Why do you use Linux?

[jediphx]

early morning Linux poll

 

[Cogman]

My choice is that it is fun to use and I just like it (I use both right now). I guess it is the novelty of being able to compile and tweak everything that really pulls me into it.

Don't really hate MS, can afford another OS, since winXP I find that they are both fairly usable and stable, and my work does not involve computers.

I guess I could vote the third.

 

[drag]

I use it because of the Freedom it provides.

I am not restricted by corporate agendas, greed, profiteering, and other such nonsense. Nobody is going to try to prevent me from transfering files or updating my programs or changing the media formats of movies I buy or anything like that.
I am not limited by obnoxious EULAs. I can copy it, hack it, give it away, customize it and do whatever I want with it. Give it to you, to mom, install it on multiple computers. Take a single copy and use it to run a entire school district or business.

It's 'mine', my computer is 'mine'. In a much more complete manner then is provided for by proprietary OSes. It's 'mine' on my terms, and it follows my own whims. If I don't like something I can change it, swap out peices or do whatever.

Do people remember hearing people freaking out on Microsoft and friends saying things like 'I bought he software, it's mine, why can't I install it on many computers or make many copies of it. I paid for it!'.

Nowadays people don't think twice about having to purchase multiple copies of software. It's 'normal'. People often think a person holding a position like was stated just above is ignorant or even selfish. Maybe even criminal if they end up carrying out their desires.

Personally I still feel that way. So to avoid the whole stupid mess and restrictions and other irritating things I simply refuse to use windows or os x for anything remotely important.

I don't have to pay extra for 'SDK's. I don't have to belong to any development club or subscribe to any special privilaged position to get cheap hardware. I don't have to sign away my rights in order to examine how programs work. I have access to the same tools and code that was used to build my OS in the first place. I have many choices between desktop environments, editors, distributions, and other such things.

Basicly all the perks and such that I can enjoy because the freedom that is afforded me by the generous programmers who made my operating system and applications.

I am more comfortable with Linux then Windows. It's easier for me to use and I only buy hardware and use software that is compatable with it.

Why on earth would I want to use Windows for anything? The joy of paying 75-400 dollars (depending on what functionality I want unlocked) for a single copy of a OS? With which I will still be called a pirate if I try to install it on both my machines at home. Applications cost extra, no proper way to upgrade the entire OS other then the core elements. Bizzare things like this

Microsoft is a company that will sell controls to it's own customer's PC to other corporations (RIAA, Hollywood, pornographers, etc), that the customers themselves don't have, in the name of drm protections.. and then tell me that they are doing it because it's what I and other customers want?

It's almost otherworldly.

If other people like it, then that's fine by me. It isn't going to bother me even if it's a bit confusing. They have different requirements and different values. So that's how it goes. If Microsoft wants to impose obnoxious requirements with it's EULA, then that's fine. They can do what they want; it's their software.

 

[n0cmonkey]

I use it at work, so I use it at home. Sometimes. I also have a couple of Macs, plenty of OpenBSD installs, and occassionally Solaris. Plus a Windows install.

 

[nweaver]

I bit of work up front yields a machine that (imho) is more useable in the long run. I don't like paying for something that is out of date quickly, and has artificial restrictions put into place (such as 5 SMB limit in XP). Also, package management is the way of the future...it's so damn freaking nice to just type a line and install a program, libraries, etc. It's also nice to be able to update your machine quickly and easily.

I believe that both can be secure (and both can be insecure)

I believe both can be stable (and both can be unstable)

I use both (but prefer Linux)

 

[Brazen]

Drag and mweaver already said pretty well the same reasons why I use linux. Plus, I want a home server and I don't want to pay out the wazoo for Windows Server or be bothered by the restrictions of using XP as a server, plus a GUI-less linux server with Apache, torrentflux, MySQL and Samba runs like a dream on my 500mhz Celeron with 512MB Ram.

In addition, on the desktop, f-spot is the best tool I've found for touching up pictures of my kids and Totem is the best program I've found for viewing media. There are other little things too, like the clean look of Gnome and the way things are laid out. My wife didn't have a single problem when I switched our laptop from XP to Ubuntu, but she complained to no end when I switched our desktop (which we rarely even use) from XP to Vista. Plus I get all my software from the Ubuntu repos, so it's all super easy to install, and it's all super easy to keep updated so I'm secured from hackers and viruses without even having to run extra antivirus and antimalware programs.

 

[Noema]

Learning experience.

 

[ITJunkie]

Well, for me it's pretty much due to value. I work in a Small Business environment and many of the tools I use that are available on Windows cost a bloody fortune. Linux provides me the opportunity to use "enterprise-class" solutions at no cost...other than my time.
And for all the other reasons posted above as well

 

[ObscureCaucasian]

I use it to learn and because of the flexibility. Personally I feel that windows is a bit faster and tighter, but thats my opinion. I like being able to get almost all my software for free on Linux too.

 

[Alone]

More customizable, in my opinion.

 

[sourceninja]

I'm a programmer, there are better tools for programing on linux. Namely better shells, crons, languages, toolkits, etc.

 

[DarkThinker]

1- Freedom, Freedom, Freedom. Freedom as in beer and in speech.
2- POWER!!! The power of a Unix style OS allows you to unleash hell on all of your encounters, either you need a makeshift tool in order to handle sudden challenges, or you want to make critical application run smoothly and in a stable fashion, a Linux based OS is your free solution to all of that.
3- Creativity, I haven't seen operating systems inspiring people to get more creative and content producing more than Linux based operating systems, there is always something happening in the community and there is always something new coming up.
4- Bugs could be handled either by developers or by end users wichever is more convenient.
There is so much more to it, but that's what come to mind the moment I thought about it, it takes time and patience to know what you are doing, however when you do, you can never let it go!

"A software user that gets a taste of freedom can never go back to the ways of slavery" The revered DarkThinker during a free software protest 2007!

 

[Fineghal]

Learning, stability, and most importantly, interface.

Have you ever tried any of the alternate shells for windows? Completely terrible, every single one.

To me at least, the xp interface gets in my way when I'm trying to get work done. (Although it's better with the Royal Noir theme.)

 

[hasu]

There are several reasons. Poll options doesn't cover all:

1. I use it for freedom (as in speech). In fact, I already lost one windows XP license because I activated two OEM licenses on the same motherboard (second one after a silly memory upgrade). I have 4 more windows licenses sitting on my shelf never activated yet.

2. Whenever I said I didn't like Microsoft's licensing strategies some one would always be smart enough to say that "no one asked you to use Windows". To me that argument was absurd during those times because there were no alternatives easy enough. But now we are in a time where Linux has grown to be almost (well, to me, it is still only almost) as simple, effective, useful, supported as Windows. I don't have to say I don't like Microsoft license schemes any more, becasue there is an alternative.

3. I can say "My" operating system is mine to satisfy my ego.

4. I beleive that knowledge is power and there is more knowledge in open source than closed source.

5. When I was younger I used to buy lot of books only to get code snippets to learn better programming methods. Whenever anyone from younger generation talk to me about computers, I encourage them to learn programming. I realised that they can learn much more from an open source solution than a closed source one. I must first learn at least some of it since I recommend it for others.

6. Flexibility. Linux is much more flexible than windows

7. I don't like all the modern improvised licensing schemes.

By the way...

1. I still work with Windows, .NET and its development tools for work related stuff (at work and at home) because I like Windows. Windows belongs to those who developed it (or helped in that process) not Microsoft. Microsoft is the company who markets it.

2. I still drive Accord because Honda doesn't aim to get $17,000 net profit when they sell one for $20,000. I don't have to pay anything extra when I have more than two passengers in the car or even when I haul a trailer.

3. I can't blame anybody shooting for 85% net profit because I believe in market driven economy. All publicly traded companies are obliged to aim for higher profits even if 90% of the share holders are within the company itself.

Edit: added one more reason

 

[bersl2]

Let's just say that when I was using Windows and things broke, I would engage in what I would call "Voodoo computing", consisting of doing something---anything---and hoping it would fix the problem.

Now that the machine is no longer a black box, I actually understand how and why things work (or don't work). It may take more effort to set things up, but the peace of mind is worth any extra hassle.

 

[networkman]

At the moment money is a little tight, so I figured it'd be a perfect time to give it another shot.

 

[Tbirdkid]

I use it so i can ask drag a bunch of questions and he always gives me the answer and then some...


8)

 

[BurnItDwn]

I use it on my server because it's generally pretty stable and secure enough. Also because it's Free.
I use it for my HTPC because MythTV runs best on Linux, and I'm not aware of any HTPC software that can come even close to competing with MythTV. Also because it's free.

That said, I run OpenBSD on my firewall rather than Linux, because It takes less work to keep an OpenBSD box secure, and because I wanted to learn pf.
I also run OpenBSD on my laptop because it has an ever so slightly smaller memmory footprint, and it just seems to run a bit faster, than Linux. (Laptop is a 450mhz machine with 192mb of ram. I run Blackbox on Xorg.)

I run Windows on my gaming rig, because I still like to play games sometimes, and Windows is the best gaming platform.

 

[Jeff7181]

I used Linux for a while on a spare box because it's free. Wasn't going to pay $100 for a Windows license for a spare computer that doesn't even get used an hour a day. I ditched it, however, to install Windows Home Server when I got accepted for beta 2.

I use Windows on my main desktop and laptop because it was free/cheap. Vista Business from powertogether.com for free, Windows XP for $40 4 or 5 years ago because I'm a Microsoft Partner, and Office 2007 for free from a Microsoft seminar in Detroit.

 

[pelikan]

It's the vibe.

 

[Ausm]

Stability and I also use it at work.


Ausm

 

[nonameo]

My needs are simple, and linux is the simplest, easiest solution.

 

[Hyperblaze]

The question in my mind is why not?

I'm a LAMP developer. I use Linux/UNIX as my server and Linux as my desktop.

 

[sleepkyng]

i'm just getting into linux, but i'm not really a big computer guy.
i've been using puppylinux on an old gateway 5300 and it has brought new life into that laptop.

it's still wierd because it's very much a different world than windows or osx.

but i really love the idea that anything can be created on the platform with enough work.

 

[greylica]

Use to 3D works
Use to everything in my life