Eric Doviak
Doviak.net 
Economics and Public Policy Analysis
 
Why you should use GNU/Linux
 
The internet is filled with countless articles that attempt to explain the technological benefits of using GNU/Linux (and Free Software in general) and try to convince you to install a GNU/Linux operating system on your computer. I'll mention a few of those advantages, but here's the most important reason why you should use GNU/Linux:
 
... because it benefits me!
 
That's right! The most important reason why you should use GNU/Linux is because it benefits me!
 
What? That's not good enough for you? Then read about how proprietary software promotes anarchy. Free Software, such as GNU/Linux, is the alternative to anarchy.

What do you use a computer for? To cruise the internet, write an email and type an occasional letter? Do you really need Microsoft Windows to accomplish those tasks? No. You don't. There's very little that proprietary software can do that Free Software cannot do. In fact, you might be more productive if you use Free Software.
   
For example, I analyze large datasets and I cannot use MS Windows for the task because that fat pig of an operating system gorges itself on 500 MB of RAM. Thanks to Microsoft's doors-wide-open security, the virus scanner then sucks away another 250 MB and my statistical package has to nibble on the few crumbs of memory left behind.
  
"No problem!" you say. "Go ahead and install GNU/Linux if it makes your life easier."
 
Well, it's not so easy because almost every computer in corporate America runs MS Windows. Try to convince a system administrator to install a GNU/Linux operating system on your computer and you'll get a long lecture about which statistical software he thinks you should use.
 
The fact that he's never done a statistical analysis in his life is irrelevant. He's the system administrator, therefore he knows more about statistical software than you do.
 
If, by some miracle, you manage to win that spitting contest, the system administrator will cry and complain about how difficult it is to connect a GNU/Linux box to his precious Microsoft servers. You can argue until you're blue in the face, but you ain't winnin' that one.
 
That's why I need you to run GNU/Linux. If more people start demanding GNU/Linux, system administrators will stop buying those crappy Microsoft servers and I'll get the software that I need to do my job!
 
 
use the right tool for the job
 
If you want to beat a nail into the wall, you use a hammer and not a screwdriver. Similarly, if you want to analyze a large dataset, you use a lightweight operating system, you don't start 359 modules at boot time and you don't run a memory intensive desktop (or better yet, you don't use a desktop at all). You pick the right tool for the job.
 
Are there some people who should use MS Windows? Of course! I would not recommend GNU/Linux to someone who must routinely complete PDF forms because its PDF Editor simply cannot perform the task. Similarly, I would not recommend GNU/Linux to a commercial print shop because it doesn't have an image editing program that supports CMYK or PANTONE colorspaces.
  
As far as I'm concerned, those are statements of the obvious. Somehow however Microsoft has forced its wonder-joy, one-size-fits-all operating system on us all.
 
That addiction must be broken.
 
Think about the articles you read in the popular press about technology. What are they describing? They don't review software. They don't compare office suites, web page editors, database managers, etc. Instead they talk about gadgets (e.g. the iPhone, BlackBerry, etc.).
 
But when you go to the office what do you work with? Software or gadgets? You work with software. Software is our set of productivity tools. To increase our economy's productivity, we need innovation in this field. Innovation doesn't occur in the absence of competition however. And competition is what Microsoft has always sought to destroy.
 
GNU/Linux, the BSDs, Free Software and Open Source represent our best hope for restoring competition and innovation to the software industry.
 
Is GNU/Linux right for everyone? Of course not, but we should be given a choice of tools. If only one or two people in an enterprise that employs thousands of people ask for the software of their choice, the IT department will ignore them. If hundreds of people ask for the software of their choice, the IT department must listen.
 
That's why I need you to run GNU/Linux. If more people start demanding GNU/Linux, then I stand a chance of getting the software that I need to do my job!
 

 
GNU/Linux is a better operating system
 
"OK Eric, I understand why you need GNU/Linux, but why should I use GNU/Linux? What's in it for me?"
 
Plenty! GNU/Linux beats MS Windows on every level: from the kernel (which manages communication between hardware and software) all the way up to the desktop.
 
Think about this:  The computer you're using now probably has twice as much memory as the one you used five years ago. So why is your new computer just as slow as the one you used five years ago? Answer: because each new release of MS Windows is twice as bloated as the previous one.

Comparison of memory usage in MS Windows and GNU/Linux
 
In my experience, I have never seen MS Windows XP consume less than 300 MB of RAM. To make matters worse, you also have to let your virus scanner consume another 100 MB (minimum). By contrast, Debian GNU/Linux running KDE only consumes 60 MB of RAM and you don't need a virus scanner.
 
"'Don't need a virus scanner?' Aren't you concerned about security?"
 
GNU/Linux is not vulnerable to viruses for three reasons. First, fewer people use GNU/Linux, so there's less incentive to develop a virus for GNU/Linux. Second, the open development model ensures that more people are watching for vulnerabilities and fixing any vulnerability that they find. Third, GNU/Linux strictly separates "root" and normal users. Only root (the administrator) can install software, so if you accidently download a malicious program while cruising the internet, the malicious program cannot install itself.
 
Another security feature of GNU/Linux systems is integrated package management. In MS Windows you never know if that EXE file you just downloaded is safe or not (until after you click on it). In GNU/Linux, you obtain all of your software directly from your distribution, so you never have to worry about whether or not the source is safe. Your distribution has taken care of those issues for you.
 
 
the true joy of a GNU/Linux system

Once you experience the power, functionality and simplicity of a GNU/Linux desktop, you'll see all of the hairy warts on Microsoft's face. After you experience a GNU/Linux desktop, using a computer will become fun again.

There are several desktops to choose from, but I'll mostly discuss my favorite: KDE. Other desktops, like GNOME and XFCE, also have many of the same features or similar features. To see what a GNU/Linux desktop looks like, check out some KDE screenshots.
 
If you have ever had to keep a large number of windows open on your desktop, then you know how cluttered and disorganized your desktop can become and how difficult it can be to find the information you're looking for. GNU/Linux desktop environments (such as KDE) help you organize your work by allowing you to place the windows onto several different (virtual) desktops. For example, you can place your email client and internet browser on one desktop and a word processor and spreadsheet on another desktop. (If you like, you can also move a window from one desktop to another).

Sometimes however you want to keep two windows visible at once. For example, if you need to write a letter and occaisionally send and receive instant messages from a colleague, it's helpful to keep the instant messenger window above the letter while you're typing the letter.

In MS Windows, you can only do this by altering the widths of the word processor window and the instant messenger window (reducing the space available to both). In KDE, you simply right-click on the window title-bar and select "Keep Above Others," then move the instant messenger to a corner of your screen and type away at your letter! The instant messenger window will be visible while you type the letter.

Another difference between MS Windows and GNU/Linux desktop environments is the taskbar. MS Windows only allows you to have one taskbar, into which you must cram the "start" menu, quick launch icons, a list of open windows and system tray. By contrast, GNU/Linux desktops allow you to have more than one taskbar. I like to keep one at the top and one at the bottom of my screen.
 
It's also easier to copy and paste when working on a GNU/Linux desktop. Suppose you want to use the mouse to do the job. In MS Windows you have to: "Select. Right click. Copy. Point. Right click. Paste." By contrast, you "Select. Point. Middle click." in a GNU/Linux desktop. Six steps vs. three steps.
 
Need to recall an item you copied a few minutes ago? No problem. Just click on the clipboard in the system tray and all of your most recent entries appear. Select the one you want. Point to the location where you want to paste it. Middle click and it's there!
 
Need to see a calendar? You can call up a calendar simply by clicking on KDE's clock. Flip to the month you need, find out what day of the week you were born, have fun. Do that in MS Windows and you'll reset the computer's date and time.
 
Spend some time with GNU/Linux and you'll never be able to look at MS Windows ever again.
 
Finally, if you do data analysis, GNU/Linux will place all of the old Unix utilities -- like Perl and AWK -- at your fingertips. Those utilities were used to process huge data files back in the 1980s. Now imagine what they can do on modern hardware.
 
 
"If it's so great, why isn't it more popular?"
 
The only reason why MS Windows is more popular than GNU/Linux is because MS Windows comes pre-installed on just about every new PC. In the past, a decision to use GNU/Linux meant installing the operating system yourself. That's not a task for the faint at heart, but it has become much simpler in the past few years. (Ubuntu has even gotten it down to an easy seven step process).
 
Recently however major manufactures began offering PCs and notebooks with pre-installed GNU/Linux operating systems. For example, Dell now offers Ubuntu, Lenovo now offers SLED10 from Novell, Everex offers a line of "Green PCs" and Asus offers Xandros (but only on its 7" subnotebooks). These companies join smaller manufacturers such as R Cubed, ZaReason, Linux Certified and Emperor Linux who have been selling GNU/Linux PCs and notebooks for years. So if you're in the market for a new computer, consider buying a GNU/Linux computer from one of those companies.
 
If you're not in the market for a new computer, you can install GNU/Linux on your current computer. Ubuntu's installer is the easiest I have seen. It will get you up and running very quickly.
  
I used to recommend Ubuntu to people who are new to GNU/Linux because their support forums provide almost instantaneous responses. Lately however, I've noticed that the advice provided there is often of very poor quality. In my view, Ubuntu Forum members try to be helpful, but -- on average -- they don't provide good advice because so many of them are new to GNU/Linux and lack the experience necessary to provide good advice.
 
Mepis is another "newbie-friendly" distribution. I've never used it, but I've heard a lot of good things about it. 
 
I use Debian on all of my own computers. It's a wonderful distribution and it's very light on system resources (which is very important if you work with large datasets!), but most people don't begin their GNU/Linux journey with Debian. If you decide to install Debian, take a look at the following HowTo guides:
Finally, if you decide to use GNU/Linux (and I hope you do!), you should read a short guide on the differences between MS Windows and GNU/Linux before you leap into it. I recommend: From Windows to MEPIS. (You can save yourself hours of internet searches by reading that little guide book).
 
 
after installation
 
After installing a GNU/Linux distribution, you'll have one of two reactions:
Welcome to GNU/Linux.
 
Debian has worked very hard to be compatible with just about all hardware, but no one can guarantee a flawless installation.
 
If you do run into hardware trouble, try to remember that if you install an off-the-shelf copy of MS Windows, there's a good chance that you'll have similar difficulties. (In an internal email, Microsoft Executive Mike Nash complained that installing Vista turned his computer into "a $2,100 e-mail machine.") 
 
By contrast, you didn't experience such problems when you first ran MS Windows because all driver issues were resolved before your computer left the factory.
 
Assuming that there is a GNU/Linux driver for your device, searching the web should enable you to find information on how to install the driver that your system needs.
 
Unfortunately, there might not be a GNU/Linux driver for your device. That's not the fault of GNU/Linux. That's the fault of the company that produced your device. Some companies simply do not provide GNU/Linux drivers and they don't provide the technical details necessary to write an open-source driver.
 
Such practices are the equivalent of selling a car with the hood bolted shut and not providing an owner's manual. Try changing the oil. Even if you manage to get the hood open, you'll still won't know what grade of motor oil to pour into the engine.
 
You're going to have to become a mechanic. Fortunately, a lot of experienced GNU/Linux users volunteer their time on web forums to provide the support you need. Unfortunately, the reply often looks like this:
 
# apt-get install madwifi-source madwifi-tools
# m-a prepare
# m-a a-i madwifi
# modprobe ath_pci
# apt-get install wlassistant
 
Welcome to the GNU/Linux command line. Rough translation: "Install the Madwifi source and tools to build an Atheros wireless module. Ask the module assistant to prepare for an installation. Ask the module assistant to automatically install the Madwifi module. Load the module. Install wireless assistant (to manage your wireless connections)."
 
In most cases, there are graphical tools to perform adminstrative tasks, but simply listing the commands is a convenient shorthand for experienced GNU/Linux users. Look how much shorter those five commands are than the five sentences I wrote to describe the process.
 
If the commands look like a foreign language to you, then that's because it is a foreign language. Fortunately, it's a very easy language to learn because a lot of the commands are simple abbreviations of English words (e.g. "rm" means "remove," "cp" means "copy," "mv" means "move").
 
What? You don't want to learn a new language? I understand. Learning is difficult and -- quite frankly -- you can run a GNU/Linux operating system without ever using the command line. There are graphical tools for just about everything.
 
But one of the best selling points of GNU/Linux is the command line. Unlike MS-DOS (which downright frightens me!), the GNU/Linux command line is easy to use and can help you accomplish complex tasks very quickly.
 
For example, suppose you want to merge two PDF files into a new one. You can either go to the command line and type:
 
$ pdftk file_1.pdf file_2.pdf cat output new_file.pdf
 
or you can use a cumbersome PDF editor. In Adobe Acrobat, you would first open file_1.pdf. Then you go to the Document menu, select Pages and select Insert. Next you would select file_2.pdf. Then you have to select the location where you want to insert the pages from file_2.pdf. After you insert the pages, you have to go to the File menu and select Save As. Then you select the location where you want to save the new file, you type a name for the new file and, by the time you finally click the Save button, you are absolutely exhausted.
 
Seven steps to accomplish what you can do in seven words at the command line. And you think the command line is harder?
 
 
it's up to you
 
Yes. There is a learning curve associated with installing and running GNU/Linux, but if you make the investment of time, you'll have a new set of tools that will make you far more productive than you ever were in MS Windows.
 
You won't have to buy a new computer every two years just to keep up with the hardware requirements of the latest MS Windows release. You won't have to worry about viruses.
 
And you get a flashy desktop that blows the doors off of MS Windows.
 
Oh ... Did I mention that it's Free?