What are you waiting for?

[RWNJ]

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate Windows OS, and especially Bill Gates (May he rot in Hell!) So I finally took the plunge and switched to a Linux based OS. It's called Elementary OS. Current version is Loki. I LOVE IT!

Now, Linux will never be a popular platform for gaming, like Windows, but it DOES offer stability and ease of use. There are a few things to get used to, but once you do, it's really little different than using windows. Just without all of the aggravation.

And the best part is that I didn't have to give up Windows and my games. I have both of them installed and I simply choose which one I want to use when I start my computer. I use Windows for gaming, and Linux for everything else.

Linux is open source. That means anyone can download the source code and make changes. There are literally thousands of distributions (AKA Distros) of Linux out there. So there is probably one that would fit your taste. The most popular ones are based on Ubuntu.

Oh, did I mention that Linux is usually free. And even if a particular flavor of Linux isn't free, it's usually dirt cheap. I got mine for 5.00. I would have spent much more for it. So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try. And spread the word. Seriously. If I wasn't a gamer, I would give up Windows entirely.

If anyone is interested, let me know, and I can give you instruction on how to set it up. It's not hard. Take the plunge. You won't regret it.

 

[depotoo]

Security of Linux?

 

[RWNJ]

Security of Linux?

Some people claim that Linux is so secure that you don't need anti-virus. Those people are idiots. However, if you think about it, the vast majority of viruses, spyware, trojans, worms, malware...etc are aimed at windows users. I've found that my version of Linux (Elementary OS Loki) is as easy to use as Windows, and actually does some things better. But if you're worried about security, take a look at this.

The 7 Best Free Linux Anti-Virus Programs

 

[WillowTree]

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Security of Linux?

Linux is more secure than Windows for a variety of reasons.
Mostly because virtually all viruses are written for Windows and will therefore not run on Linux.
Today, virtually everything people do with a computer is via the internet and their browser of choice. And both work exactly the same on either platform, with the exception that at least 99% of viruses and malware out there will not effect Linux.
Linux is overwhelmingly faster and uses considerably less memory than Windows. Now a member here named Bliepriester will be here shortly to tell you it isn't, but pay not attention. Windows indeed runs just fine on a newer system with a minimum of 8 GB RAM...Linux will run perfectly fine and blazing fast on half that RAM.

 

[Ringel05]

Security of Linux?

On install select the option to encrypt your files that way your home files are encrypted and you must use a password to login at bootup, (ya have to use your password to make any real changes. Next fire up the ole firewall then if you're really worried install Clam AV, Avast or any of the others that work with Linux.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Some people claim that Linux is so secure that you don't need anti-virus. Those people are idiots...

Not idiots. The chances of getting a virus/malware using Linux is basically non-existent if you follow even basic precautions. Sure if you frequent the dark web, or clink on any porn site you see - even with Linux you are taking chances. But if you surf the web and not do those things, you are perfectly safe without it.

 

[Ringel05]

Some people claim that Linux is so secure that you don't need anti-virus. Those people are idiots...

Not idiots. The chances of getting a virus/malware using Linux is basically non-existent if you follow even basic precautions. Sure if you frequent the dark web, or clink on any porn site you see - even with Linux you are taking chances. But if you surf the web and not do those things, you are perfectly safe without it.

Does that mean i have to give up my porn and dark web browsing........

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Some people claim that Linux is so secure that you don't need anti-virus. Those people are idiots...

Not idiots. The chances of getting a virus/malware using Linux is basically non-existent if you follow even basic precautions. Sure if you frequent the dark web, or clink on any porn site you see - even with Linux you are taking chances. But if you surf the web and not do those things, you are perfectly safe without it.

Does that mean i have to give up my porn and dark web browsing........

Oh hell no...it's quite simple to make a computer 100% impervious to viruses etc.
Take your hard drive out, run a Linux version that installs the OS to your RAM. Remove USB....you have an impenetrable computer.... no writable memory.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The best firewall out there is the "floppy firewall". I set that up for a number of businesses back in my IT heyday.
Most people have never heard of it because it doesn't cost anything. You can make any old PC a firewall.
Check it out someday. It runs in the computers RAM. It is unhackable, because there is no writable memory. Once the OS boots into RAM using whatever parameters you set prior to installing...it can't be changed. (Well, you can change it of course by shutting it down and reinstalling after making changes)

 

[Ringel05]

The best firewall out there is the "floppy firewall". I set that up for a number of businesses back in my IT heyday.
Most people have never heard of it because it doesn't cost anything. You can make any old PC a firewall.
Check it out someday. It runs in the computers RAM. It is unhackable, because there is no writable memory. Once the OS boots into RAM using whatever parameters you set prior to installing...it can't be changed. (Well, you can change it of course by shutting it down and reinstalling after making changes)

By floppy firewall do you mean something like MacPup?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

The best firewall out there is the "floppy firewall". I set that up for a number of businesses back in my IT heyday.
Most people have never heard of it because it doesn't cost anything. You can make any old PC a firewall.
Check it out someday. It runs in the computers RAM. It is unhackable, because there is no writable memory. Once the OS boots into RAM using whatever parameters you set prior to installing...it can't be changed. (Well, you can change it of course by shutting it down and reinstalling after making changes)

By floppy firewall do you mean something like MacPup?

No it was literally called Floppy firewall.
This was 20 years ago. Before USB's.
It was a tiny Linux OS that someone built specifically to only be a firewall. The OS was less than 1 MB.
floppyfw

 

[Ringel05]

The best firewall out there is the "floppy firewall". I set that up for a number of businesses back in my IT heyday.
Most people have never heard of it because it doesn't cost anything. You can make any old PC a firewall.
Check it out someday. It runs in the computers RAM. It is unhackable, because there is no writable memory. Once the OS boots into RAM using whatever parameters you set prior to installing...it can't be changed. (Well, you can change it of course by shutting it down and reinstalling after making changes)

By floppy firewall do you mean something like MacPup?

No it was literally called Floppy firewall.
This was 20 years ago. Before USB's.
It was a tiny Linux OS that someone built specifically to only be a firewall. The OS was less than 1 MB.
floppyfw

Cool.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Floppy Firewall and others like it are ingenious.
Think about it, it is an operating system that only knows how to be a firewall, and runs in RAM. It doesn't know any commands you type in the shell. To set it up, you have to put in your specific IP range etc. in a real computer, compile it. This builds the OS. Then put it on any bootable device, install the OS into RAM and remove the USB or whatever. You have a firewall that cannot be changed. And since it doesn't recognize any commands and has no writable memory....how do you hack it?

 

[Ringel05]

Floppy Firewall and others like it are ingenious.
Think about it, it is an operating system that only knows how to be a firewall, and runs in RAM. It doesn't know any commands you type in the shell. To set it up, you have to put in your specific IP range etc. in a real computer, compile it. This builds the OS. Then put it on any bootable device, install the OS into RAM and remove the USB or whatever. You have a firewall that cannot be changed. And since it doesn't recognize any commands and has no writable memory....how do you hack it?

Unfortunately for me I like the land yacht distros with all the bells and whistles. The two distros I've narrowed it down to are Mint Cinnamon and Ubuntu Gnome and after playing with both over the last couple of weeks I find myself leaning heavily in the gnome 3 direction.

 

[Ringel05]

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate Windows OS, and especially Bill Gates (May he rot in Hell!) So I finally took the plunge and switched to a Linux based OS. It's called Elementary OS. Current version is Loki. I LOVE IT!

Now, Linux will never be a popular platform for gaming, like Windows, but it DOES offer stability and ease of use. There are a few things to get used to, but once you do, it's really little different than using windows. Just without all of the aggravation.

And the best part is that I didn't have to give up Windows and my games. I have both of them installed and I simply choose which one I want to use when I start my computer. I use Windows for gaming, and Linux for everything else.

Linux is open source. That means anyone can download the source code and make changes. There are literally thousands of distributions (AKA Distros) of Linux out there. So there is probably one that would fit your taste. The most popular ones are based on Ubuntu.

Oh, did I mention that Linux is usually free. And even if a particular flavor of Linux isn't free, it's usually dirt cheap. I got mine for 5.00. I would have spent much more for it. So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try. And spread the word. Seriously. If I wasn't a gamer, I would give up Windows entirely.

If anyone is interested, let me know, and I can give you instruction on how to set it up. It's not hard. Take the plunge. You won't regret it.

What are they waiting for? Most computer users are clueless, they want to turn it on and have it work, they have no clue how to customize besides when we start talking 'source code and distros' people's eyes go blank. To them we might as well be communicating in binary. The other issue is people tend not to like change so naturally are resistant plus many who have heard of Linux think it's a techie toy where everything has to be done via command line and Microsoft is one who helps to keep that lie alive. I would too if I was the top dog in my market.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate Windows OS, and especially Bill Gates (May he rot in Hell!) So I finally took the plunge and switched to a Linux based OS. It's called Elementary OS. Current version is Loki. I LOVE IT!

Now, Linux will never be a popular platform for gaming, like Windows, but it DOES offer stability and ease of use. There are a few things to get used to, but once you do, it's really little different than using windows. Just without all of the aggravation.

And the best part is that I didn't have to give up Windows and my games. I have both of them installed and I simply choose which one I want to use when I start my computer. I use Windows for gaming, and Linux for everything else.

Linux is open source. That means anyone can download the source code and make changes. There are literally thousands of distributions (AKA Distros) of Linux out there. So there is probably one that would fit your taste. The most popular ones are based on Ubuntu.

Oh, did I mention that Linux is usually free. And even if a particular flavor of Linux isn't free, it's usually dirt cheap. I got mine for 5.00. I would have spent much more for it. So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try. And spread the word. Seriously. If I wasn't a gamer, I would give up Windows entirely.

If anyone is interested, let me know, and I can give you instruction on how to set it up. It's not hard. Take the plunge. You won't regret it.

What are they waiting for? Most computer users are clueless, they want to turn it on and have it work, they have no clue how to customize besides when we start talking 'source code and distros' people's eyes go blank. To them we might as well be communicating in binary. The other issue is people tend not to like change so naturally are resistant plus many who have heard of Linux think it's a techie toy where everything has to be done via command line and Microsoft is one who helps to keep that lie alive. I would too if I was the top dog in my market.

Yep, same thing I have told Blie and those like him...put any 10 people in front of a Linux computer for 10 minutes with someone who to show them the basics...and at least 7 of those 10 people will stay with it.
Unless you are a gamer or use very specific software that is only written for Mac/Windows... people quickly see they can do everything they do but cheaper/faster/safer than Windows.

 

[Ringel05]

Anyone who knows me knows that I hate Windows OS, and especially Bill Gates (May he rot in Hell!) So I finally took the plunge and switched to a Linux based OS. It's called Elementary OS. Current version is Loki. I LOVE IT!

Now, Linux will never be a popular platform for gaming, like Windows, but it DOES offer stability and ease of use. There are a few things to get used to, but once you do, it's really little different than using windows. Just without all of the aggravation.

And the best part is that I didn't have to give up Windows and my games. I have both of them installed and I simply choose which one I want to use when I start my computer. I use Windows for gaming, and Linux for everything else.

Linux is open source. That means anyone can download the source code and make changes. There are literally thousands of distributions (AKA Distros) of Linux out there. So there is probably one that would fit your taste. The most popular ones are based on Ubuntu.

Oh, did I mention that Linux is usually free. And even if a particular flavor of Linux isn't free, it's usually dirt cheap. I got mine for 5.00. I would have spent much more for it. So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try. And spread the word. Seriously. If I wasn't a gamer, I would give up Windows entirely.

If anyone is interested, let me know, and I can give you instruction on how to set it up. It's not hard. Take the plunge. You won't regret it.

What are they waiting for? Most computer users are clueless, they want to turn it on and have it work, they have no clue how to customize besides when we start talking 'source code and distros' people's eyes go blank. To them we might as well be communicating in binary. The other issue is people tend not to like change so naturally are resistant plus many who have heard of Linux think it's a techie toy where everything has to be done via command line and Microsoft is one who helps to keep that lie alive. I would too if I was the top dog in my market.

Yep, same thing I have told Blie and those like him...put any 10 people in front of a Linux computer for 10 minutes with someone who to show them the basics...and at least 7 of those 10 people will stay with it.
Unless you are a gamer or use very specific software that is only written for Mac/Windows... people quickly see they can do everything they do but cheaper/faster/safer than Windows.

The problem is getting those people in front of Linux, particularly the big three (Ubuntu, Mint & Fedora). My biggest issue with Fedora is the install process, one actually needs to have a little more in depth knowledge of partitions to install it. The install process is not as straight forward and user friendly as the other two, at least that's been my experience.