Once upon a time having a penguin on your desktop and using the word, Linux, instantly marked you down as a techno geek. But not any longer! For today’s breed of Linux user is someone like you and me.
What was once the realm of the Windows-hating techie has now gone distinctly mainstream thanks to giant leaps forward in user-friendliness. Over the last four years or so, the Linux operating system has gained significant traction in the enterprise market, so much so that Windows and Apple computers are no longer the only choices available to business users.
But what is all the fuss about? What makes Linux so special and interesting to companies of all sizes?
To a large extent it all comes down to bottom line. Linux, you see, is open source software. It’s as powerful and reliable as its better-known counterparts – but Linux is completely free. There are no per seat licence fees to pay and no recurring costs.
Now, this all sounds a bit too good to be true. But it is dead gen. In fact, most people are probably using Linux already but they just don’t know it as the open source operating system powers everything from servers to mobile phones and runs a sizeable part of the internet to boot. Dig a little deeper and you will also find that Linux is becoming more common in schools, government departments and industry. Linux now also ships as the operating system of choice on a small but growing number of laptop models.
Linux is not new. Its antecedents date back to the early 1990s and over that time it has matured into a serious rival to Windows. That, though, is where the comparison ends. Linux is a completely different animal. Whereas one company, Microsoft, owns Windows, no one company or individual can lay claim ownership of Linux.
It was originally released into the world as ‘free to air’ software. Its Finnish creator, Linus Torvalds, altruistically waived rights to Linux with ‘ownership’ in practice passing to the global internet community. The core programming code of Linux is therefore what is known as open source.
Unlike Windows, which essentially operates the computer and allows other software to run, the open source status of Linux confers the right to access the source code to modify and operate the software exactly as you wish. The central nuts and bolts of the operating system are laid bare, not jealously guarded, enabling users, should they wish and have the knowledge, to customise their computer system to their exact individual needs.
Put another way, if Windows were a CD it would be a pre-recorded compilation album. Linux, on the other hand, would be a CD that contained the same tracks but also let you add your own favourite music and mash up the pre-recorded stuff as well.
Nobody and everybody, then, owns Linux. Volunteers and a variety of organisations work together to develop Linux and make it available to the public via CD or download. Over the years what has evolved is not one definitive version of Linux but rather a variety of flavours that are the same under the hood but tweaked in different ways.
Furthermore, Linux is not merely a stand-alone operating system. Around it has grown a myriad of equally free open source software, virtually everything you can do on a PC or Apple machine can be done with Linux: and a whole lot cheaper, costs again being the price of a CD or the download bandwidth. Whichever way you look at it, Linux is vastly cheaper than more familiar proprietary brands.
And, given its community-owned pedigree, Linux also tends to be far less bloated than paid-for rivals. Efficiency is all and so computing resource overheads are low; most Linux versions will run on a very modestly specced PC. As low, in fact, as a 300MHz processor with 128MB RAM, giving older hardware a new lease of life instead of consignment to the nearest recycling centre.
Inevitably, as with all change, there are some downsides for some people. What might stop a business switching to Linux? Let’s see.
1. The major worry is compatibility with existing software and hardware. Commercial Windows or Apple software won’t work with Linux, except in many instances with a fair amount of cajoling from special emulator software designed specifically for this task. Alternatives are generally available, but may not be entirely suitable for your needs.
In terms of hardware, every piece of kit needs to be checked for compatibility and Linux drivers sourced. Most problems are likely to occur with newer hardware rather than older peripherals for which there has been plenty to time for the Linux community to write appropriate drivers.
2. Creating a Linux office network is simplest when starting completely from scratch. Shoehorning Linux into an existing set up could easily turn into a nightmare without a lot of forward planning and testing. Installing on one test machine would be the way to go in order to protect mission-critical tasks and to evaluate Linux before considering a wider replacement programme.
3. It’s neither Windows nor Apple. Linux is similar but different in a number of ways. The terminology differs and so does the way of doing certain things. Users will need to learn a new operating system.
4. Very few computer manufacturers pre-install Linux, the notable exceptions include Dell and Pioneer. There is therefore a time and skills commitment in installing Linux on several machines. Linux installations aren’t always terribly straightforward.
Next time: What flavour of Linux to sample and how to install it.
