This isn't a post asking for help, I figured I'd get some friendly conversation going on between the forum users. Linux kicks so much azz it's not even funny so tell me, what are some aspects of linux that you treasure above all else? List as many as you want, I'm curious myself. Here are my reasons.
- Permissions rules prevents accidental corruption or deletion of important files
- No spyware/adware in existence and very few viruses
- More command line oriented means that you have to know what you're doing if you want to make a system wide change.
- Is free and comes with a buttload of free software.

Those are probably my top 4.

its maybe unfair to compare it with windows, even though people who are running widows are having thier collar felt.

too many to list, but a couple are>

it can be as light or as heavy as you want with manual partition options.

it stays on for more than a few days without crashing.

it has many distrobutions catering for all or most people.

it belongs to you and is a part of your computer.

it gives the user independence like no other operating system.

it makes sense.

it comes with a huge selection of software.

it is the dogs danglers.


is that more than a couple...

IT WORKS!

Full control of every aspect of the computer.

Anything can be done from either a gui or the commandline.

It comes with many choices for apps, guis, filesystems, kernels.

Any software and drivers can be installed without a reboot.

Performance and stability stays the same regardless of how long it's been installed.

If something goes wrong error messages are informative. And it can ALWAYS be fixed.

Hardware and system information is detailed and easy to access.

I don't feel like it's holding my hand and insulting my intelligence.

Doesn't fill the hard disk with tmp files then lock up, like one infamous OS I could name.

I can leave the computer on forever (barring power outages out here in the country).

I can choose options before installation (unlike the aforementioned OS), then fine tune the user preferences (which is about all that other OS offers).

I can get more software than my disk will hold, free except for the time to download. The installation cd/dvds come with what would be thousands of dollars of software in that other OS.

Update/upgrade is cheap and easy.

I don't have to spend inordinate amounts of time pointing-and-clicking to find where the latest version has put things in the menus. I can still do command-line operations to get things done. Eventually, I'll find the menu items I need. But, my work isn't halted.

There are more reasons, but I'll let other users list them.

Linux is Da Bomb!

I love your siggy, "If it aint broke, TWEAK it" lol.

Morehead, KY, you say. The hell you say. Beautiful country, beautiful women, friendly people. I've driven through there many times in my ramblings around this great country of ours. 18 Wheelin'. Terrorizing 4-wheelers. Oorah!

a seemingly endless supply of command line beauties that do their job so damn well likeThe very fact that I can start any app I like from the command line often without needing any sort of gui at all.

That it is fun; so much fun that I still stay up late just poking around to find out stuff.

Then try this from the command line; see what bash tells you:

^How did your sex change^ operation go

Aside from that...

- Not having to perform Genuine Validation, Activation within 30 days or reinstallation within 6
months (well, the last part is at least optional in linux)
- It's free (although I did happily pay for a certain premium distro because I just don't have time
to fuddle with some of the things I need it to do)
- Its dynamic range of capabilities: its what you want it to be (as long as you can figure out how
to ask it nicely)
- It's the best OS for scientific computing (along with most of the other *nixes)
- Because it's probably the answer to asking the question: WWJB? (B=Boot)
- It doesn't seem to promote the obscene wealth of anyone.
- Did i mention it's free?

As a coming back to muck around with it after some years, I trembled in fear of the multitude of arcane commands, config file editing, obscure dependencies missing, the abject horror of having to recompile the kernel. But, what the heck, its an old box I'm not doing anything with. I'll try it.

Install goes without a hitch and all my hardware is recognized? Well, this isn't like the old days. But, you know, this video card just doesn't do my big beautiful 21" LCD monitor justice. I should upgrade the card. An ebay later I have my new card.

How do I install it? Should I blow away the OS and start from scratch? Well, in Windows I'd dumb down the driver to plain vanilla VGA, install the card, then install the new drivers. What the heck, I'll try that.

Well, that seemed to go well. What do you mean the OS already recognized the new card and installed the right drivers? Well, this isn't like the old days. What do you mean nVidia has Linux optimized drivers? Uh oh, now I'm in trouble - I have to install new third party drivers to get optimal performance.

Complete idiot newbie, "how do I get out of X to bash?" STFW (actually Linuxquestions.org, where some other brave newbie already posted the exact question I needed answered). "Humh, init - I'll have to remember that one."

Downloads, installs - then the dreaded message - "If you really want it to run like a scalded dog, I need to recompile an optimized kernel. Would you like me to do that for you now?" Well, yes I would - please. The README recommended some changes to my X config file, so I had to change one line and remove another. Back breaking!

Gee, I'd like to set-up Samba. I wonder how hard that will be? Just for giggles I check the menu and low-and-behold there is a Samba configuration option. Four questions later my Windows machine have a new share on the network. Wow, this is really not like the old days.

What about a web and ftp server? I really want it to be data driven, but all I know is ASP - how hard will this be? Turns out Apache, MySQL, and PHP aren't much harder to get going than Samba was. This is DEFINATELY NOT like the old days.

Linux, breathing life into old hardware.

Wow.....I'm glad you like it. Yeah, it picked up all of my hardware on install, including my HP Deskjet 920c printer without having to install any 3rd party drivers. That kicked Windows XP in the face.

Well most of my linux use is for programming/school but I must say I do find myself using Windows less and less. Usually only for games.

I like the aspect that I am more in control with whats happening with the OS. It feels much less 'out of the box', obviously.


Also, ITS FREE! With lots of FREE software to run!