Why did you experienced users of Unix change to unix over Windows?
 

I would really like to hear from experienced users who operate on an only Unix system. I read a post awhile ago that was asking why this windows user didn't like linux, and people said he changed for the wrong reasons. I would like to hear the correct reasons/your reasons for completly changing to a Unix only box. Also (to comply with trickykid) this shouldn't be confused with a Unix vs Microsoft question.

My reason is for curiosity, hacking (shortcuts, not the new term), the open source of everything on Unix boxes, and the unlimited configuration options in Unix.

Also, another reason I use linux is because of this
The tyranny, unlawful conduct by microsoft (antitrust stuff), and the thought that (little paranoid but true) the government with Big brother, and Echelon, with Microsoft willingly breaking the law, 2+2=big a$$ spying. never know..

I am on Redhat 9.0

My reasons are simple: It works for me and it just seems like Unix systems make more sense in setting up, configuring, and using.

freedom

My reasons are also simple.

The very first time I migrated to Linux because of these reasons.

1. I have to learn Unix because I'm a computer professional.
2. I want alternative.
3. I don't want others (my house mates) to use my newly bought P4 PC.
4. Linux is used by computer geeks so I'm proud of it.


After a while using it, I realized other adventages like, freedom, fun, usability, configurablity etc, etc..

Now I'm not satisfied with Linux anymore. Thinking of migrating to FreeBSD.
I've installed FreeBSD on my secondary PC and Gee! it's very fast. The KDE running on the FreeBSD, 350 MHz P2 is faster than the KDE running on the Redhat 9, 1.7 GHz P4.
And I really like its "ports" system. And I can upgrade the OS on the fly without a problem unlike Linux upgrade. And what's more it's truely Unix with stable and proven Unix codes.
The only drawback is that it doesn't support my "Audigy" sound card. But I can solve it by paying for the commercial driver from the www.opensound.com. The price is quite reasonable. So now I'm seriously thinking about migrating to FreeBSD because its advantages are too huge to be able to ignore.

And one more thing is that, the commercial linux companies like redhat are distributing two lines of distros, personal free distro, and enterprise distro. Ofcourse they make the enterprise version very solid and stable, but free versions are sometimes not stable enough coz they don't test it very well, just releasing every 6 months.
It's not the case in FreeBSD.

See! How fun is it in the Unix world!? You've got a lot of choices!

The worst reasons to "attempt" to switch to Linux are:
A friend told me it was better.
I am pissed off at Microsoft.

Really. It is a different operating system. If you are interested, do not immediately delete Windows, do not immediately decide Linux is THE answer, but rather, just try it out while dual booting Windows. The system you prefer wins. If you like some of both, you keep both.
There is no problem.

I wanted to learn something new, something that not everyone can do (like i gave up HTML because everybody and their cuzzin and make a website).

the more i learn the more i want to learn more. then i started doing it because i wanted my resume to look really nice. now it's just fun. some of my experiements require windows machines (setting up a PDC-like Samba configuration).

After installing Gentoo and getting a look at the new Gnome (i was used to the Gnome that came with RedHat 7.1 - 3 ) I'm addicted to just looking at my desktop.

http://gigahurts.net/images/beyonce-desktop.png mmmmmmm Beyonce.... (sure i could put the same picture on a Windows desktop but putty would block it unlike my transparent X-terms and E-terms and Gnome-terminals.

p.s. i didnt "startx" as root, that picture shows me sued to root. never log in as root people!! (unless you just have to, but for general purpose logins, use a normal user)

i first tried *nix because i needed a firewall/router and the only thing i could get to work in windows had a 30 day license on it. then i saw the /proc filesystem(love that) and the layout of the filesystem in general seemed to make more sense, then i started to play with vim and latex, after that i was hooked.

I started with Linux because of:
- curiosity
- need for a working, stable backup system
- need to give internet access to guests
without compromising my windows system
(who knows what exes they will click at...)

Over time I tried several installs (Red Hat 7, Lycoris LX, Suse 8.2) and am impressed with the progress in user friendliness (even though I still had to edit /etc/fstab to be able to see some of my windows partitions; YAST refused to mount them).

I am even considering putting some effort into making my favourite Windows applications run on WINE to be able to part with Windows completely... (last I've looked, they were not mentioned in the compatibility list at all)

On the other hand, my old PII-350 PC (256 MB) seems to be slightly undersized for the latest Linuxes. Maybe I should go all the way and install something more geeky like gentoo or maybe even FreeBSD? Or is there a user friendly instruction somewhere on the net for "downstripping" my Linux?

Greetings.

I have only one comment.

Redhat 8 or 9 is 100% the best OS in the world, but the international input is not thet good, so for you who only operate in one language or European languages, you have the best and most stable platform, for you who want to use Asian input, well Linux is not that good, specially the fonts, so we do the following we have two Redhat 8 file servers runing 100% stable ( NO VIRUS ) with samba, and Windows2K workstations, as the Asian input is the best in Windows.
I personly just kicked Mandrake out of the Window as I was very tired of the system I even tried MDK 9.2 same I could not get the Simplified Chinese or Traditional Chinese to work, without lots & lots of modifications in the scripts, and even then it did not work correct, I spend long time with the developer of the Chinese input system, and later MDK 9.2 used the redhat Chinese input system, but still it would not work, So as we have redhat system in the office and there where no problems I installed redhat 9, and BINGO the Chinese worked first time. The old MDK 9.0 had a nice working Chinese Input system, but MDK 9.1 got worse and later MDK 9.2 totally use less.

My point is Linux Servers with Windows2K Workstations a good combination.
If you have installed some nice fonts for redhat, and don't need multi language support ( well the Chinese works well in redhat, but fonts not so good ) use redhat as workstation..

Have anybody tried SueSe ? How does it compare to redhat ?

i switched from linux because:

-tired of windows crashing and wanted something new
-linux comes with everything i need for programming and free at that lol
-wanted something customizable
-its free
-its stability(beats having windows crash every week)
-i was doing more stuff in a linux shell than i was on windows

i like to be able to control my computer instead of it controling me...ide rather have stuff run from command line that is quicker and less of a resource hog than something with a gui...it also beats paying $300 everytime a new version of the OS comes out.(i help out by buying distros but they are there for free if i want....cant say the same for windows)

I was just getting tired of windows, decided I wanted something else and remembered my previous linux attempts. It worked out this time, got dual boot up and running, and after a while erased windows ...

why? I could do everything I wanted to do in Linux, no need to clutter up a small hd with 2 OS's in that case :)

Compare to windows, Linux/Unix/UNIX are really nice OS. I like the command line interface which is powerful and effective. I am going to use BSD but linux is too comfortable..... I guess I am a bit lazy.