Best uses of Linux (Even when your personal computer runs Windows)

Even if you are a Mac or Windows user, knowing how to install and use Linux is very important to you. Here, you will find out the uses of Linux. Installing it will be taught in my upcoming articles.

Troubleshooting other computers :

You don't even need to install Linux on your machine to make it useful. We can run Linux live i.e. without installing it via a Linux CD or USB drive. This makes Linux important in troubleshooting our PC. In cases like, we forgot our password, we can run Linux live to get access to files on the disk. It is because, login passwords are applied to OS but when the OS changes (though temporarily), the password doesn't bother. Also, you can use Linux to recover the files that you deleted by mistake.

Host a Website or Webapp :

Have you ever wondered the number of websites you visit daily!..Let it be cloud storage site like Dropbox or Google Drive. You can also host your own website on Linux. Also you can convert your PC to a cloud storage that can be accessed from anywhere. Its the most reliable to put your important data on your PC rather than to put them on other hands like Dropbox or Drive.

 

Automate everything in your home

With a little Linux knowledge and a cheap computer—like the Raspberry Pi—you can create all sorts of tiny home automation gadgets. You can control your home with Siri, mount a Google Calendar tablet on your wall, set up a home surveillance system, control your blinds and air conditioner, stream music in your living room, build a digital photo frame, build a sunrise alarm clock, and...pretty much anything else you can think of. With a cheap board like the Raspberry Pi and a free OS like Linux, you're more limited by your imagination than your wallet.

 

Hacking and Security

Some Linux distributions, like BackTrack or Kali, are security-focused distros for testing security systems. That means you can use them to learn how to, say, hack WEP or WPA Wi-Fi passwords, which is a great way to learn a bit more about your own network security and how to protect yourself from similar attacks. Of course, we don't recommend using these powers for evil—but knowing evil's tricks gives you a good path to preventing them.

 

Revive an old or slow PC

And so we come to one of the most obvious and common uses for Linux—and still one of the best. If you have a PC that's seen better days, Windows is far from the ideal OS. install a lightweight Linux distribution on it (like Lubuntu or, if you're a bit more savvy, Archbang) and it'll feel like a new machine again. It may not be able to do everything your powerful Windows machine can do, but it's better than having a non-functional computer, and works perfectly for basic tasks.

 

Learn more about how computers work

If none of the above sound like anything you need, why not just learn a little bit more about how computers work? Tons of things run Linux these days, from TVs to the Android phone in your pocket, and learning about Linux is not only a fun hobby in and of itself, but it'll help you learn a bit more about what makes these machines tick. We recommend getting started with something like Ubuntu or Mint, then when you get a little more familiar, move onto Arch for some serious learning. There are a ton of great distros out there, and even if you're just playing around, you may find that those skills come in pretty handy one day.

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Why use Linux?

This is the one question that most people ask: Why bother learning a completely different computing environment, when the operating system like Windows works fine with most desktops, laptops, and servers? To answer that question, I would ask another question: Does that operating system you’re currently using really work “just fine”? Or are you constantly battling viruses, malware, slow downs, crashes, costly repairs, and licensing fees?

If you struggle with the above, and want to free yourself from the constant fear of losing data or having to take your computer in for the “yearly clean up,” Linux might be the perfect platform for you. Linux has evolved into one of the most reliable computer ecosystems on the planet. Combine that reliability with zero cost of entry (free availability) and you have the perfect solution for a desktop platform.

That’s right, zero cost of entry...as in free. You can install Linux on as many computers as you like without paying a cent for software or server licensing. Using Linux is free and also the softwares that come for Linux environment are free. Unlike windows, you don't have to pay for any software like MS-Office. In fact, Linux is a free and complete server on our desktop.

Comparing other interfaces, Linux has a most secure environment. There will not be a problem of viruses, malware, trojan or computer slowing down. Compared to windows where there is mostly a problem of viruses and slow-downs. We need not to install a single antivirus program on Linux as that on windows (despite of windows defender).

Next problem which occurs mainly in windows is system restarts frequently when installed a new driver, software, updates, etc. Linux does not need system restarts for all these. It only needs a system restart when updating/downgrading kernel as it links hardware with system. It is not out of the ordinary for a Linux server to go years without being rebooted. That’s stability and dependability.

Linux is also distributed under an open source license. Open source follows the following key philosophies:

• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
  
• The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish.
  
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
  
• The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others.
  

The above are crucial to understanding the community that comes together to create the Linux platform. It is, without a doubt, an operating system that is “by the people, for the people”. These philosophies are also one of the main reasons a large percentage of people use Linux. It’s about freedom and freedom of choice.

In short, the answer to Why use Linux is - Security, Control and Privacy.

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Introduction to linux

From smartphones to cars, supercomputers and home appliances, and any other gadgets, the Linux operating system is everywhere. It runs most of the Internet, the supercomputers making scientific breakthroughs, and the world\'s stock exchanges. But before Linux became the platform to run desktops, servers, and embedded systems across the globe, it was (and still is) one of the most reliable and secure operating systems available.

For those who doesn't know, worry not – here is all the information you need to get up to speed on the Linux platform.

What is Linux?

Just like Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows Vista and Mac OS X, Linux is an operating system.

An operating system is software that manages all of the hardware resources associated with your desktop or laptop. To put it simply – the operating system manages the communication between your software and your hardware. Without the operating system (often referred to as the “OS”), the software wouldn’t function.

The OS is comprised of a number of pieces:

• The Bootloader: The software that manages the boot process of your computer. For most users, this will simply be a flash screen that pops up and eventually goes away to boot into the operating system.
  
• The kernel: This is the one piece of the whole that is actually called “Linux”. The kernel is the core of the system and manages the CPU, memory, and peripheral devices. The kernel is the “lowest” level of the OS.
  
• Daemons: These are background services (printing, sound, scheduling, etc) that either start up during boot, or after you log into the desktop.
  
• The Shell: You’ve probably heard mention of the Linux command line. This is the shell – a command process that allows you to control the computer via commands typed into a text interface. This is what, at one time, scared people away from Linux the most (assuming they had to learn hard commands to make Linux work). This is no longer the case. With modern desktop Linux, there is no need to ever touch the command line.
  
• Graphical Server: This is the sub-system that displays the graphics on your monitor. It is commonly referred to as the X server or just “X”.
  
• Desktop Environment: This is the piece of the puzzle that the users actually interact with. There are many desktop environments to choose from (Unity, GNOME, etc). Each desktop environment includes built-in applications (such as file managers, configuration tools, web browsers, games, audio and video player, etc).
  
• Applications: Desktop environments do not offer all the apps. Just like Windows and Mac, Linux offers thousands of high-quality softwares that can be easily installed. Most modern Linux distributions (more on this in a moment) include App Store-like tools that centralize and simplify application installation. For example: Ubuntu Linux has the Ubuntu Software Center which allows you to quickly search among the thousands of apps and install them from one centralized location. The Ubuntu software center is a Linux app store that carries thousands of free and commerical applications for Linux.

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