Linux

Does anyone here run a Linux based system? I'm sick of all the windows updates slowing my PC down and have been toying with the idea for years now, I just never made the switch. I'm considering getting a SSD and putting a new Linux boot on that to test it out, but I'm curious on the security risks and how you'd get something like D2 running?

For example, windows is constantly releasing security updates (which slow your computer to crap so you're forced to purchase the latest version of windows... phones do the same thing). I heard Linux is solid, you only download what you need, and those programs will have their own security updates. Any opinions on this? It seems to me you'd still need the .net framework to program, and office updates if you had office, so you'd still be one tick shy of a full blown windows system it seems to me. Pro's/Con's to run a Linux system from current users? I'm extremely interested in hearing opinions on this.

I have not used Linux in a while, but you'd have to use something like "Wine" to emulate a Windows-based environment to run Windows programs/games. I don't know about how reliable it is nowadays, but back then, trying to get any Windows games/software to run even with Wine is a nightmare.

Taem wrote:I'm curious on the security risks and how you'd get something like D2 running?

What do you mean by security risks? Linux distributions are usually quite secure by default.
To run D2 or any non supported games you would, as previously stated, need something along the lines of wine. D2 in particular shouldn't have many problems, but other games might. Anyway, gaming is slowly coming to linux, thanks to the push by Steam.

Taem wrote:For example, windows is constantly releasing security updates (which slow your computer to crap so you're forced to purchase the latest version of windows... phones do the same thing). I heard Linux is solid, you only download what you need, and those programs will have their own security updates. Any opinions on this?

Linux distributions use package managers to both install, uninstall and update programs and libraries. The OS itself is just a bunch of programs and libraries (very roughly put). So for example if you were running a debian-based distro and you wanted to install vlc you would open a shell and type "sudo apt-get install vlc". That's all, the package manager will take care of whatever library and dependencies it needs to download. If you wanted to update your system you would type "sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade", and that would fetch the latest updates and install them. By the way updates are generally MUCH faster than on windows OSs because of the way they are structured. I could try to explain why, but you get the idea.

Taem wrote:It seems to me you'd still need the .net framework to program, and office updates if you had office, so you'd still be one tick shy of a full blown windows system it seems to me. Pro's/Con's to run a Linux system from current users? I'm extremely interested in hearing opinions on this.

What do you mean? You can program without the .net framework... You know that right? If you still want / need to program in C# / F# you could use mono and stuff like that, but it would probably be easier to just dual boot for that, so you could also use the only microsoft product that doesn't totally suck (VS).
Needless to say, if you need to program windows-only stuff, you need to be on windows... (I had a professor that bashed the Qt framework for not being multiplatform because a project in which he included windows.h would not compile under linux... Yeah).

And I don't really understand what you mean by having office updates if you have office? You won't have office on a linux system, since it's not available for that platform. You have alternatives that may or may not work for you. Generally speaking open source office suites (like libreoffice) are good enough for simple document edits. If you need a more professional work you wouldn't use office anyways (and if you do... I'm sorry).

I's say the pros are:
- OS is inherently more secure
- You have control over it
- Comes with 100% less backdoors by default
- Usually much faster and less resource hungry
- Very easy (and fast) to update
- More focus (varying with distribution) on the shell and command line
- etc

The cons are:
- You have to be willing to learn something new. It's not hard, but it's different. So if you want something that is exactly like windows and you're not willing to learn anything new, just use windows
- Gaming is still a problem
- Graphic card drivers may not be as good as the windows version (not linux's fault per se)
- More focus (varying with distribution) on the shell and command line

Overall I'd say try one (or more) linux distributions. You may not like it, but I think you will. And no, Ubuntu is not the only user friendly distro, and I don't even like it (very bloated). I'd say try linux Mint and/or Debian before ubuntu, if you can. But that's just my opinion.

If you want SPEED, I'd say the best distro is probably Arch Linux... But it's made for experienced users (or users who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty) so I suggest to not go there quite yet.

The only time i used Linix was to crack a wi-fi. xD It was fun. Had multiple shells open with all the programs and stuff. It was like matrix.

Oh, and on college a bit.

If all you are going to play is D2 then Linux + VirtualBox(or other virtual machine program) = the win.

Grim you're aliveeee!

Food already explained very well, although i personally would prefer Ubuntu for Home use, at is it a bit of mixture between a very stable LInux (based on Debian) an flexibility e.g. offering many non-stable packages you might require when you want use it at home. As always, you also might be able to compile the required packages by your own on your system when using a more "strict" system - but then you´ll have to deal even more with command line. Which is not a bad thing per se, command line is one of the outstanding "features" a LInux system has, but when you have no idea about the shit you might struggle a lot.

So my first suggestion is, download Oracle VirtualBox for yoiur windows and try several Distro´s and see which one "feels best" for you.

Now a few cents from me:
- WIndows per se is (since Vista) not that insecure as it was before, when you keep a few things in mind - don´t work with admin privilege all the time (which is default on "normal" LInux Distro´s), keep your system and espacially applications (Flash, Java, PDF reader etc...) updated . DO not open strange emails, use a second or even third email adress when you register somewhere in the internet. Do not click at any graphics you are not sure if they are ok (espacially Advertisements). Most Trojans/viruses are installed that way these days (by just clicking/opening any infected link/site/graphic)
- In addition, windows itself never slows your computer down by updates - it is just the stuff you install during time, e.g. new graphic cards driver, which then also installs "new cool features" you will never need, or some kind of software updates from programs which will install toolbars and stuff like that. So always use manual installation and de-select features you don´t need. Usually, the really required features are marked grey, so you cannot unselect them when installing the software/update. ALl other things usually are optional and can be de-selected.
- It seems you do not have a SSD yet - the SSD is the thing what makes your PC really fast. A fresh windows installtion was booting in about 5 seconds after UEFI/Bios was completed. Now from time to time, many programs have been installed, require to be booted at startup - and PC boot time is still ok for me but is now somewhat at ~15-30 seconds.

- I installed my first LInux back in 1998 or so, which was Suse 5.3 on a 486 standalone pc. So i learned a lot from that.
- Since then, i always installed LInux and Windows in parallel on my "Gaming PC", because i always felt i have to use Linux and only switch to windows when i want to game. At the end, since 2007 i stopped doing that dual boot model, as i never used LInux, i always booted into WIndows because of lazyness. So if you plan to really use Linux, avoid Dual booting (2 different OS to choose at startup) and go straight with LInux. BUt before that, i strongly recommend to test which Linux Distro feels best for you (-> VirtualBox), as you will spend a lot of time customizing the system itself.
- If you need the office suite a lot (i mean, not only doing some basic calculations and some basic word stuff) please consider that MS Office is de facto the best Office suite and most supported by any companies out there (if you also have to deal with it at work). You will get a lot files with Office file format, so you might struggle editing it (e.g. you loose some functionalities if you edit and save in 3rd party tool). If you just need an office to sometimes write a letter or do some basic calculations etc...there is some software available for LInux which is more than sufficient (Open Office, LIbreoffice, etc...)

- Software Updates: Not only MS publishes SW updates, also any LInux Distro continuosly releases patches for the OS and applications. ANd guess what, it is required, otherwise you would end with a system with 2 or 3 year old bugs...

- My personal favour is, that i use Windows for working/gaming, and Linux only when i want to do IT related stuff, e.g. building up servers, traffic generators, or need a slim OS to simulate a client. BUt in that cases, i usually do not install any kind of GUI, as for acting as a server (or other situations i use it) you won´t need any GUI. Becuase of that, as menationed before, i stopped my DualBoot method and nowadays i install LInux as a virtual machine in VIrtual Box. SO i can have many of them with different purpose.

Another option is to install Virtual Box--or similar--bare metal, run all of your OS's as virtual machines. Take a snapshot after you get your gaming install of windows up with all your games installed. Something corrupts/infects it, wipe it and restore from the snapshot. Make sure to back up stuff of course as you go, natch.

The problem with windows is not that of security (with a little attention you'll never get a virus or other kind of malaware) but that of privacy. Microsoft can (and often will) log many things you do.

In windows 10 you can't even encrypt your disk with the default integrated feature, because the software will send a copy of the key to microsoft. That means Microsoft can access everything in your encrypted disk, and by extension the FBI and NSA.

With linux you are somewhat better protected from this kind of privacy invasion, but you still won't be completely secure in that regard. I don't even know if there's a way to be.

Gamin on linux is still not on par with gaming on Windows, but since Valve committed to the cause huge steps forward have been made. If you look here you can see there are ~2600 games available for linux and SeamOS, including some AAA games like Dying Light, Civ V, Borderlands, Football Manager, and obviously all of Valve's games; it's getting there. And it should be even better after the release of steam machines, we'll see.

I might put a guide here on how to try different distros with VBox... I'll think about it.

Haven't had time to look into this but I will soon. Regarding encryption, I use Axcrypt for my file encryption, so Microsoft can suck it.