Since the inception of the computer,
operating systems (OS) have been required to
operate them. Throughout time, many operating systems were created with varying
degrees of accessibility, security, and vulnerabilities — yet the two of the
most common operating systems on the market to date remain to be Windows, with
a market share of just above 71 percent and
Apple (Mac OS), with a respective
market share of 9.54 percent.
اضافة اعلان
However, down in the trenches of the bottomless pits
of OS that never made it, an underdog has been clawing its way through the
gravel over the last several months. This undefeated champion who stands for
true transparency and absolute control over your systems has continued, time
and time again, to be referred to as one of the most underutilized powerhouses
of the 21st century, and frankly, for a good reason.
Linux, an open-source OS that gives its users
absolute control over their systems, has seen slow but steady growth in its
user numbers over the last few months, mostly due to growing privacy concerns.
When using
Windows or Mac OS, what most users don’t
realize is that the system is proprietary, and as a result, closed off from
access by the average consumer. In other words, these OS’s can add “bloat” to
your computer — or apps that you never have and potentially never would
download.
Additionally, both of the most commonly used
operating software are often filled to the brim with systems that intentionally
spy on you. Akin to how google tracks your movement across the web, users with
Windows or Mac OS are constantly being monitored, and the data is then used
either to fulfill personal needs for the company, or the data is sold to other
companies seeking to fine-tune their products to attract the largest number of
consumers.
This article will outline the top differences
between the traditional OS’s that we all have grown accustomed to and Linux,
the operating system that is free of spyware and bloat.
Access to source code
Linux’s operating system
gives its users complete access to the source code of their kernel. It allows
its userbase to modify anything and everything — even if it means the user is
about to brick their computer.
As a result of the software being open source, most
bugs, issues, or vulnerabilities are fixed on the fly by fellow users around
the world, making the act of updating your OS almost a weekly activity.
However, this open-source code does mean that those
that are maliciously looking to infiltrate the OS can screen for
vulnerabilities too, therefore causing a pseudo-proxy war between black hat
hackers and community members.
Windows and Mac OS, on the other hand, are entirely
privatized. However, the source code to those operating systems is locked, and
only a select few people within the corporations themselves have access to the
source codes.
Customization
While we all know and love
customizing the backgrounds of our desktops — what about customizing things on
the back end?
What if you could fine-tune the total voltage
incoming to your machine, enabling you to control the exact power that your
machine is pumping out? Or potentially completely altering the boot process,
wherein at the click of the start button, 20 different actions would be performed
at lightning speed that you typically would have to perform manually on a
Windows or Mac OS machine?
Therein lies the power of Linux, the entire system
is essentially one big block of Legos, compiled together into a neat shape for
you to play with. Pick it apart, color it in your favorite pallet, or break it
down and build it up from scratch — the world is your oyster.
The latter operating systems, however have minimum
customization, and in fact, limit most of your modifications to preset rulesets
that may feel rather hindering to those that enjoy toying around with their
systems.
Accessibility
To give credit where credit
is due both Windows and Mac OS perform significantly better when it comes to
being appealing to the general consumer.
Linux is relatively challenging to pick up for those
that are not keen on going outside the realms of booting up their devices,
opening a couple of tabs on a browser, and punching out a couple of paragraphs
on their preferred typing software.
That being said, once users get the hang of Linux,
they are able to perform everything that they typically would do on Mac OS or
Windows on the fly and to task and complete much more complicated functions
faster due to the sheer amount of customizability that the Linux has.
In terms of general speed, Linux is faster than any
of the other operating software available on the market, this is a result of
the aforementioned lack of bloatware. For reference, if you’re using Windows,
feel free to open up your task navigator without having any other apps open and
notice how your CPU is always hovering at around 20 percent capacity. With
Linux however, unless you directly launch it yourself, the OS does not and
cannot open any software without your direct command.
Security
Last but not least, and
possibly one of the most trial-proven benefits of the Linux OS, its security.
Remember when we mentioned that being open source
makes it easier for hackers to scan the software for vulnerabilities?
Well, here’s the thing, as a malicious hacker, you
only profit from those machines that you have hacked. Hacking is not what it
appears to be in the movies — it’s a painstaking process that requires
patience, dedication, and an incredible amount of ingenuity.
By nature, Linux is more challenging to hack.
Without going into the details, the system is made to have minimal
vulnerabilities. So, even if a hacker was able to find a weakness on a Linux
user’s device, a few problems usually arise.
As mentioned,
Linux only has a user base of 2.35 percent — a tiny number in comparison to the
far wider scope of the Windows OS. In that case, ask yourself, why would a
hacker even try hacking a system that is significantly harder to hack than
Windows, and only aim to get 2.35 percent of the entire world’s device power
under their thumb.
In essence, the
fact that the operating system is so small and is inherently difficult to hack
in general reduces the incentive for users with malicious intent to ever do
anything about the weaknesses within the OS.
Last but not least, Linux has absolutely no tracking tools
prebuilt into their system. As mentioned, the system is purely open-source, and
as a result, there are no in-built tools that track your clicks and keystrokes,
therefore reducing your total footprint on the web.
Read more Technology
.jpg)
.jpg)
