu where you simply select the thing you want to change, be it the Desktop background or the network settings. Everything on the windows that appear is simple and there are just the options you need so it is easy to change the options.

#10

You can run aircrack-ng and madwifi.org from your desktop without rebooting into a new OS.

#11

haha oh wow i lol’d

#12

I use those programs many times a week, it can be annoying.

#13

If you want to experiment Ubuntu, you have also the option of using a virtual machine rather than creating a new partition for Ubuntu, this way you can test without much trouble. I am a Kubuntu user, I prefer Kubuntu over Windows 7 a thousand times.

It is much safer, specially because you usually won’t just download an installer of a random program from some random page on the Internet, but instead you’ll download from the repositories maintained by Canonical (the Company behind Ubuntu) and volunteers. It is much less likely to install malware that way, that is why Linux viruses have a hard time spreading themselves.

Contrary to what people usually say, you don’t need to use the terminal, the terminal is actually a bonus. You can do many things from the terminal you won’t do easily without it, either in Windows or in Linux. But you can live without it most of the times. It is much easier to do complex things using a terminal. For instance, telling the computer to shut down after one hour or do a sequence of commands (e.g. update your system, download a program and shut down) while you are e.g. at lunch is very easy if you know basic terminal stuff.

You won’t need to defragment your HD, and you will get less damage to your data in the case of a blackout because of the journaling system of the partitions. Manipulations on the hard drive archives also seems to be a lot faster than in Windows. Sometimes in Windows 7 you have to wait a while until it starts to copy a file or when a program asks for administrative rights, which is very annoying, at least to me.

If you intend to learn programming, you should really try Linux.
OpenOffice is very good, you won’t miss Microsoft Office.

Anyway, all I know is that I can’t live with Windows 7, it annoys more than helps me. I use it just for gaming, and for some time using Wine I survived for a long time without any Windows in my machine at all. My Windows installation is actually very simple, with all Windows features deactivated, a Firefox and games. Everything else I do in my Kubuntu: most of my Internet browsing, listening to music, watching movies, torrent, instant messenger, programming, using tex… Kubuntu also helped me a lot when I changed my hard disc two days ago - I couldn’t count on Windows very much for that.

#14

Why in the feck buckets has no one mentioned WINE?

I use Linux Mint, which is possibly the most beginner friendly linux distribution.

As far as general use and stability you have these pros: MUCH more stable than Windows (although as of Vista SP2 and Windows 7, Micro$oft is getting more reliable), Virtually no viruses, and best of all, its free. Its a full package that contains everything for the average computer user. But your not an average computer user…your a gamer so things get a little different now.

Cons: Game compatibility. Most games simply aren’t designed for Linux, BUT you do have a choice…its called WINE, it is basically an api that lets you run many windows programs on Linux…but not all. Though most (sometimes no HDR ) official half-life titles run beautifully with just a wee bit of configuration :slight_smile:

Linux is awesome, I love it. If I could do Linux and have its babies I would.

BUUUUUUTTT if your looking for something quick, easy and dumbed down…stick with windows. Linux is a bit of work…but its worth every penny.

Edit: Also, Chuck Norris uses Linux.

#15

Honestly I have seen Kubuntu do some amazing things. I’ve seen windows emulated in Kubuntu and it seemed to run better than windows could run itself but still not good enough to play good games on.

If I lived around my buddy who is anti-windows pro linux I would try to get into Ubuntu/Kubuntu allot more than I am now. If you really want to unleash what those OS can offer you have to understand the software pretty well. And it has a steep learning curve if you want to do more than just use the internet and spreadsheet features.

Naturally just about any linux system will be more secure than windows. But if you think about it why would evil programmers want to write viruses for an OS that less than 10% of the world uses? Most people use windows and because of that is the reason why windows isn’t so “secure”.

Those linux distros run incredibly efficient compared to windows. But they still crash allot if you don’t know how to configure it.

I had my laptop dedicated to Ubuntu as a learning tool. But when I tried to install ATI drivers I broke it… But in Ubuntu’s defence ATI never really made any efforts to make a driver. Either way I didn’t know what I was doing and I haven’t touched my laptop since. It’s just too much of a head ache

#16

I’m currently looking forward to OpenSolaris 2010.03 :stuck_out_tongue:

#17

There is no reason to run Linux as a desktop OS unless you need to learn it for work.

#18

That could be said of just about any of the major desktop operating systems surely. Windows and MacOSX too. Personally I say play around with it, and if you enjoy it use it. The Ubuntu forums are very friendly, and they’ll help you with anything. Its also a free current generation operating system, so if you’re building on a budget, it’s £120 you don’t have to spend on an OS.

Personally I find it quite a good OS with a relatively steep learning curve (well to me) but that’s mostly because I know exactly how to handle a windows installation, with time, I’ll probably find Ubuntu as easy to use.

#19

To be honest, I find Windows much harder to use than Linux. Very often you need a program that does very basic stuff. Even if you know the name of the program, you need to hunt it on the Internet, wait for the download to complete, run the installer, click “next” a thousand times. Or worse, spend your time and money to buy some program in some store.

In Linux, you just open your package manager, type the name of the program, click on some sort of check box, click on OK and wait. Linux’s updates also includes updates of the programs installed, you don’t need to keep track of the version of the programs you have (and hunt the new versions again on the web). Even after the update, all you have to do is close and re-open the application to use the new version.

To me, the issue with ease of use is compatibility with unusual devices, e.g. a scanner or a tablet, or using Wine to make some Windows applications work.

Well, but that is just me, I respect the opinion of who prefers Windows :slight_smile:

#20

Downloading mint linux v8 now for USB launch, just so I can test it out without having to format.

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