steven36 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Windows operating system (OS) has over 79.46 per cent market share of the desktop computer sector. However, in every other computing sector, the complete opposite is true with Linux OS holding the majority of the market share. Here Florian Froschermeier, technical sales manager of industrial router manufacturer INSYS icom, explains why Linux is in such a dominant position. Technology giants like Cern, Amazon and Google and the majority of server-side and embedded technology all use Linux OS for their systems and applications. There are many reasons for OS’s popularity because Linux is a licence-free open-source OS that is highly flexible, customizable, portable and of course at no cost to the user. Free is great unless the product is not. As Linux is open-source, it means that the source code is available to be redistributed and modified freely and with ease. With over 80 per cent of industrial applications using Linux systems, the OS is constantly being patched and upgraded by a legion of highly technical users, ensuring it remains secure and reliable, without costing you a penny. The large variety of applications that use Linux mean that the people updating the software are from a diverse range of different industrial backgrounds. Linux OS has, therefore, been and can be customised to work in many varied applications. This has allowed the OS to become incredibly flexible due to its constantly growing range of use cases. The main reasons for Linux’s popularity is its reliability and the lightweight nature of the OS. However, equally as critical is its portability. Many operating systems are not compatible with different versions of themselves and require modifications to the system or the software before they can work. The different types of Linux OS are manufacturer neutral by design, meaning that it has been programmed, following portable operating system interface standards, to reduce or remove issues of porting software between different Linux environments. Why businesses choose Linux Another major benefit for businesses that use Linux is that they can create their own version of the Linux for specific use cases. For example, most major technology businesses have their own version of Linux such as Amazon Linux and gLinux from Google. At INSYS, we designed our own version, icom OS, which was developed to fulfil our need for a router specific OS. This has allowed us to create a secure, portable and lightweight OS, specifically made for use with routers. Other industrial routers use off-the-shelf OS that, while still functionable, can become saddled with extra parts that slow down operations and leave it vulnerable to attack. Linux into the future The current and future potential for Linux based systems is limitless. The system’s flexibility allows for the hardware that uses it to be endlessly updated. Functionality can, therefore, be maintained even as the technology around the devices change. This flexibility also means that the function of the hardware can be modified to suit an ever-changing workplace. For example, because the INSYS icom OS has been specifically designed for use in routers, this has allowed it to be optimised to be lightweight and hardened to increase its security. Multipurpose OS have large libraries of applications for a diverse range of purposes. Great for designing new uses, but these libraries can also be exploited by actors with malicious intent. Stripping down these libraries to just what is necessary through a hardening process can drastically improve security by reducing the attackable surfaces. Overall, Windows may have won the desktop OS battle with only a minority of them using Linux OS. However, desktops are only a minute part of the computing world. Servers, mobile systems and embedded technology that make up the majority are predominately running Linux. Linux has gained this position by being more adaptable, lightweight and portable than its competitors. Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karlston Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Indeed, and as you posted earlier, Linux dominates even Microsoft's Azure cloud platform... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyy Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 I know zero about Linux (no surprise there 😀) and probably very little about my computer in general (Win 7). Would I be correct in saying that other attractions about Linux apart from those mentioned above would be;- 1) No "big brother" company like Microsnoop spying on the user? 2) No forced updates/upgrades....and therefore goodbye to patch Tuesdays? 3) No "end of life" of the Linux version that you have installed and grown accustomed to using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manju Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 On 7/20/2019 at 7:19 AM, funkyy said: I know zero about Linux (no surprise there 😀) and probably very little about my computer in general (Win 7). Would I be correct in saying that other attractions about Linux apart from those mentioned above would be;- 1) No "big brother" company like Microsnoop spying on the user? 2) No forced updates/upgrades....and therefore goodbye to patch Tuesdays? 3) No "end of life" of the Linux version that you have installed and grown accustomed to using? Linux OS as upgrades and "end of life" situations. Ubuntu for instances, as a 9moths life spawn or every distro, and every 2 years an LTS version (the 9 months comes out every 6months, and the LTS - Long Term Service lasts 5 years) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luisam Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Some time ago a friend had some doubts about what to do with his old laptop, with 256 GB of RAM and a 200 Gb Hard Drive. I asked him if he was interested to install some lightweigth Linux distro (Just trying to sound "geeky", because I really never have used Linux myself) Also told him that it might worth to install an additional 256 Mb of memory. Last time I talked with him asked him how he was doing with that old laptop. Got a simple answer! He had some light version of XP and he is still using it, never upgraded his RAM, with Office 2003, an old version of Paintshop Pro 5 portable I gave him years ago, Autocad 2005, NitroPDF 5 and Firefox 52. Told me he is quite happy with his laptop and will continue using XP as long as his laptop keeps alive. He also told me that never even tried Linux nor has any intention doing it in the future. Maybe he is not the best example to follow but might be the mentality of many computer users. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven36 Posted July 21, 2019 Author Share Posted July 21, 2019 35 minutes ago, luisam said: Some time ago a friend had some doubts about what to do with his old laptop, with 256 GB of RAM and a 200 Gb Hard Drive. I asked him if he was interested to install some lightweigth Linux distro (Just trying to sound "geeky", because I really never have used Linux myself) Also told him that it might worth to install an additional 256 Mb of memory. Last time I talked with him asked him how he was doing with that old laptop. Got a simple answer! He had some light version of XP and he is still using it, never upgraded his RAM, with Office 2003, an old version of Paintshop Pro 5 portable I gave him years ago, Autocad 2005, NitroPDF 5 and Firefox 52. Told me he is quite happy with his laptop and will continue using XP as long as his laptop keeps alive. He also told me that never even tried Linux nor has any intention doing it in the future. Maybe he is not the best example to follow but might be the mentality of many computer users. It's not because most modern distro is not going run good with just 256 mb of ram even if that's all they require because with modern apps it's going to crawl. I done test on such a PC and it took me awhile to find any that would run on it and what i learned some things are not worth fooling with and better off put in the garbage . After all even back in the early 2000s i upgraded my RAM even my Dell with a Pentium 4 had 4 slots . If a computer is old and the ram can't be upgraded it's garbage . That's what a person that don't have no money to buy better used or a new PC would do . the only way id use XP on the internet at all is if i had nothing else to use and my PC would not run something new, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven36 Posted July 21, 2019 Author Share Posted July 21, 2019 On 7/20/2019 at 2:19 AM, funkyy said: I know zero about Linux (no surprise there 😀) and probably very little about my computer in general (Win 7). Would I be correct in saying that other attractions about Linux apart from those mentioned above would be;- 1) No "big brother" company like Microsnoop spying on the user? 2) No forced updates/upgrades....and therefore goodbye to patch Tuesdays? 3) No "end of life" of the Linux version that you have installed and grown accustomed to using? 1) it just depends if you use Microsoft and Google services on Linux they can spy on you they do make apps for them too , But no out the box it don't. 2)Updates on Linux are never a problem like they are on Windows you just do them , After your 2 to 5 years is up depending on what flavor you chose they will send you and update and you can just upgrade and your good for another 2 to 5 years. If you have a 5 year LTS release by the time you have to upgrade they one you upgrade too will be 3 years old and very stable. Only reason to stay on LTS release longer than two years would be if you run a server or they need to fix something that effects you. Even the two years LTS flavors they wait tell the 1st point release to upgrade you and that's how i do it , i upgrade once every two years after 1st point release of new LTS comes out. i like having new software after two years. Rolling releases like Arch witch is harder to learn they always stay updated to the current everything so you never have to upgrade. I will upgrade next year. The next Ubuntu LTS release will be Ubuntu 20.04, which is planned to be released on April, 2020 Really i like having the newer software faster but I'm just lazy so instead of installing Arch or a Ubuntu interim release i install my new software apps right from the devs and I don't have with deal with regressions very often , if something has bugs i just put the old back in. If I get bored and want to test before then i will turn my other PC on and put something new on it lol . Ubuntu Core 18.04 will get 10 years of service this time. 3.) Only way a Linux Distros have end of Life is if they quit making it , If they do you just will have to find a new Distro.That's why i only use the ones made by big companies . But for testing and things the smaller team ones are OK. 4.) But i stop testing different ones Like 2 years ago and started just using it . I use to boot Windows 10 and two Linux distros when I 1st started out . I've not turn my Testing PC on in over a year and I removed Windows from it long ago. I still have Windows 8.1 on my daily driver PC and Ubuntu Bugie Linux witch ive used just Ubuntu Bugie Linux now for 2 years . I removed Windows 10 when RS 4 and Ubuntu Bugie Linux 18.04 LTS came out and put Windows 8.1 back in and Ubuntu Bugie Linux 18.04 LTS because I hardly ever used Windows 10 i stayed in Linux . Now I even use Windows even less in over a year . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyy Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 11 hours ago, luisam said: Some time ago a friend had some doubts about what to do with his old laptop, with 256 GB of RAM and a 200 Gb Hard Drive. I asked him if he was interested to install some lightweigth Linux distro (Just trying to sound "geeky", because I really never have used Linux myself) Also told him that it might worth to install an additional 256 Mb of memory. Last time I talked with him asked him how he was doing with that old laptop. Got a simple answer! He had some light version of XP and he is still using it, never upgraded his RAM, with Office 2003, an old version of Paintshop Pro 5 portable I gave him years ago, Autocad 2005, NitroPDF 5 and Firefox 52. Told me he is quite happy with his laptop and will continue using XP as long as his laptop keeps alive. He also told me that never even tried Linux nor has any intention doing it in the future. Maybe he is not the best example to follow but might be the mentality of many computer users. A man after my own heart!! If it ain't broken, don't try to fix it!!😀😀😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luisam Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 11 hours ago, funkyy said: A man after my own heart!! If it ain't broken, don't try to fix it!!😀😀😀 Actually, my point is that most people, mostly adults, are no interested in all the great benefits of "open source", "Update to the latest" and "Gaming" concepts. All they want is a productivity tool to do some job: open the laptop, stratup the proper application and use it. You may explain how easy is to update some Linux distro, so the anwver is: I bought this laptopo in 2005 with Windows XP, you helped me to install some applications and still use this laptop with Windows XP, found no need to update it in 15 years. WHAT, ME WORRY! , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyy Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Although I'm an "older" user who came late to using a computer, I now am totally addicted to my machine. I try to keep it in as good shape performance-wise as I can, I take care with what and where I download, I use good antivirus protection etc and I read all the advice that folk on here so freely give. It has helped me be wary of and to avoid the obvious dangers of surfing the internet without paying attention. I update only security updates and only after reading the advice of more experienced guys on here...thank God for them. It'll probably be a few years before I upgrade to another system, but by then I'll have those years of additional experience under my belt and hopefully I'll make the right decision!!😀😀😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhjohns Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 On 7/21/2019 at 2:28 PM, luisam said: o do with his old laptop, with 256 GB of RAM Damn that's a hell of a lot of RAM. I am only rockin' 32 GB on my desktop! 15 hours ago, funkyy said: install an additional 256 Mb of memory. Why? He already has 256 GB what is 256 MB gonna do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyy Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 dhjohns, your quote above ("install an additional 256Mb") wasn't posted by me!!😀😀😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luisam Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 14 hours ago, dhjohns said: Damn that's a hell of a lot of RAM. I am only rockin' 32 GB on my desktop! Why? He already has 256 GB what is 256 MB gonna do? Just a TYPO. Actually it's an obvious error. I recommended a 256 Gb memory. By now a 256 Mb memory card, used on the earliest PCs back in 80s should not even fit in a 256 Gb slot of a laptop! With a light version of XP you can run a computer with 256 GB RAM - it's really slow but works. For some basic use, 512 GB should be more reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhjohns Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 5 hours ago, luisam said: Just a TYPO. Actually it's an obvious error. LOL, I knew that! 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karlston Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 7 hours ago, luisam said: With a light version of XP you can run a computer with 256 GB RAM - it's really slow but works. Yep, XP will definitely struggle with such a tiny amount of memory. I'm running 8.1 with 16TB of memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator DKT27 Posted July 25, 2019 Administrator Share Posted July 25, 2019 Recently came to know about this. One of the comments says that the SC of the country uses it, which is quite significant if you ask me about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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