Operating system comparison: Windows and Linux

Windows vs. Linux

Development of high technologies and especially development of computer technology in recent decades had introduced new standards of software and software design. Today any software product should combine different features: flexibility, visuality, simplicity and stable work. Such features are especially vital in the choice of computer platform or operation system, which will in many respects define functionality of computer platform and will influence the performance of the platform and software applications. Today it's generally agreed that the leading positions on the market of operational systems are taken by two the most spread products: Windows and Linux. These two products had an opposite way of development from the very beginning: Windows is the most famous commercial product of Microsoft corporation, was designed in order to make user's interaction with computer visual and simple as possible, while Linux appeared to be a freeware open source product, which was initially directed on a more professional audience of computer specialists. Both products passed through a long process of evolution and development in order to respond growing demands in data processing, network administration and high performance support. Still both products are not perfect and cannot guarantee 100% stability of performance in a dynamically changing high tech environment.

Graphic User Interface which is an integral part of all Windows operation systems is what defines MS Windows and this feature made Windows the most widely used operation system. It makes interaction with PC easy and simple, it simplifies the process of studying pc administration if compare to previous operation systems with networking options (for example Netware 2.x or 3.x) But at the same time GUI exhausts computer physical resources, as it loads operative memory and processor, which limits network capacities. That's why administrators often complain that GUI limits network features, as there is no option to load Windows in the command mode like DOS. Such feature would allow to free enough space in operation memory for network processes, in addition ability to switch off GUI would allow to increase performance and stability of system. If such options were available server would be able to work stable as a domain controller or as a WINS, DNS or DHCP server even on the computer with minimal configuration.

Unlike Windows GUI, graphics interface of Linux is not built in its nucleus, so this operational system can be loaded in command mode, without GUI. Such function is one of the main advantages of Linux, which allows using it on computer platforms with minimal configuration. For example even a very "modest" platform with 100 Mhz processor and 32 MB of RAM can successfully function under Linux as DNS- or Web server. The main advantage of a system without GUI is higher reliability, resulted by fewer working components, as each of them may crash the whole system. For example Windows platforms cannot work because of a corrupted display driver, which is impossible in Linux configuration without GUI. Another advantage of Linux is ability to create scenarios for a number of administrating tasks and running them in command mode. Because of the difficulties with describing mouse-clicks in command files, windows administrators often have to look for analogies in command mode in order to solve tasks, which are easily solved by standard GUI network tools.

Remote administration of Windows NT server is considered to be rather complicated. Even though that it was adjusted for remote administration by such components as rcmd.exe (Remote Command Service) in combination with regini and regedit applications, nevertheless remote administration remains to be quite different from local analogue. Linux and other operation systems, which originated from Unix fully, support remote administration, as the only difference is the speed of data exchange.

Security features of Linux are also more advanced as in majority Linux users run non-root user ids, which limits activities of viruses, while in windows such features often not available. Most of Windows users use administrator user id, which makes the whole system vulnerable for virus attack.