Today I am “playing” with an old friend. My Linux Ubuntu computer system. I say “old friend” because Linux was my first non MS-DOS operating system. I have used many “flavors” or distributions of Linux. So I am not a “newbie” to this OS. But. I was once a real fan-boy for Linux.
WIN11 and a MAC-mini also take up present desk space and are heavily used. Far more now than this Linux box. Mainly because some of the specific software I want and need to use has not been ported to Linux.
In many cases, there are alternative applications in Linux… so it is just a matter of choice. I can be equally productive with any of my available computer operating systems, if it runs the software I need.
The biggest annoyance for me is the other OS’s want to “manage” my user experience. From my early experience, the only expectation I have for an operating system is to enable the choice of MY software application to work with the hardware of the computer.
That was the only job of the original operating systems. A standard interface to variable hardware systems. Today the OS is a “run your social life tool.” Linux can be that too, but you have to add those functions, if you want/need them.
Rant over. Not really pushing any opinions. I just like making and spouting off on my personal view. The Linux mascot penguin, TUX, is not running for president. <G>
Many large volume software applications have versions that are “ported over” to Linux but are not specifically designated for Linux. Some work well. Some don’t.
In the real world of business, the market place for the Linux OS “professional” applications is far behind the MicroSoft and Apple realms. Fact of life.
Linux has come a long way and has a lot of die-hard creators and supporters (thank goodness).
I recently saw a news article that some non-US (but still friendly) country governments are considering switching to Linux OS (from Microsoft) as their primary governmental OS choice to guard against foreign (USA) intervention into their government computer systems. Hmmm…
Whatever. I have no such concerns with my personal needs.
I play with Linux because I can.
Here is an example. I have an Autodesk Fusion (CAD) personal use license. There is no Linux version. There is a browser accessible portal for commercial license holders, but not personal.
I also like to use Onshape (CAD) that is totally browser based. It works fine in Linux. So I do have and very nice CAD system I can access with Linux.
As a “personal use” FUSION user. I bring no revenue to Autodesk. I don’t expect them to offer free browser access.
Like I say, there are options if one doesn’t take a hard core stand that there is only one good choice.
I should (and will) state that ALL my website are operating in a Linux server environment. Linux is just about the defacto standard for (worldwide) web servers.
Yes, there are Microsoft based web servers. I created a couple of corporate facing websites for use with Microsoft Project Server and Microsoft Sharepoint. Back in the day the corporate IT staff at first thought I was a maverick hacker building a website on the corporate hardware. I had to carefully explain it was for internal use only and not exposed to general WWW access. IT still had full control of who and how of internal systems could be accessed.
Brings up a point that sometimes corporate IT thinks users work for them and their IT rules, rather than IT being a service and servant of corporate user valid needs. (Who’s in charge here?) Ha!
Reminds me now how nice it is to be able to make any and all decisions of how my websites are operated. Yep, in Linux based servers.
Linux has its niche. It’s not a fad. Computer system enthusiasts like me know exactly what it is and what it does. Those of us that sometimes (most of the time?) like to make software do what we want. Not just be an operator of a start button… No fun there… <Grin>