Linux vs. Windoze down to the bones (for science fair)
 

i'm thinking about doing a science fair project comparing windoze and linux, but i'm not sure how i would approach it

i have very little programming experience (so ya, i'm probably going to have to learn a lot very fast, where can i get this knowledge?) but i am computer savvy, a quick learner, and can usually solve most of my own pc problems

has anyone here pulled off a science project comparing linux and windoze and any suggestions on how i might be able to do so?

I would suggest charts showing the different filesystems used by each and how they differ, and illustrate the concept of root access vs. user access. I don't think you would have to explain the fundementals of kernel programming to show the differences to the public. Don't forget to get a windows machine to BSOD for you (shouldn't be too hard) and explain why Linux doesn't do that. Sounds like a fun project..

If I were you, I would learn how to spell Windows. ;)

Tell why running a server on Linux is batter...and tell the history of linux and windows..how they developed and what os most of the world using now and why..there lots more of questions..

thx for the replies, i'll take all those into consideration

however, since this is a science project, i need more than just some comparisons of data (although i could suffice with that, i would like to go more in depth)

any ways of trying to compare methods of operating or could anyone briefly explain how the both windoze and linux use computers differently?

o and ya, i'll probably want to spell winblows correctly, judges won't like it spelled windoze :)

I hate to be "that guy" but a couple of points.

1) Like contrasutra mentioned, if you throw up a science fair display with "Linux vs. Windoze" as the title, then anyone reviewing it will clearly know you made the decision Linux is better than Windows before you even started.

2) Be honest about your comparison. While Linux may have the concept of root and user access, Windows NT based operating systems have similarly themed Administrator and user accounts.

3) To make any conclusions as to which is better, you need some sort of metric; you need hard numbers. If you wanted to take the "better server" route as mentioned earlier, I would suggest trying to collect some information like: how long does it take a Windows web server to serve a specific web page (from pressing enter to finished loading). How long does it take Linux webserver to serve the same page. Then you might want to swap it around: how much time does a Windows web browser take to load a given page? How long does it take a Linux browser to load that same page?

4) The filesystems supported is a good suggestion if you can highlight the benefits provided by each (including NTFS). NTFS is resistant to "unauthorized" alteration seeing as how support for writing NTFS is still experimental. Journalling is one of the good things for Linux obviously, and so is the ability Linux has to read most other filesystems.

5) Maybe you could compare feature sets of standard pieces of software and explain why they are beneficial or restrictive.

6) Finally, the one point you should most definitely bring up is the open-source nature of a lot of Linux software. Again, to be fair, you would need to say that it's a good thing, but it's potential may not be fully realized. That is to say, the user may have access to the source code, but how much of the general user community has the knowledge (or desire) to read or modify the source code? From the perspective of simply using software, does it matter whether the source code is available or not?

I'm not trolling, just simply trying to say that if you want to do a science fair project, you need to present both sides as equally as possible UNLESS there are clear, irrefutable benefits of one over the other.

it matters a lot(at least to me) because if the source code is available the user knows someone somewhere has read it and thus it has no hidden agenda(if it did ppl would be talking about it) whereas with compiled code you have no idea what its doing. this is what i consider to be one of the major plusses of open source.

Real mature. "Winblows", "Windoze", all it does is make you look like an idiot.

90% of Linux users dont just randomly bash Microsoft. Only little kids who want to be l33t do.

Please refer to this comic for more information:

http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php...002-7-22&res=l

As Pcghost mentioned, the filesystem comparison would be worth looking at - Windows users are used to seeing discrete letters for partitions and drives, whereas in Linux you have all partitions and drives under one central hierarchy / - with Linux there's flexibility also in terms of where you want to mount your filesystems etc - In fact Linux is more flexible and configurable, period.

Lets try to refrain from calling others names please.

Also, this is asked or we have many Windows vs. Linux type threads. You should try searching and you'll probably find many opinions, facts and anything else you need to do your science project, etc.

eh, it's probably true that not as many people dislike windows just because they use linux, but 90 percent sound awefully high...

anyway, i was joking, jeez, take some humor, u really think i'd spell winblows like "winblows" or "windoze" or even "windohs"? off course not! this is a formal science project (and trust me, i know when and how to use vErY formal writing styles)

o and ya, thx for the little reminder on being fair, i know i would have to be but since i just read it, it will definitely be more instilled in my mind when i'm doing analasies.


other things i want to put into my research are probably some examples of source codes and how they are used in both windows and linux and how they are then compiled under each and run in their own way

any other ideas? and thx for all the help so far


(o, and it's not the intelligence and genius of Bill Gates that i question, it's, to be modest, the mediocrity of many parts of his and his teams' products)

:scratch: That's a terribly broad topic for a science project. Weren't you given guidelines on how to do your basic research for designing your project? Or is your school full of union teachers who don't believe in real teaching like the schools I taught in were before I got completely disgusted with public secondary school education? I guess they still are in most places. :rolleyes:

Here is a start on understanding filesystems.
Filesystems HOWTO
Directory Navigation Help File
Filesystems, Directories, and Devices Help File
Advanced filesystem implementor's guide

Apparantly you are mistaken on the products name.

The products name is "Windows" by Microsoft.


Im sorry, I thought you were joking, I didn't realize you were just mistaken.


Im glad I could help,
Contrasutra.

make sure you point out that linux can be alot more than windows can. for example if you want something for an advanced user who likes to avoid GUI's you can get that. if you want something to serve as a desktop system for homework you can get that out of linux too. you can get anything out of it and configure it how you want. that's the important part because otherwise people see linux like windows: static (ie, there is only one choice of desktop, only one kernel and whatnot), something which linux is not.

it does if you are a hard-core open-source/free software fan like me : )

have fun!

Dont let bias show, be fair minded when doing it.

Show how they are both installed

How they startup

How they can be configured, like different desktops for Linux

Show the Differences in the software available, free and open source vs. company created and going rates of comparable linux software.

Show why Windows is better for some people and Why Linux is better for others.

Compare the flexibility and customization of both OS`s

Definitly show some history of both OS`s, how they originated and who created them.

I wasn't trying to knock you when I mentioned the part about being fair. It's simply that it seems you have already decided Linux is better than Windows. That's fine, but those preconceptions are insidious little beasties. Sometime you don't know when they're influencing your perspective or not. It can be as subtle as the wording of a sentence or as blunt as omitting evidence, and rationalizing it by saying "well, that case was just a fluke". I don't know if you took it personally (couldn't quite tell from your response), but I was not taking a shot at you... just mentioning a potential pitfall.

kev82, yeah, you're right: people will look at the source. I'd feel better about it if there were some data collected to estimate how many people inspect the code and what areas are inspected most thoroughly (speaking in terms of averages across revisions). Of course, this all assumes the non-programming end user implicitly trusts there are people investigating the code and that those reviewers are trustworthy themselves. No, I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I do enjoy a good theoretical discussion from time to time... :)

whereas microsoft webserver deployment continues to decrease over the last year and a half, apache servers continue to increase. a recent netcraft survey clearly demonstrates the lack of faith exhibited by IT staff worldwide, as shown below:
http://news.netcraft.com/archives/20...er_survey.html

also note the frequent downtimes indicated for windoze servers compared to much longer uptimes for non-windows platforms in typical site-specific netcraft surveys.

you might also consider the significant contributions to science that result from linux clusters. the research environment benefits greatly from the open source nature of linux.

*writing, writing, deleting, sigh...*

(Someone here was lecturing the thread starter in a sarcastic and condescending way, and I was about to lecture this person instead... Never mind... Sorry for posting this non-post instead... I'm just a bit frustrated.)

first: contrasutra, i appreciate for the "heads-up" on avoiding true biases, but to then carry it on after i've already discussed the joke and explained the fact that i would not spell ::winblows:: as "winblows", "windoze", etc. (in other words, i am not a moron, i know that you know that i know that what i know as winblows is what most people know as Microsoft Windows. If u did not understand the joke, did not want to help this post any more, or if you were just being the ultimate arrogant stuck-up who thinks he knows too much, then don't post here and crowd this thread unnecessarily. (Note: no offense intended)


anyway, all the ideas seem great, and yes i do realize that this project idea is very extremely broad and i meant it to be that way: because i probably won't be taking it down to the code as much as i thought i would, and through my research i may compare basic functionalities that all people would understand or i may narrow it down; i may even change my topic entirely to a simple: how computers work type of topic where i may only mention the idea of operating systems. It should all work out in the end

Wow, you are really dense.

Calling it WINBLOWS, to ANYONE is stupid. I dont care if you call it that in your project, but most linux users are not like you.

We dont find it "kewl" or "l33t" to call Windows, "WinBlows", even among ourselves.

Doing so just makes you look ignorant.

But apparantly you don't understand how rude it is.

BUT YOU JUST DID!! CANT YOU SPELL!

AAAAH! contrasutra! Give it up! Your scoffing leads nowhere!


Edit: Oh, BTW, good luck to you, TheOneAndOnlySM!

Nothing against TheOneAndOnlySM.......
contrasutra...havent a good laugh for a long time ...thanx....;-)
oops i think i spelt that wrong.............

I think you will find that it is spelt Windows® :D

I really don't like the terms 'windoze', 'winblows' or 'Windows'. 'Windows' is far to generic a word and Microsoft should never have been granted a trademark for it (just like they weren't for 'Word', 'Excel', 'Access' etc.). Only a Linux forum I really think that it ought to be referred to as MS-Windows or Microsoft Windows, to avoid confusion with X-Windows or Lindows ;) .

Sounds like a very interesting and enlightening project.

What version of Windows do you intend to use? I would have to recommend Win2K or XP pro. Both have some points over the other one in my opinion but perhaps the newest would work best along with a more current version of Linux. Speaking of which, What Distro do you intend to use?

I don't mean to offend you but I must admit it does sound like you are going into this project with a biased opinion towards Linux. I know you had already covered that but by the thread topic alone points to it. Also as you said and another poster mentioned, considering this is a science topic you must remain as neutral as possible and do everything in your power to keep an open mind and ignore any preconceived notions of which OS you or anyone else thinks is superior. Truth be told, both have some serious drawbacks and huge pluses.

Let your research show the areas that either or each OS excells but don't guide it. Let the results speak for themselves, don't give them your voice.

Finally, I wish you the best of luck. While doing any research with a completely neutral perspective is almost impossible, keeping it as unbiased as possible is a constant conscious effort.

Let us know how it goes.

Be careful saying windows or even throwing something out of one, Microshaft is watching .

well, i think it would be good to include some history of both OS's, and the various companies involved (ie Microsoft, Sun, GNUproject, Red Hat, Mandrake etc.) talk about how the different strains of OS evolved, and where they want to evolve - MS targets companies, mostly. think about who Red Hat is targeting, vs Debian. that sort of thing.

talk about open source and what it's goal is.

then i'd go into technical details about the differences between windows and linux. you could talk about device naming, mounting, filesystems, command line vs gui, and just about anything else.

here's a pretty good link to check out. there's a lot of random general sort of information that you could browse through.

http://www.fokus.fhg.de/linux/LDP/ru...00000000000000

and in the end, just have fun with it! it sounds like a great, original idea for a project to me, one that could be very satisfying.

Lets keep it clean and nice please. No more name calling, personal attacks and so on, or this thread will get closed in a heartbeat.

Regards.

One major thing about windows is you have one Windows GUI, known as (X server in Linux).

You can have several in Linux enabling you to use more than one window manager at a time. This is handy if you have some things that you use that come with one Environment such as KDE apps.. where you may want to run something else in Window Maker at the same time, or you might be working on your Gnome Environment but want to use Fluxbox for something else. You can run them all at the same time with linux by simply starting up another X server on another virtual display.

In other words you could have six different X servers running at the same time all configured differently and be able to switch between them using ctrl_alt_F7 thru ctrl_alt_F12, provided you have a system that can handle it.

Also you can run six separate virtual terminals at the same time accessible with ctrl_alt_F1 thru ctrl_alt_F6

Compare this with Windows GUI, DOS prompt, and DOS mode.

It's probably useless in most practical cases but it's cool none the less.



The ability to directly access resources on the machine such as serial ports, usb ports, or any other device using simple to use commands like cat, sed, awk, and many, many, many others. is nothing short of miraculous.

You simply cannot do this in windows as it is. You need to have a program that does what someone thinks you need it for. Or the ability and development software $$$ to write your own controls.


The support for Linux is mind boggling.
Have you ever had a problem that you could search for and not turn up something on it? It's almost like it's been around forever. Everything is documented on the Internet. I think mainly because it was built on the Internet.

When windows starts acting up for no apparent reason it's very hard to fix without reloading the system from scratch. This is not my opinion, just fact. Look at all the restore CD's coming out now.

Before that a lot of people just hopelessly went out and bought a new computer. Some still do.



Yea, I know this is one sided. I did not intend it to be that way, it just come out like that.

And this is a Linux site. :)

Some history might be appropriate, but I'm not sure how deep I would go. I might consider explaining the "stains" only so far as to explain why a particular distribution was chosen; why it would seem to be the best candidate for a comparison against Windows. The history might be very interesting, but the judges will be much more interested in seeing a conclusion and hard research/data to back it up.

Another potential candidate for collecting data is this:
Take a hard drive and partition it so you can install both Windows and Linux, and still have room for a "shared" partition.

Install the OSes using all the default options (or be prepared to explain what you disabled/added and why) into their respective partition(s)

On the shared partition, create a collection of random files: some small, some medium sized, and some big. Relatively speaking, small might be < 10KB, medium might be 10KB to 1 MB, and large might be 1 MB to 10 MB. Those sizes are completely arbitrary.

Write a program (or ask nicely for someone here to do it :) ) that will perform reads and writes of the files in two modes: a pre-set sequence and randomly. Anybody in the programming forum, including myself, could whip up a prgram like this in a matter of minutes. Or, we could help you program it so you would be that much more knowledgable about it should anyone start asking questions about it.

Compile the program on both operating systems.

Run them, and time how long it takes each operating system to perform a given number of transactions to the disk. This would simply be output from the program rather than you sitting there with a stopwatch.

Creating the files would be rather simple from the Linux side. It would be a matter of dd'ing repeatedly from /dev/random into the data files. The data would be the same between OSes, both OSes would be talking to the same device meaning any imperfections in the drive's performance are shared between the OSes. The same source code compiled on both means that the only real difference is how efficiently each OS handles access to the hard drive and memory. To be absolutely impartial, you would need to install each operating system onto the same partition (i.e. test them one at a time). I would venture to say that's a debatable point however. Just keep the OS partitions the same size, and that should be good enough.

Be sure to mention how WIndowsXP pro is very stable, runs fast, boots in less than 30 seconds and has excellent multimedia/hardware support.
To be fare, of course.

who cares

I've mentioned this many times before hackers_
If your not going to make constructive posts, then just move on to the next one please. There are going to many times members are going to create a thread regarding Linux vs Windows and such, I personally don't care either but I don't express it the way you do. Just ignore it and move on if your not going to participate or help the person asking out.

Regards.

and dont forget...
Linux started off as some Guys Courcework,
said he was gonna make it free for all who want to have a play with it, but it was going to be nothing major, his tutor told him not to bother he woulnt get a very good grade...

and now, its the main competitor to MS, the bigest ugliest ruthless company ever :D:D:D

Wat makes " Linux " a better OS when compared to "Winsucks"
is the open source nature of linux . Maybe itz time MS learnt it the hard way that



:Pengy: LINUX RULES
WINDOWS SUCKS :scratch:

I myself hate windows with a passion, BUT...

maybe you shoud go jusit some ANTI-linux sites (yes they exist), or atles some pro-windows sites...

cos you are going to get a lot of biased info if you just research here

having said that, the anti linux sites never seem to give reasons why they dont like it... maybe there just cronic conformists ?
lol.