There is very high competition in the operating systems industry these days. As people become more attuned to technology, they tend to gravitate toward one of three options. These three, Windows, OS-X, and Linux, are always in stiff competition with each other to attract more users to their user base. Incorporate the myriad of server technologies out there and virtualization, and there are plenty of options available for operating systems, all with unique features. Most hardcore users are dedicated to one platform, but you will find many true professionals who start to branch out by learning two or more of the available platforms. For the focus of this article, I am going to ignore OS-X, however, for completeness, I am going to briefly discuss its structure.
OS-X runs on top of Darwin, which is something of a hybrid of BSD, the Mach-3 micro-kernel, and a device driver API, or programming interface, called the I / O Kit. running on BSD, it is basically a UNIX system, different from Linux, because Linux is open source, while UNIX is closed source. One of the great advantages of this type of architecture is the ability to use the Mach-O binary format, which not only allows you to use symmetric multiprocessing, but also allows a single executable file, including the kernel, to include support for tons of CPU architectures. With a little ingenuity, almost any piece of software that can work on Linux can work on OS-X. Apple makes a very nice machine. I find that most of the people who are into Macs are graphic designers or musicians. The reasoning is that the Apples system is really adapted to these types of applications. From hardware to software, everything is tuned for optimal performance.
Windows, ah windows. Windows was introduced in 1985 as a second-rate plug-in for DOS. It was sort of Microsoft’s answer to the Mac. While the initial versions of Windows were pretty basic, for the moment, they were a decent alternative to running DOS as their only operating system. Windows was initially plagued with problems. Tedious driver installation, bogus hardware recognition, and a faulty system BIOS structure were plaguing the operating system, restricting users from using it as their sole base of operation. There was also a strong competitive factor at this point in the technology revolution, as companies began to emerge as leaders in the industry. Personally, operating under DOS, while tedious, gave you more control over what was happening, while Windows required you to give up some configuration options in exchange for ease of use. In its infancy, it had the ability to control environment variables and various other settings through DOS before starting Windows. With the arrival of Windows 95, all that would change. This was Microsoft’s first attempt at a full window operating system.
While you still have access to a DOS prompt, via command.com, the pure DOS interface is taken away from you, as several files are loaded at boot by default for the operating system to function properly. Windows 95 beta versions began to hit the web in droves in early 95. It took me three years, until the late beta stages of Windows 98, before I tested the operating system as a dedicated one. It was all cumbersome, but the desire for a new platform was overwhelming me and I had to give it a try. It resulted in the reinstallation of DOS, with Windows running on top, but it was interesting. Microsoft has stepped up its game over the years and now has one of the largest user bases in the world. Windows has been tweaked and relaunched several times since then, making some notable transitions. From Windows 98 to Windows XP there was a massive change, the addition of plug-and-play technology, which added BIOS calls to identify dissimilar hardware, to the addition of a new user environment. XP was quite a significant step for Microsoft, bringing them closer to their ‘vision’ of where they thought computing was headed. Their thoughts were on the right track and they cornered the OS market at launch. With the release of Windows Vista and its predecessor, Windows 7, they have further demonstrated their ability to make computer use easier for the average person.
Linux is emerging as one of the best options available for low-cost, high-end operations. Linux is the result of the collaboration of millions of computer users around the world who join their efforts for the progression of the common good. Linux is open source, which means that all components of operating systems are released under the GPL. The code can be customized and replicated in whole or in part, allowing people to post their customizations and modifications. The speeds that Linux produces, even on mediocre machines, can be almost staggering compared to Windows running on the same machine. While Linux is definitely for advanced users right now, next year it will be ready for home users.
There are already several versions of Ubuntu available for the brave. Linux offers everything you need in an operating system, it just hasn’t been made to work properly yet. If you are an advanced user, perhaps Linux is a viable option for you. If you have several years of computing experience or have developed a knack for technology, then Linux can give you a ton of exciting options and can far outperform Windows. The ability to customize the kernel to your liking, full control of its user interface, and full environmental monitoring are just some of the advantages of using a Linux-based operating system. The Linux “flavor” of Ubuntu is emerging as a leader in Linux for the home user. Ubuntu offers ease of installation, does not require you to compile your own kernel, and has a growing library of supported hardware. Various devices are also appearing on the market that are coded with the Linux operating system.
Generally, you can find the most user-configurable environment within Linux. However, this configuration can be difficult to achieve. I have spent countless hours perfecting my Linux installation to perfection. Every time you add a new software package or kernel update, you may run into difficulties. Getting the graphics drivers to work can be tedious, especially for high-end setups. However, the work is worth it, if you have the skills, to see Linux working on a multi-desktop screen. Another not so well known software is Compiz Fusion. Compiz Fusion is Windows at its best. Your desk transforms into 4 desks, all with separate window layouts, with the ability to switch between desks and work in individual workspaces at random.
While Compiz operates at the plug-in level, remember that it can certainly cause adverse effects on your system and will cause adverse effects. Be careful with Compiz settings, but if your system freezes completely, just press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, it will turn off, wait 30 more, then turn it on again, boot as usual, Compiz should go with the configuration that was stored before as it did not apply and only tested the configuration. The cube setup is one of the most impressive graphic layouts for a desktop that I have ever seen, especially when spread across three monitors. The cube setup in Compiz turns the four graphical terminals that Compiz provides you into a three-dimensional cube, which you can rotate with the mouse and zoom in and out, it also has another plugin that makes your windows pop off the Desktop into a three-dimensional shell. Conky is a very cool desktop ‘widget’ feature that allows you almost endless options for customization.
You can monitor your CPU, memory, temperature throughout your system and plug in almost any variable from anywhere if you want, you just have to know how. There are several default Conky plugins available, including weather and temperature monitoring scripts. Video cards are important when running Linux on any computer. Nvidia is in constant competition with ATI to provide state-of-the-art hardware and support to its customers. While ATI provides some really good hardware, its Linux compatibility is almost poor, you will often find that Nvidia has better support, resulting in better and more well-implemented graphics.