We tell people we use Linux because it’s secure. Or because it’s free, because it’s customizable, because it’s free (the other meaning), because it has excellent community support…
But all of that is just marketing bullshit. We tell that to non-Linuxers because they wouldn’t understand the real reason. And when we say those false reasons enough, we might even start to believe them ourselves.
But deep underneath, the real reason remains.
We use Linux because it’s fun!
It’s fun to tinker with your system. It’s fun to change all the settings, break the system, then have to go to recovery mode to repair it. It’s fun to have over a hundred distros to choose from. It’s fun to use the command line.
Let me say that again. It’s fun to use the command line.
No wonder non-Linuxers wouldn’t understand.
The point with us Linux fans is – we use Linux for its own sake. Sure, we like to get work done. Sure, we like to be secure from viruses. Sure, we like to save money. But those are only the side-effects. What we really like is playing with the system, poking around, and discovering completely pointless yet fascinating facts about the OS.
There are three main reasons Linux is so much fun:
1. Linux gives you complete control
Ever tried stopping a process in Windows and the OS wouldn’t let you? Ever tried deleting a file – and you couldn’t? Even though you had admin rights?
Linux lets you do anything. That’s the great benefit of usually logging in as user. If you login as the root, the OS assumes you know what you’re doing. Once you become root, everything is allowed.
2. Linux isn’t widely used
This is a paradox. We often complain Linux isn’t more widely used. But that’s one of the reasons we use it. It gives us a feeling of being a special clique. Like we’re better than “those ignorant masses”.
If Linux becomes widely used, we’ll probably switch to something else. Or at least develop an obscure distro that only we will use. Because, let’s face it, we want to feel special.
3. Linux is free (as-in-speech)
We can get the source code for all our applications. If we want to know how a certain part of the OS works, we can. This lets us tweak and play with our systems. And we absolutely loo-o-o-ve tweaking our system.
Of course we can’t tell non-Linuxers we use Linux because it’s fun – they’d stick us into a mental asylum quicker than you can say “antidisestablishmentarianism”. So we’ll keep telling them the false yet plausible reasons for using Linux. But deep inside, we’ll know the real reason we use Linux.
And maybe, just maybe, next time someone asks me why I use Linux, I’ll flash a huge smile and answer: “Because using Linux is FUN!”
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I have to agree and disagree with you:
I wanted to turn my home computer into a web server and network storage device. Linux seemed to be the only free way (and possibly the only way) to do this.
This has turned out to be quite successful. http://ankh.is-a-geek.com
And as I have gone through the process I have warmed to Konsole… but
Oh yes, there is a but.
But before I started trying to breath new life into an old desktop with nxclient and apache2 I tried to use ubuntu on my acer laptop.
It was a nightmare. I found myself struggling to use the same freeware software (VLC, GIMP etc) that ran perfectly smoothly under windows. As a desktop operating system in its own right I found linux had nothing to offer me but headaches.
So that is my overall opinion of linux: I love it for the incredible things it is capable of, but I find it lacking for basic use.
The simple fact that a bebo page will display funny and use up all of my processor power is example enough of this.
That is pretty straight!
True for me too.
AMAZING how we forget all of the incovenience, frustration, and anger that comes with the power to tinker and customize Linux to our hearts content.
Very True!!!
You Linuxians are so weird. Free-as-in-speech/beer. Huh? People care about that? If I went into the Home Depot and they said, “Here’s the schematics for your drill, FREE!” I just wouldn’t care.
I get a nervous -tick- whenever I hear Linuxians wax poetic about how we could save the world if we would only put world peace on a Linux box.
Keep up the fight. I know FOSS is putting the heat on other proprietary companies to build better products. I can respect that.
But the religion of Linux. It’s so crazy!
Well my reason for using linux (specifically ubuntu) is because of vista.
I made the grave mistake of upgrading my perfectly working xp system to vista. Since I don’t want to go back to XP and wanted to try something new, installed ubuntu and ever since using it. I still have a windows xp partition but that is only for games I can’t run on wine.
Yes Linux is fun, but the other great reason to use Linux is COMPETITION. The reality of multiple distributions means that even within the Linux community there is a battle of ideas going on. Compare that to Microsoft, where the battle is to a) catch up to Google; b) get you to switch to Vista and have to buy Office 2007 and c) try to retain their near-monopoly on the desktop (Apple and Ubuntu not withstanding).
People who complain about there being no “one true distro” of Linux should understand that having many distros is better – it forces each distro to improve, lest it lose market share.
In addition, you get to choose the distro you want: want cutting edge desktop stuff, here’s Ubuntu or one of its many derivatives. Want rock solid stable ? Here’s Debian. Want to spend lots of money on enterprise level support, try Redhat. Something for everyone. Compare that to Windows – oh sorry that hardware is not supported under Vista, time to upgrade.
Competition is good. Oh, Linux is fun too !
Linux is a PAIN! Just like any other OS you ever used for the first time! What is so good about Linux is that ANYTHING you see that you don’t like you can change. I don’t like that ever growing Windows registry. Try to change that!
I guess change here=tinker or study which people are too lazy to do these days. I have kids who ask me a simple question and I say did you read the help? I seen the Amiga mentioned. I had one! PC’s were going beep-beep while the Amiga had stereo sound built in! I sold computers to business people that needed to run a certain program and they were happy, it ran. I had an Amiga, and it ran what I wanted it to.
I told them the truth, you need a PC and sold them one.
It comes down to run what you’re happy with and works for you, stop bashing others. The kids tell me “but that is too much reading”. Then I tell them how much reading you had to do just to learn to save a file, or open a file and god forbid they ever have to read about xmodem or zmodem,8-N-1 etc. Today if there is not a link on the desktop to a Bigmac, a movie and some music, then forget it.
My daughter is the one who is going to excel in Linux. Know why? When I tell her to read and teach herself she is proud that she fixed it on her own, in WXP or Linux. But guess where she boots to when she turns her computer on? Linux! Her brother=wanna play games=Boots to Windows! She is 12, he is 15. They both have had dual boot systems for 5 years. Depends what you want to do.
I have a P.S.
When is the last time you picked up an old fashioned book and read the whole thing just to plant the seeds in your head? Then you go to the keyboard and go from memory. If you need help you kick back and grab the book and read it again. Help files are good…but it is a pain to try and read 600 pages comfortably in a desk chair from a glowing monitor!
We’re back to PAIN! Yeah, none of you who used your computer for the first time just sat down and solved the worlds problems and I can prove it. The world is still full of problems and which OS you use is not a major one that anyone else cares about.
But, wake up and smell the coffee! Windows users are unhappy except for the ones who do not want to read and support geeksquad at $120 an hour to come out and tell them that they have their phone line plugged into the Ethernet port instead of the modem! I have a totally killer XP install that I can boot to if I need to. But I have found it takes longer to reboot into Windows than it does to google a simple question. Oh no, we’re back to reading…when I could just boot into Windows and click two times, pray, and make do with the results. Virus, Spyware, Malware, UNKNOWN, update broke it, maybe it just don’t work, call someone who might know.
Nothing wrong with that…But I tell the kids, if you don’t know ask someone who does…DO NOT guess and screw it up. Well, call geeksquad the next time your new puppy chews your cord in two and let them tell you that you need a new motherboard and RAM and blah, blah blah…
POINT: I could talk all day and not change any ones mind. These kids I’m talking about are my two step children and I gave them a choice as best I could. My own son who grew up with me and is 24 calls me just to find out how to RIP a CD so he can play it on his computer. This was yesterday I am talking about and this is the result of lack of choice. He seen Me on that Amiga and thought dad was a geek and he couldn’t be a geek in school. Well, today, being a geek, a member of the geeksquad must be pretty cool.
By the way, he is a Chef…My step kids have choice…
I like (choice=fun=tinker=proud of yourself=learning=choice)
That is a little trick the other guys don’t want you to know!
Other guys=Whoever you’re BASHing today like the guy making fun of someones grammer and doesn’t know what BASH is….
“We tell people we use Linux because it’s secure. Or because it’s free, because it’s customizable, because it’s free (the other meaning), because it has excellent community support…”
“But all of that is just marketing bullshit. We tell that to non-Linuxers because they wouldn’t understand the real reason. And when we say those false reasons enough, we might even start to believe them ourselves.”
Actually, that isn’t marketing hype. I like it is:
Free (speech and beer). Why pay MS another cent; wtf with all this registration crap, transferring licenses and other non-sense.
Linux has good support; however, I believe that this is more dependent on the distribution.
“We use Linux because it’s fun!”
Yes… does there have to be only one reason? See above.
“It’s fun to use the command line.”
It is fun; it is also powerful. Automation, removal of the mundane with a quick script.
“1. Linux gives you complete control”
Yes it does.
“2. Linux isn’t widely used”
Actually, I am not to fond of that fact. More users would garner more hardware support. IE: Wireless, Open Source 3D drivers (via release specs) for video cards because we have the market share. Would ATI/Nvida turn away 100 potential customers? Imagine any start up company that releases spec’s for their 3d card. You know how fast that would be adopted in X.org? There is a push to get an Open Source Hardware working.
“3. Linux is free (as-in-speech)”
Yes… in speech and sometimes as in beer. I like both.
Linux is fun; it does have several key facets that I like; hence it makes it more appealing. The above statements are opinions and facts; facts/opinions don’t always equal fun.
Just my .02 cents worth.
I think what you are saying is true for some people. It may be true for allot of people who play with it. I’m not sure it is true for ‘hard core’ users. By ‘hard core’ I am pretty much referring to people who don’t have a Microsoft Windows or Mac OS system to fall back on. I am an advocate of software freedom. I don’t use free software because it is cheaper and I have no issues with piracy. I do infringe copyright from time to time still where it suits me. The reason I don’t pirate any software today is free software is better than non-free software. If it weren’t true I wouldn’t have stopped using non-free software years before I understood the ethics of it. The reason I checked GNU/Linux out initially was curiosity. For me like most people who use the OS today it started off as a toy to play with. I think things changed at some point as I started using it on the server for other reasons. It was the best thing to use for a long time. It may not be the most secure, most efficient, or easiest platform to use. It has been on the other hand the best rounded of these things. On the desktop GNU/Linux didn’t meet my needs for many years that I used/or toyed with it. In all those early years I certainly didn’t rely on it. As GNU/Linux improved and became more and more practical Microsoft did the exact reverse. I found that Linux solved many old problems while innovating and making my computer more useful. Many things I wanted to do were simply not practical with MS’s OS and I did allot of hacking to make things work that never should have. One summer I had had enough with MS Windows and DOS and pushed ahead. Disgusted with where Microsoft was going I spent time figuring out the few problems I had as at the time I transitioned it was a tad more dificult than today. I think it is still the most innovative fringe operating system for desktop users that is practical. It amazes me to this day what marketing, bullying, and lock in can do to a market. People are like sheap that can be hurded and proded. We are ignorant and lazy. Appearances are taken at face value and fitting in is really all we care about. When we are confronted with our mistakes we would rather deny them than stand out. Dismiss the flaws and lock up the few who dare say otherwise. We let them pull the wool over our eyes.
Linux is a great OS, and the Ubuntu distro is the perfect compromise between ease of use on the front end and power under the covers. While Mac is my every day OS and I still develop using Windows, Linux is probably the most important OS available today and I run it on several machines.
Though a little on the fanboy side (shit, who isn’t these days), this was a really good post. You’re getting some good coverage Vlad, congrats.
PS – ignore the haters.
Well done! On target.
I use Linux because a few years back Windows XP told me I was “a victim of piracy.”
The thing about working on the console is that the keyboard is a very efficient and proven human input device. I even knew a blind programmer who used to spend a lot of time chatting on IRC.
Using a GUI with a mouse requires that you actually look at what you’re doing and you have to manually do it. I find it to be quite tiring and time consuming.
I guess that it’s each to their own, but I would love to see more GUI users give it a shot. Once your used to it, having virtual terminals, gpm, tab completion and the visual editor makes what would normaly be hours of work feel effortless.
Ha, nice article. So true!!
So true… but don’t hate me, I’m so done with Linux. Too tired of Linus’s moronic rants, when all I really want is innovation.
Who gives it to me, and it makes me nauseous to say it… Sun, with OpenSolaris. A tricked out distro with stuff goin’ awn. Linus is going to find hisself pwned when all he’s got to show for himself is a new driver, and Sun’s showing up with ZFS, DTrace, MySQL, etc.
Someone needs to tell Linus to start innovating, and stop preaching 1990’s hate rhetoric.
While I think of it, I think it’s a little irresponsible to claim that we like Linux because it makes us feel elite. I often get accused of this myself, when I try to tell Windows users why I prefer Linux.
I first used Linux out of curiosity, and I realy didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I downloaded the boot and root disk for Slackware 1.3. I got “boot.bin” and “root.bin” on my Windows 95 desktop and thaught “What the hell am I going to do with these? Where’s Linux.exe?!” It was only a toy, I never thaught I’d use it as my main OS, but after just a few weeks I was very impressed. I was impressed with the way there was an answer to just about any question I had in /usr/doc/HOWTO, impressed with the fact that just about any important system file was human readable (even with instructions!), impressed that I could, if I chose to, build my own boot kernel and put it on just about anything and impressed that people, from pimply faced students to very busy university proffessors would take time to write all this cool stuff for me for free!
To anyone who resents Linux because they think it’s elitist, just try it. There are so many people who will give you free help, and you’ll find that the Linux community is anything *but* elitist.
Nice and humble article.
Apart from fun, its all about work for me too. I use Linux because it makes me money!
Hey, this is so very true for myself. This really hits the nail on the head!
Nice! I read it with:
lynx -dump http://blog.anamazingmind.com/2008/03/real-reason-we-use-linux.html | sed -e ’s/[Ll]inux/OpenBSD/g’ | less
Nice peace of writing. I learnt the ins and outs of linux installing(and re-installing) Gentoo about a million times, I got to know linux pretty well. I like my software the way I want it and that’s what I get.
Dave
Get a life dude… or a gf, or both. 12 years ago, I used linux by first time (red hat). I got bored quickly… bcos of all that stuff that everybody knows: lots of dependences to install anything, hardware incompatibility, etc. Before linux I used Unix, which is just perfect, but very expensive. Anyway, I came to realize that I just want to get my work done. If I want to get fun, c’mon man, there are better ways to spend our lifes. Cheers!
i am linux user and i am fscking proud of it!
True !
And for all this reasons, I want to play with apple now.
Don’t reveal the truth !
“This is a paradox. We often complain Linux isn’t more widely used. But that’s one of the reasons we use it. [...] If Linux becomes widely used, we’ll probably switch to something else.”
Probably to BSD.
Anyway, that’s exactly how I’m feeling about it.
What do we have to do then ? Hope that Linux doesn’t become widespread ? That’s kind of sad … This should be reported as a bug.
I don’t use a keyboard or mouse for just the same reasons. It’s just plain fun to input bits into the computer using morse code. I was thinking about upgrading my system to use an assembler, but I’m afraid that would really keep me from the raw power of the system.
If you use MS Windows for some reasons you must have Linux as well. There are so many situations where Linux have saved my Windows installation. Let me give you some examples:
1. Once I somehow got a filename in Windows containing a “?”. There is no way to remove that file in Windows.
2. Some partitions are impossible to remove in Windows. Almost all partitions are impossible to create in Windows.
3. Backup in Windows is a horror with locked files and Windows backup using its own format. Going over to Linux, Windows’ backup is easy. You just copy all files you want to backup.
4. Have you ever got stalled when Windows’ pagefile is corrupt? In Linux just do rm pagefile.sys.
@anonymous, 16 March 2008 09:26
> 12 years ago, I used linux
> by first time (red hat). I
> got bored quickly…
12 years is a long time, dude.
> Anyway, I came to realize that
> I just want to get my work done.
So, just install a decent *and* recent distro and start working, no problem there.
(With my favorite distribution, Sidux, installation on a blank system takes about 20 minutes, including updates and installation of missing software. Well, if you have to backup stuff already installed on the computer, it will take about half an hour longer or so.
There’s still enough time left to get a life or a gf or a bf, or a combination of these.)
We? WE? Stick to I. I hate it when people try to claim to represent me and my choices. I love Linux, I hate CLI, and yes I have had to learn some over the years but LIKE it no, no, no. This article is funny to me, because IMO one of Linux’s strengths is it’s individuality. If you don’t like Distro A, try Distro B. If you don’t like CLI (like me) there is probably a nice GUI front end for you to play with. I love Linux because it doesn’t try to put me in a box, unlike this article. We? No, there is no We here
It sure is a “we” as I feel that way too.
While what this article says is true, there are those of us who view computers as a tool to get something done. If the operating system that you’re running doesn’t allow this (or at least not quickly), then you’re better off with another one that does, including Windows! Many Linux users are too snobbish to admit this.
The point of the article is something that non Linux users have known for a long time: Linux is for people who want to screw around with their computer. This is exactly why most non-Linux users don’t use Linux. They see their computer as a tool to do a job quickly, and are unwilling to spend a week figuring out how to do it in Linux.
I’ll admit that there are things that various incarnations of Linux are much better suited for. Unfortunately I don’t do any of those things during my work day, and so Linux is an improper tool. Many people feel this way.
So at this point, Linux is not something that the general public will run, and won’t be until this obstacle is overcome. If Linux ever becomes the right operating system for people to run, they’ll do it.
The problem really stems from the user/designer paradigm that Linux systems are based on. Linux is good at doing what engineers and programmers want to do because engineers and programmers are the ones that have the expertise to tweak Linux. So why do other operating systems have easy interfaces for non technical users? Simple! Programmers make money by selling programs to these people. There is no economic incentive for Linux to be developed into this general a tool.
Finally, this is not a bug, it is a feature. Linux releases will continue to be good at what their good at, and bad at what their bad at. So in the end, it will serve it’s purpose as a great tool for certain kinds of jobs. Linux users should simply keep in mind that non-Linux users haven’t been tricked or cheated into not using Linux. Linux may simply not be the right tool for the job they’re trying to do.
What’s with this idea of changing to something else if Linux becomes popular. I *want* Linux to become popular so that I don’t have to buy Windows.
If you want something unpopular, try QNX. Even better still, go back to CP/M.
It’s about I started signing these too =)
Stuart
(there you are)
Another important reason why I use linux is because it works!
You can install a box, configure something on it and forget about it. The only problem you might run into from time to time is hardware related..
True, true, true
To the person who posted at 12:19.
One of the jobs that Linux is excellent at is providing services to the desktops of people like yourself who are too busy to be interested in such things.
I think you’ve every right to be too busy/important/whatever for Linux, but I think you should remember that you’re probably indirectly using Linux every day of your computing life.
Linux is a very usefull tool, for more than just enthusiasts. =)
Stuart
That is one piece of prime fact. Well said!
You write that one of the reasons you like to use Linux is because of control and stability.
I agree that control is important. Extremely important.
So how about even more control, and even more stability, in a gratis, open source operating system?
Think Linux? Think again – OpenSolaris is here to try out. More control, more stability, more innovation.
Somebody wrote in the comments that OpenSolaris is passing Linus and hate rethoric and drivers by with innovation. And they were right. There’s a fun OS that has put the bread on the table for so long on top of everything else.
OS is the heart of everything therfore it can’t be left to a single company. It must free.
The other reason is that when a suddenly need an hex editor I only haw to do: sudo apt-get khexedit
On Win I would haw to go on the internet, find a programme. I would have discoveded after installing it that it is only a trial version that will stop in 30 days.
I would be interested to try OpenSolaris. In my experience Solaris has been absolutely rock bloody solid (but only on the SPARC platform (yeah, I’ve been out of it for a while)) but it was also very expensive. I think about $35K a year per machine for the maintenance contract.
Will it still be as good when it’s free?
Stuart
I dont use Linux cause its fun. OSX is fun. Linux is nice, free, rock solid stable, transparent and whatever you want, but fun and with high usability is OSX
I can relate to that. I felt /exactly/ the same way with UNIX when I first started working at AT&T over 25 years ago. You could read any of the source code, customize any part of it if your project needed a change, write custom device drivers, or even change the kernel to meet some project need. Ah the good old days.
If you want to hire someone who will screw around with their OS all day and get no real work done then hire a linux head.
Driver support is broken
The documentation is always full of errors
The GUI integration is broken
The installation systems are broken
Sure you can change anything but that change will have to be redone again and again. If you have time to customize on that level then you are probably a very sad and lonely person.
The PC is like a regular car: gas guzzling and we know we should change.
Macs are like a hybrid: a little pricey to start and not that much more efficient.
Linux is like a home made parts bin motorcycle:fast but crappy support, nothing fits right and you can’t trust it to get the job done.
Mac is the only decent *NIX system I’ve seen. They realize that computers are NOT a visual media.
Well I’m off to wrestle with my latest crappy linux problem right now instead of doing productive work.
To the Anonymous who said:
“If you want to hire someone who will screw around with their OS all day and get no real work done then hire a linux head.”
I am a programmer with over 20 years of experience writing Windows and other programs. The systems that we require the least work are our Linux boxes. We have to tinker with the Windows boxes because they release a security patch nearly every week. Also, we’ve been forced to tinker with our Windows NT applications, because Microsoft will not sell it any more. Sure I like Vista’s transparent windows, but wait, I guess adding support for new windows features is just screwing around with an OS.
id software code their games under Linux, including Doom. Now since id rules, then by proxy, Linux must also rule. End of story.
Stuart
*** Toss in an Ubuntu CD and you have a system so superior to Windows and Mac OS that the only thing the incumbents have on their side is the momentum behind their incumbency. ***
I love seeing Linux fanbois post….it’s so funny.
Lemme know when commercial games for Linux come out that are as good as what’s out there for Windows (or even Mac)…Sure, you can kludge together some games using Cedega/Wine and play under Linux…I’m talking NATIVE games.
When native software comes out that is as good, or better than existing Mac/Windows software, then you’ll start seeing some inroads. Until then, you’ll still be number 3.
I use Linux plenty for serverside stuff – it’s tremendous there. And I know how ot make it work with Windows games and software. I just don’t bother because it’s not worth the waste of my time to do so.
My 5 Windows machines haven’t been hit with a virus in over 10 years. Or spyware.
But funny that – I have a clue and don’t just let that happen. Once Linux becomes more popular, I promise you, viriuses and spyware will start hitting it more frequently. It’s just not worth the virus and spyware writers’ time to bother with it.
this is so true for me.
the real reason i used linux until now is FUN.
i got a lot of FUN playing linux from time to time.
True for me. I am 61 and have been in the computing industry since the late 1960s. My first home computer was one that I wire wrapped together using an Intel 8080 microprocessor. At first I had no operating system and my mass storage was punched paper tape. I was excited when a real OS came along, CP/M which gave my machine real power. Anyway, Linux is all that there is that provides the same fun and experimental feel yet also provides a very functional system for everyday use.
Sorry, I’m not yet a Linux user.
But if I were, it would be for the fun.
I remember myself reprogramming the C=64 specials sign into accentuated letters just to be able to conjugate French verbs and typing French on my self programmed Textwriter.
I also created those characters for printing.
I’ve once “Nederlandized” the C=64 BASIC, turning left$ into link$ and right$ into recht$ and so on.
The C=64 was fun because you really could make it do anything and you were in complete control of the 64K.
At the moment, I like to program in DHTML (the combination of HTML 4.1 transitional + Javascript 2.1), because it’s a cross-browser, cross-platform, cross-media way of creating things.
And, of course, once again, my fascinating for French verbs is demonstrated, see:
verbes.eduinfo.com
As mention in the article the most fundamental difference between Linux and any other closed-source OS is that Linux gives ABSOLUTE freedom.Despite the problems that rarely occure it is the state-of-the-art OS in the market.Windows must come a long way before somebody could objectively claim that Bill’s child can reach Tux
I prefer Linux because to do serious things I can do them quicker from the command line. I do like to tinker but I’m largely past that and find my fun with Linux in other ways.
I do think that those who say it isn’t fun anymore have forgotten how horrid all the things in Windows are that drive a person insane wondering where the billions of dollars were spent.
Right, we use Linux because it’s fun.
But the first Windows addicts (in the late 80’s) were certainly motivated by the same real reasons. Behind the official buzzwords about the productivity, the Wintel PC was (compared with the Mac and the heavy Unix-based workstations) the cheapest way to have unproductive fun with a GUI. The fun is always the best way to launch a new tool for the masses; unfortunately one just can’t officially call up the fun as long as the corporate users, as the public at large, is included in the commercial target.
exactly
The first time I discovered GNU/Linux I thought I need a GUI for everything just as I was used to on windows. But this totally turned into opposite — now I hate GUI’s. It really kills me each time someone asking me to help with their windows boxes. cmdline rules.
“they tend to complain about how hard the installation was”
What?????? 5 minutes and my linux is installed. Great article
I use Linux because I hate windows, and I say so when peopel ask.
Not me. I use Linux because it doesn’t give me any s**t. I am a writer and what I need to do is write and do research. I don’t want to fart around with fixing one g.d. thing or another because it stopped working for no apparent reason or I downloaded a spyware or because my o/s company sent me an “update” that surreptitiously takes DNA samples from me and sends them to some murky government database to see if it matches that of any known “terrorists.” I use Xandros 4.0 and I describe best as “Windows without all the crap.” I’m not knocking anyone who DOES like to mess around with their system and “break” it, fix it, update it, play around with it, etc. That’s what they do and that’s what they find fun and that’s fine. I simply switched to Linux six years ago when I got one too many BSODs. I just want to do my work without a lot of hassle, and for that I thank you, Linus…
People who use Linux just because they hate Windoz are sooo yesterday.. Get a grip, if you do that in your everyday life, e.g. not study cause U hate it, not read a book because a woman wrote it, or whatever… Then you’ll do nothing in Ur life…
I use linux because of two things… First, its robust, reliable and I can configure whatever I want however I want..
And Second, because I can find a book or howto about whatever gives me the fuss, and I can fix my OS problem with community help.
Your article struck a chord with me …
Linux just for the fun of it so true.
Also it keeps people out of my work, they see the screens and then go use someone else’s machine.
Oh I can come out now I was a closet command line lover since first year in college.
Microsoft Fan!
I have a lot more respect for the Linux community now. One of the reasons I hated the Linux Community for was the bullshit about Linux being better than Microsoft in every way. I am not saying Microsoft is better, believe me, in a lot of areas it isn’t. I think both products have their niche areas. To set the record straight I know some of you guys hate Microsoft and I am not here to change your minds. I agree with a lot of what you are saying.
I like Microsoft because it satisfies my needs and is easy to use for what I need it for. (.Net / Silverlight is cool)
I do hate some of Microsoft’s practices, but not enough to switch to Linux or any other product.(yet)
Some of their (MS) product releases in the last 5 years have been absolute crap and more focused, I think, on revenues than on the end consumer (or developers). They also change their pricing model for dev software ever freggin month. Believe me, we (Microsoft fans) do hammer the shit out of them and they eventually get up off the floor bleeding and fix the issues. (Not as timely as I would like and sometimes they add more pain). The other thing I hate is they keep changing their core technology every six months (one of the reasons they get into trouble too). But that’s the only way to make money in software. I also like Microsoft because when they do screw up I have someone I can yell at.
Now, I hear some people mentioned that they do software for Linux for charity. This is great, but I am sure all you guys/gals have regular day jobs for income correct? If something came out that fit my needs better, believe me I would be the first one on the bandwagon. But so far, none has. (I was really hoping Ruby might have been there but…) I too do charity software based on Microsoft so I totally understand and can relate to that. (http://www.gistv.ca)
As for Linux, if you like command lines and control over the OS, I agree it is best. And yes, it is way more performant than Windows in some cases. (We need to support the hardware manufactures too
)But because Linux is not as GUI friendly as MS products, I don’t think it will ever really get into the corporate space. (I mean on every desk at the big 500). By the way, at my work we have Linux being used for high performance application processing. Works beautifully and nicely communicates with other Windows apps.
Anyways, my thoughts and cudo’s to all you Linux users for being open and honest!
Yes, I love to tinker with my Linux system. I have “broken” my system and have had to go through safe mode or even reinstall more times than I care to admit. But it’s fun and no matter how much damage I do, I always know that in a worst case scenario I am less than an hour away from doing a complete reinstall and restore and my computer is back to the way it used to be.
Yes, that’s why I use Linux. Because it’s fun.
Used to be the reason for me too. Then I got tired of it and had less time available, so I’m back on Windows. I must say, despite all the bashing, Windows has got a lot better over the years and I find it really unlikely that I’ll ever be switching back to Linux again
(Typing this from Ubuntu Hardy beta! Whoo!)
I’m pretty sure Linux was the first time I learned the immense value in backing things up. Broke my system trying to dual boot Windows and Linux, losing every bit of data I had.
Well, that was about half a decade ago.
For me, Linux is fun, Windows is fun, I’d love to give Mac a try to see what it’s all about, and I’d love to see what OpenSolaris can do. I like figuring out differences, I like comparing stabilities, etc.
Playing around with ANY OS is fun, if you know what you want, and want to figure out how to get there. I don’t see any OS having a distinct advantage over the other, really. I just use whatever’s available to get my work done, and BOTH Linux and Windows do that, having spent time tweaking BOTH to my liking.
The reason people use Linux is because they like to waste their time on trivial shit. If you find using Linux (or messing about with any OS) fun, then… Ugh. I’m just glad I’m not you basically. Rule number two in that article is another sad truth though.
The real reason why I use Linux, because Linux is NOT Windows. It’s different. Here is a very good article with more details:
http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
I have never thought about Linux this way, but now that I think about it, I think that you are right… This isn’t the only reason why I use Linux, but it’s a strong one. Excellent post.
Actually… I don’t use Linux because it’s fun, I use it because it’s easy and the problems are more trivial than with Windows or MacOSX. I’ve used all three and would happily pay for the best system.
I’ve always used easy-install versions of Debian (currently Ubuntu).
Linked you from my blog as well.
The reason I started using Linux was because I was sick of using Windows all the time and wanted something different. Now I prefer it…
Where do you get that that “WE” business?
I use Linux on the desktop because I won’t put up with the crap that goes with a native Windows install.
HOW many apps does it take to keep malware off a Windows box? AV, Search and Destroy and another malware app, a BHO analyzer, and there’s a new class of anti-malware app I haven’t looked into because as a Linux user whose Windows install runs on a VM behind a Linux firewall, I don’t need it.
For those with higher-level tech skills than the average Mac user, I don’t think there are any desktop solutions better than a Debian derived distro + KDE, and if one has customized one’s workstation in most of the ways that Linux allows, going to OSX would reduce one’s convenience level.
If Linux goes mainstream, I’ll breathe a sigh of relief. Will anyone REALLY miss driver problems going away? There are various apps and classes of apps which one either can’t get in FOSS or … the one or two that exist are teh suxx0rs.
It’ll also mean that one can configure not only typical apps but most unusual apps via GUI. No more command line stuff to get one’s UPS running, for instance.
And I can resell all my “linux market” articles to general-interest consumer oriented consumer sites in slightly dumbed down form.
Tell it brother!
i use windows command line alot. what’s all this “window’s command line sucks” about?
Okay, I tried to read ALL the comments….phew! Got about 75% through. Congrats on the readership!
Let me put this simply; of why I switched. I’m poor and I was sick of re-installing a bootleg Windows XP; worried about the MS bureau of investigation (If there is one).
Once upon a time I thought Frontpage (bootleg) was THE shit! Not since discovering OO and NVU (yes, I know these are available for Windows; I didn’t then).
My old flame is Fedora but I’ve found a new love.
Puppy Linux. It’s AMAZINGLY fast and the support is congenial and quite friendly and even humorous at times.
I am thoroughly hooked on Live distros now. And knowing you can install a fully functioning OS on a thumb-drive as small as 256mb just blows my mind sometimes. You can pop it into your pocket and hike on over to your Windows friends’ house, plug it in to the usb port, adjust the boot priority and voila…you got a linux OS running! Shutdown, unplug the drive and reboot…you got Windows back with no problems whatsoever.
I must say though about the “fun” factor. It’s only “fun” when it’s “fixed”. In the mean time it’s still frustrating when you got problems and you yelling at your monitor and/or gripping your mouse so hard that you start to hear it creak. In the end though you know you can’t break it for good. It’s just data. Zeros and ones. It’s not your life. It’s a piece of plastic, silica and metal. So what! It’s a toy. That’s all it is.
As far as closed-source versus open-source…
Fuck the capitalist pigs! Why the hell would you want to close your source code anyway? To make money and have power of the distribution of it? Yes. I don’t need anybody to hold my fucking hand while I use my computer!
Great post! It’s FUN to thumb your nose at the establishment!
PS: People who don’t know how to use an [a href=] tag don’t have room to talk.
Enjoy the fame..
I don’t use Linux because it’s fun to break things and tinker. I use Linux because it’s more comfortable to use. It doesn’t get in your way, you can control it the way you want, it’s fast and there’s a massive amount of free software available – no catch, no crippled shareware, no begging messages!
I only have to say about yout article: Perfect.
You really understand why all we (including me) use Linux.
Wonderful… eh, can i translate it in spanisj and post it in my blog? (Saying were it come from of course)
I just like being able to kill…umm.. the jobs..
I am your nightmare, Linux boy. I am pig ignorant, and am using Linux on an Asus eee laptop.All I had to do was buy the cheapest laptop in town, work out the on-button and click on the web icon and here I am. Get off Linux you little snobs, the AOL crowd has arrived and blown your exclusive little party.
“Nightmare”?
Welcome to Linux. Glad to see your eeePC is working for you and that you’re here. I’m thinking of buying one myself.
You aren’t our biggest nightmare. You’re Bill Gates’ biggest nightmare. And the more people like you who ‘crash’ the Linux party, the easier it’s going to be for the rest of us to get drivers and software that doesn’t exist in Linux yet.
The message that anybody can use Linux is one Microsoft never wants to see get into the public mind.
Nice to be welcomed. My girlfriend is even dumber than me – she does not even know she is using Linux on a laptop. And she does not care, as long as she can use ‘he internet’.
Anyway, back to the post:
2.Linux isn’t widely used
This is a paradox. We often complain Linux isn’t more widely used. But that’s one of the reasons we use it. It gives us a feeling of being a special clique. Like we’re better than “those ignorant masses”.
If Linux becomes widely used, we’ll probably switch to something else. Or at least develop an obscure distro that only we will use. Because, let’s face it, we want to feel special.
So not everyone is as welcoming as you are. I really do hope the article writer buggers off to BSD – I hate Linux snobbery and think one of the reasons Linux is not big on the desktop is many people do not want ordinary people using Linux. Asus and Xandros have put together an awesome machine and killed the “linux is too technical’ myth stone dead. Maybe for Linux to succeed a few of its biggest fans should realise they are a hindrance and get out of the way.
I too would like to welcome you to Linux. I’d forgotten about the eeePC. It’s a very good example of how Linux can be useful to people other than nerds and tinkerers. =)
I don’t know where this perception that Linux users are an exclusive party comes from, as it’s contradictory to the fundamental phylosiphy behind it.
The license for Linux and Open Source software is geared towards keeping these things available to everyone now and in the future. Anything developed using tools licensed under this then becomes licensed under the same scheme. This is to stop things like Linux from evolving into a product owned by one exclusive group.
Anyway, I am realy pleased to see the Linux being distributed on the eeePC here through major retailers. I hope you enjoy your experience with it, and I think you will. Remember, the tech support is free with Linux, so use it!
Stuart
as a side effect of reason 1 and 3 given… it’s the variety and choice. sure, it’s customiseable, sure it’s free(dom). lots of folks have already been making great use of these comunity boons. theres now more choice than you will likely want!
since the people are the programmers, and there are more people out there than proprietary software developers, open-source software has the potential to develope much faster and much more closely to our needs, having removed the market research middleman. WE ARE THE MARKET! we provide this stuff for ourselves!
the side effects from the practical and philosophical union (Stallman and Torvalds), the General Public Liscence…
with enough eyes, all bugs are shallow.
no longer our hands are tied by a corporation to whom we need to pour our money in hope that they might actually be working on fixing your problem. instead, you can attemtp to tackle any problem yourself, or go see a website/forum/mailinglist/chat where other members of the comunity are also working on the same issue you’ve had.
frankly, it’s all about potentials. it’s all about freedom. speed. power. personalization & customization & emotional connection. productivity & work flow. mission critical reliability and stability. it’s about sharing not hording, its about amplifying our power, not stagnating it, it’s about genuine motivations, not profit motives. it’s about getting the driver under the hood/bonnet n improving his driving experience by allowing them the intimate knowledge which augments the entire experience…
it’s all about all those things born from a fundamentally superior mode of operational creation & development.
in 2003 i was very glad to appreciate the philosophy and it’s superior potential.
The real reason is use Linux?
Not because I can make a few improvements to the source code. Not so I can feel superior to other users.
I don’t use Linux. I use applications running on top of Linux and a browser, a mail client, a text editor and a few games are all I need, Linux provides a reliable platform, easy upgrades and few virus and spyware problems all at unbeatable price.
That is the way to promote Linux – as the easiest way to use a computer.All that is needed is a dead simple interface, pre-installed with auto updates and linux – think Asus eee and OLPC – would become the default low end and newbie OS.
Man, thats so true! I’m a Linux noob, I know i am… But i love the “fresh” and “new” felling of it!. I didnt knew how fun it could be to make an OS “selfumized”! Yes, not costumized, cause you can make every little bit of it just the way you like it! Better yet, you can make it an extension of yourself! ITS FUN MESSING WITH IT!
I never had this feeling with Wincrap XPoop…
Living with linux is like to be an atheist : you feel free to change rules,of course you don’t know the whole system ! and definitely you feel freedom.
Using Windows or other proprietary ones you feel like a religious man :
some comfort and a lot of obedience.
“It’s fun to use the command line” Very true in every sense of bit/nibble. And the only reason I would use a windows machine is if I can run cygwin on it.
Reasonable reasons..but not quite..
First of all..I didn’t start using GNU/Linux OS for elitist reasons. I had no internet connection back then..and it was terrifying to especially configure X or detect hardware..pst i still dont know wat to do if the X is screwed up..but automagic is always a good magic
i ditched vindoze coz i felt i am being tied up after a while of using it..and the feeling got worse..then chose freedom and its happily ever after..
Nowadays Noobs gatecrash with gnu/linux coz they know they are missing out on lots of things..like compiz-fusion(superficially) and geekdom and utimately those who respect,love and understand computers,it is very difficult for them not to luv unix or gnu/linux varients..
u all seen the movie The Code Linux?
http://bedroommedia.com/watch.php?vid=6655&part=41583
http://bedroommedia.com/videos.php?id=6655
I really do agree fully with this article. My home-assembled clon runs on dual boot: WinXP PRO SP2 and Ubuntu 7.10. When I need my hiper specialized software I boot into WinXP and when I get bore I boot into Ubuntu. Then the real fun begins when windows fly and twist like bubble gum and fade and the cube turns… I really like to work in Ubuntu. With Linux you produce and get a lot of fun at the same time. And if you mess the whole thing, you will enjoy knowing what command to run and seen you are able to get the whole thing back working! Good for Ubuntu, good for beryl and Compis-fusion, two thumbs up to Ubuntu!!!!!
You are absolutely right !!!!!!
Let’s not forget the beauty of the Linux kernel and what it provides. For me, I have fun with iproute2 (tc), vtun, iptables, ebtables. That’s what interests me the most. People always forget the kernel, not in terms of hidden performance, but truly visible capabilities it provides to the end user. And that’s the same reason why some users don’t see a difference between Unix-like OSes and why others ignorantly attribute the success of Linux based distros to GNU. Because Linux leaders fail to shine a spotlight on the day to day (userspace) benefits of running a Linux kernel.
The real reason my wife uses Linux is because she has learned to dislike Windows during her life, and Linux is at the point now where it “just works”. Just have to make sure you don’t have broadcom wireless.
Still waiting for Code Composer Studio native to Linux.
Efficient…yes, fun…not so much.
RE: GUI vs. command line
OK, there are games and stuff that make GUI necessary, but for real work, and real production servers, command line is the only way to go.
Key question: How would you do this task for 1000 servers?
With Linux it is easy to script a task and automate it. With Windows or other GUI, you have to develop new code every time you have a new automation task.
excellent post
de main reason i use linux for
1. fun
2.its awesome
3.i like to put pseud
4. i try to belong to the clique as u mentioned.
As a Linux-only user since ‘96 (Slackware, then. Was that an adventure!), I say Amen! and Preach it, Brother! I never had so much fun.
Debating about which is better — the command line or the GUI — the “under the hood tinkering” or the idiot-proof “dashboard” — is much like the debate about which is better — using the keyboard of the mouse.
The truth is:
They are BOTH essential.
They both have their place and neither should be missing.
Some users prefer to lean toward one direction more, but every user finds a time when the other is easier, or essential.
The BEST implementations always design them both to be used in harmony, and synchronously.
The mouse and the keyboard.
The GUI and the command line.
Why do I use linux.
Because after having to stare at an OS designed by salesmen all day it’s great to be able to see an OS built by programmers for programmers with the intention of solving problems.
M$ likes to add marketing fluff not real features
Some reality after reading half the posts, all “pro linux”, and “it’s fun…”
When you get a job writing/testing windows software, have kids and a wife that needs Excel/Word/Groove/MS whatever, kids want good games, and you worked in a windows world for 8 of your last 15 years, try to tell me linux is fun then.
Even if it installs well and gets you ‘up and running’, i gotta configure wireless, i gotta configure printers, and I gotta figure out how to be compatible with the rest of the world’s software. If I can’t its useless. I’ve installed Slackware when it was cool, did some SuSe, some Red Hat before it went Enterprise, and now I have Xandros…sitting on a laptop, unused. the others did similarly, some lasted longer than others…all eventually wiped for BillWare. I *wish* Linux would take over the world too, but get real. It’s a professional hobby for those who have the time or work in a *Nix world. Not for people whose time is limited.
For me, the fun comes in two forms – first is what the author touched upon – such as the ability to low level tweak and explore, but the second form has to do with how much is out there in terms of packages to play with! There’s alot of implemented computer science concepts that are available in Linux or BSD that are not available in Windows. The very culture surrounding Linux/UNIX encourages learning, implementing new ideas, and trying new things. With Linux, the depth of exploration – whether it be the Linux OS itself, or some of the packages that do specific things is tremendous. In learning to use Linux, you learn about different ways of doing things, and it just broadens your horizon with computing in general. I find that the Windows platform, in many ways, discourages exploration – whether it be through cost, licensing restrictions, lack of available online documentation, and hiding too many things behind a window or a wizard.
Fun is certainly one reason I tend to use Linux at home, and the presence of a powerful command line environment on Linux is another, but those qualities are not limited to Linux — I also use OS/2 and Solaris and play on Unisys 2200-series mainframes for a living for the very same reasons.
Bash, 4OS2, or @CSHELL*CSHELL — it’s all good!
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