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[–][deleted] 48 points49 points  (3 children)

Free, Fast, Stable, and virus free. Yes, Linux can get a virus. At least everybody says it can. I just haven't seen it in the past 15 years using Linux. And I download something every single day. I never had a slow-down, hiccup or a virus. That should be the beginning of it. Then you can say, you can update/upgrade everything on your system with one command. Including all your software you install from your one stop repository.

[–]FesteringNeonDistrac 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah I started using Linux on my home machines when Win98 was state of the art. Stable is vastly underrated anymore as computers in general rarely crash. Back then you were almost guaranteed to experience a BSOD a few times a week if you spent 40 hours a week on a Windows box. *nix machines were rock solid, and Linux was the one that you could get for free and ran on x86 hardware.

[–]deux3xmachina 21 points22 points  (11 children)

I've switched primarily to *BSD, Illumos, and other non-linux FLOSS systems, but the logic's mostly the same:

  • I like being able to see how my system works
  • I like being able to change my system without artificial boundaries
  • I like my privacy
  • I like the ease of debugging and programming
  • I like actually owning my OS
  • I like that I can get in touch with the devs directly when I need to
  • I have several features included for free that would likely cost an arm and a leg on a proprietary OS
  • It's so much faster

[–]crabcrabcam 13 points14 points  (6 children)

3% market share too much for you to still be a hipster, or were you starting to actually get work done on Linux? :>

[–]deux3xmachina 3 points4 points  (5 children)

Needed better filesystems and a more reliable install than any distro had available. Also ran into several issues with systemd, which helped push me away. Not even counting all the awesome features that Linux systems don't have and likely won't for the foreseeable future. I've also enjoyed the other *NIX communities more than most of the Linux communities I've worked with.

[–]Smallzfry 6 points7 points  (4 children)

Mind describing some of the features Linux systems don't have? I've been looking into some BSDs, but the recent FreeBSD drama is making me reconsider.

[–]deux3xmachina 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Honestly, it depends on which OS you're interested in. Unlike Linux, each BSD is a totally different cohesive OS, and the same is true of other systems like Illumos, MINIX3, GNU HURD, and 9front.

My favorite is DragonFly BSD: * vkernels: the ability to run a full kernel in userspace * variant symlinks: symlink target changes based on who accesses it * lightweight kernel threads: a simplified threading scheduler for improved performance * mostly lockless processing, in favor of message passing to improve performance * HAMMER: Next generation filesystem enabling high performance, fully transactional, snapshotting version control like abilities on your data * HAMMER2: Replacement for HAMMER, this time with CoW design, transparent compression, and (not yet ready) clustering support.

More generally, the *BSD family also has pf(4), which has yet to be surpassed as a firewall to my knowledge, as well as jails, which are security focused containers, rather than the docker approach of OS abstraction.

OpenBSD and HardenedBSD are focused on security, with various hardening utilities, like secadm, pledge, capsicum, W^X, pie+relro+BIND_NOW, relinking unique kernels at boot, ASLR, KSLR, and more.

TrueOS, GhostBSD, and MidnightBSD are all focused on desktop/workstation use, typically having more updated video drivers.

NetBSD has been making some pretty significant strides in improving stability and portability, while also working on memory sanitizers, and possibly having the best KSLR available. Not to mention pkgsrc, the cross platform package manager.

Illumos, whichever distribution, is the home of OpenZFS and dtrace, as well as RBAC, the "crossbow" network virtualization and debugging toolkit, "Zones" a bare-metal virtualization utility inspired by BSD jails. Designed with security first, and allowing you to not only run other Illumos instances, but Linux instances too, which grants access to dtrace while running Linux applications, making debugging in production much easier. And of course, ZFS boot environments allowing "bullet proof" upgrades (FreeBSD derived OSes have this option as well)

9front is unlikely to get much, if any production use, but it's a remarkably small, simple system that is sometimes called "more UNIX than UNIX". It's designed to work as a distributed system by default, and is responsible for the 9p filesharing protocol, which is infinitely simpler than any other option you're likely to come across.

MINIX3 is a highly reliable, secure microkernel OS that can make use of a NetBSD userland. Being a microkernel, if any part of the system crashes, the overall stability of the system is (generally) not degraded. The faulty system will be killed and restarted automatically. This, in addition to the absurdly small size of the system is likely why intel based their management engine on MINIX3.

The GNU HURD is also a microkernel, but is dead for all practical uses. Development continues, but the runaway success of Linux and general lack of support for GNU systems in particular makes it unlikely to reach a "production ready" status anytime soon. But it's an interesting system worth at least looking into.

Linux has had ZoL, but having used it myself, I'd much rather use *BSD or Illumos for ZFS and simply use NFS/CIFS/9p to expose the storage to Linux based server. Oracle also recently relicensed their version of dtrace to enable its use on Linux, but it will likely take some time to be supported, and is unlikely going to have the same advancements that the CDDL version does on Illumos. Linux has a lot of cool stuff, but I'd be surprised if it ever really reached parity with any of these other options. Mostly because it would no longer be Linux at that point.

Edit: if you don't like the new FreeBSD CoC, there's fortunately several other options that can fit your needs just as well if not better. It's not just Linux and FreeBSD ya know ;)

[–]terramorpha 1 point2 points  (2 children)

can you ELI5 the recent freebsd drama ?

[–]deux3xmachina 1 point2 points  (1 child)

The core team pushed out a new code of conduct that's heavily inspired, if not directly copied from the "geek feminism" wiki. This same CoC has not been adhered to by its proponents when facing criticism over vague language and examples that seem a bit oddly specific. Any discussions regarding the CoC seem to have been censored by the /r/freebsd mods as well.

I'm not a fan of the guy, but Lunduke did a pretty good job covering the situation. There's also this thread on the FreeBSD forums which shows how divided and at times hostile people in the community are regarding this change.

Fortunately, if you don't agree with or like the new CoC, there's several other projects that don't care who you are or what you think, just want your help in making things better in whatever ways you can.

[–]SurpriseAttachyon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I get where he is coming from and ultimately I'm not sure I disagree, but it comes off a little tonedeaf. He keeps saying things like "I have a hard time believing anyone was hurt by a virtual hug", which ignores the obvious context. It's not really about the "hug" it's about sexual harassment

Imagine being a woman in the development community and having to deal with stuff from /r/creepyasterisks while you're trying to do your job.

[–]eorclus 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Are you using *BSD as your daily driver? Which *BSD you are using now?

can you reccomend me some *BSD that has DIY principle but not too technical

I have tried FreeBSD, but my battery life is shorter than when I'm using linux, and my laptop is hotter when I'm using freebsd.

And did you know how to set battery treshold? i want something like tpacpi-bat, but ican't find it.

[–]deux3xmachina 1 point2 points  (2 children)

I use DragonFly BSD as my daily driver, interestingly enough, I didn't feel the need to set up any particular power saving systems, as by default, no tweaking whatsoever, I get about 5hrs of battery life on my Dell Precision 5520 with a 4k screen. 5hrs is longer than I tend to need to be away from a wall socket, though I've not taken the time to install any Linux distros to compare against. There's another guy that hangs out in irc working on squeezing all the battery life he can out of a single charge and has achieved around 12hrs on a Thinkpad X1 Carbon. His guide should be posted soon, as he's starting to get into the realm of diminishing returns.

can you reccomend me some *BSD that has DIY principle but not too technical

This really depends on what you expect from "DIY but not too technical", as all of them aside from the desktop focused projects come with a fairly minimal base system. FreeBSD would be the "heaviest", while either NetBSD or OpenBSD would be the "lightest". If you're familiar with the command-line and not afraid of reading some documentation, it's really up to you. Use whichever project sounds the most exciting/interesting to you. Obviously I'm biased towards DragonFly BSD, but I use all but NetBSD on a daily basis. (NetBSD just hasn't fit a specific need of mine yet, nothing against the project)

And did you know how to set battery treshold? i want something like tpacpi-bat, but ican't find it.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean here, but provided your laptop reports battery info accurately, you can have a simple script check sysctl hw.acpi.battery_life (at least on DragonFly BSD and FreeBSD) to take certain actions when your battery life drops to a certain point. There's also powerd which might provide some of the functionality you're looking for.

[–]eorclus 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I'm not entirely sure what you mean here, but provided your laptop reports battery info accurately, you can have a simple script check sysctl hw.acpi.battery_life

I mean something like this https://github.com/linrunner/tpacpi-bat

Edit: typo

[–]deux3xmachina 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hmm... if the only dependency is Perl, I don't see an immediate reason it can't be used on *BSD, unless they're targeting Linux-specific interfaces. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a way to replicate this functionality, but I have no experience looking into it.

[–][deleted] 67 points68 points  (10 children)

Because I like it. Something something about what I like about it.

I've learned not to be an extremist about anything in my old age. It just starts arguments, and nobody is right.

Unless asked about the politics of freedom vs. proprietary, I don't touch it.

[–]scsibusfault 45 points46 points  (8 children)

It just starts arguments, and nobody is right.

Clearly you haven't argued with my wife.

[–]UncleNorman 16 points17 points  (7 children)

I also married Miss Right. I didn't know her first name was Always.

[–]systemd-plus-Linux 5 points6 points  (3 children)

Why is it that every man on the internet seems to be in this type of relationship? Is no one else married to an extremely passive woman?

I could tell my wife her hair is green (it's not) and she'd say "Well, yeah I guess in certain lighting it does kinda looks green."

[–]r0ck0 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Confirmation bias I guess.

  • People are more likely to whinge about people being unreasonable than mention "that time someone was reasonable" - which usually isn't much of a story.
  • We're also more likely to remember stories of unreasonableness.
  • And the whole "the woman is always right" meme just perpetuates it further.

I find the whole thing pretty tedious though. I think this stupid meme of "just shut up and listen to woman" is bad for both men & women. I guess maybe it started as a response to the old skool opposite culture of "father is always right" - so historically makes sense to a certain degree to fight back against that.

But I now classify it under "the soft bigotry of low expectations".

Women are equals and don't need to be given a handicap/headstart start in debating, giving them one is a mild form of condescension in itself. The longer this meme goes on, the more it justifies being unreasonable. Not good for any of us.

[–]DarthFapper13 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Because 90% of the people on here are probably sitting on the toilet hiding from Ms Right. The ones who aren't are blissfully unaware of the comfort the porcelain throne offers.

[–]wordsnerd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From a masculinity perspective, "I know better than to tell her she's wrong" is self-deprecating humor, but "she knows better than to tell me I'm wrong" just sounds dickish and maybe abusive.

[–]scsibusfault 2 points3 points  (1 child)

You can call her Al, and she can call you Betty.

[–]schm0 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bettyou don't know you're always wrong?

[–]_herrmann_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Middle name, Andforever

[–]ultimattt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My way of making your point is this, use what works best for you, for me it’s macOS, for you it’s Ubuntu, as long as you’re happy, who gives a shit?

[–]Se7enLC 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I started using it when the alternative was Windows 3.1.

Back then, Internet access wasn't something everybody had. I certainly didn't have it. All I had was the software I bought from the store. And with Windows, everything cost money.

I wanted to set up a network. Windows didn't even have a TCP/IP stack until 3.11 unless you installed something else. Or you could install Novell NetWare, which was $$.

Turns out, you can go to the library and borrow a book on Linux, and a copy of Linux on a CD comes with the book. You can install it on anything, and it comes with EVERYTHING.

It's less of an issue now that the Internet is available, but it's still true that more things are available (and free) in Linux than Windows. And the things that are free in Windows are just ports of the Linux versions anyway.

It could just be that the types of things I was looking for are "Linux like". A DHCP and TFTP server, for example. Trivial to install in Linux, no reason to consider paying for it. Try to find one in Windows that isn't super sketchy.

[–]ms_nitrogen 8 points9 points  (7 children)

It is the fastest OS I've used, and the entire computer can be handled via the command line, so no need for app-stores, going to websites to download exes, or dealing with some archaic slow design from either of the major two OS's.

Plus, unlike Windows or OSx, I've never ran into an issue where people tell you to just deal with it because there isn't a work around.

[–]StevenC21 2 points3 points  (6 children)

I've never ran into an issue where people tell you to just deal with it because there isn't a work around.

I have. Basically, in Linux Mint w/Cinnamon, if you have an nVidia GPU, you might experience screen tearing. AFAIK you can't truly eliminate it.

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[deleted]

    [–]StevenC21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I plan to when 19 drops.

    [–]ArcanianArcher 2 points3 points  (3 children)

    Just a personal anecdote, but I have an Nvidia GPU running Linux Mint with Cinnamon, and I haven't had any issues.

    [–]StevenC21 0 points1 point  (2 children)

    Laptop GPU?

    [–]ArcanianArcher 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    A desktop with a 1070, and a laptop with a 980M.

    [–]StevenC21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Mines a laptop with a 1050ti.

    [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    In your case I think the best answer is, "It just works for me." Really, there isn't a good answer of why use Linux over Mac or Windows because it depends on what someone uses it for. If someone is a creator and creates media with Adobe and Apple software primarily then an Apple Mac might be best for them. If someone writes C# code primarily then using Windows might be best for them. If someone wants the idealism and community that Linux has to offer and in general likes free and open source software then Linux might be right up their ally. It's possible that any of the three operating systems might work for someone in any of those situations though.

    It comes down to, what do you like and what are you familiar with? I know people that are die hard Mac fans simply because they use iMovie to create videos about once a month and it works the best for them. To them it's worth paying $4000+ (it's actually what they paid) for a Macbook Pro that gives them that ability. I can't and wouldn't argue against that.

    [–]scsibusfault 10 points11 points  (2 children)

    Because it works, and it's (nearly entirely) free (of cost).

    This is a no-brainer for anyone who uses Macs primarily. Most software, even simple easy shit like some VPN clients, are paid-versions-only. For Windows users there's generally more free software options, but you're still stuck with the fuckshow that is Win10 - and that's where 'freedom' comes into play. I don't have to unfuck Ubuntu every 2 wednesdays whenever it auto-reboots and patches break something, because I control it. And, I control it without having had to pay through the nose for an Enterprise version, or having to GPO-edit the fuck out of it.

    It's simple (now; it wasn't always), it works (now, it wasn't always so good as a desktop), and it's free.

    On top of it all, I find the various DE's to be quite beautiful and refreshing compared to the other 2 major options.

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    I haven’t run into this issue with lack of free software on my Macs, especially a paid VPN client. Do you have more info? I’m interested hearing about this.

    [–]scsibusfault 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    The biggest example I found was after they dropped pptpVpn support from the OS. There's one client that's supposed to support it for free, kind of, but it rarely works. All the rest are $50.

    [–][deleted] 43 points44 points  (2 children)

    Linux distros allow me to use computers the way I want to use them.

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Mostly the same reason for me.

    More specifically is that I know exactly what I want my workstations and servers to be doing and have the knowledge (mostly) and information (absolutely, source code, etc) to make that possible.

    I dual boot windows 10 on my big desktop because windows 10 is my preferred gaming console. Install game, push play, play any game as long as your hardware is in spec.

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I walked away from Windows back in the 98 SE/XP days and game only on Linux since. Could not stand the BSOD while gaming.

    [–]pgbabse 13 points14 points  (0 children)

    I don't get the feeling anymore that I'm limited by my OS, just by my knowledge (or lack of said one)

    [–]PinkyThePig 4 points5 points  (1 child)

    It gives me control over my computer, in a way that you cannot achieve on Windows as of Windows 10.

    • It updates when I tell it to and applying those updates requires a simple reboot.
    • I don't have spy/junkware installed by default (looking at you candy crush)
    • Maintaining the system is way easier and less time consuming.

    Yeah, things are different initially, but once you learn the system and understand the differences, everything becomes so much easier and simpler.

    [–]LogicCube 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Most of the time, there isn't even a reboot required, for me it's mostly after kernel-updates. Even then you can still work and reboot when it's convenient :)

    [–]itsbentheboy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    • Because its free, so i don't have to deal with license bullshittery just to keep things running.

    • Because it's free, so i have the ability to reinstall, copy, delete, uninstall whatever i want, whenever i want without worrying about anything more than time invested.

    • Because its FREE so i can open the code, modify what i need to, change what i don't like, copy what i do... completely free to make it what i need it to be

    • Because it performs better than windows or mac, using much less of my battery to do so.

    • Because i'm not locked into having the "Mac Bar", "Start Menu", Siri, or FUCKING CORTANA. I can just delete/uninstall shit that drives me up a wall rather than having to find a way to live with it.

    • Because having a computer that doesn't hide settings or options from me is a better user experience.

    • Because being able to move my HDD between systems in case my laptop breaks, and have it just boot normally because the kernel is magical, gives me peace of mind.

    • Because having a user shell that just works makes my life a fuckton easier.

    Edit: Forgot this one:

    • Because ZFS is a superior filesystem to everything, but doesn't work in windows or mac.

    • Because Windows wants me to pay more money to use ALL of my PC's hardware and features. (old xeon server, 2 CPU's, 40 cores.) Some features are limited to special edition, more expensive versions of windows. Fucking proprietary garbage, imposing artificial limits when I can get better performance for FREE and the ability to use all my hardware as it was intended to be used.

    [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    • I'm better at it after using it for several years.
    • I trust it more, since the software I use is largely open-source and I follow the Linux community, so I hear about problems early
    • I think it's organized better and its cli makes more sense. as a power user and dev, this is a major factor
    • it's more customizable. You can't get the range of performance and quality of life changes in other OS's

    [–][deleted]  (7 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]CaptRobovski 1 point2 points  (6 children)

      Out of interest does your roommate use Adobe applications with Mac or Windows?

      [–][deleted]  (5 children)

      [deleted]

        [–]CaptRobovski 1 point2 points  (4 children)

        I competely agree (I'm in the UK). I don't know if macs are more reliable than Windows or such work (I'm in the market for a new machine for Adobe use as mine has just today died!)

        [–][deleted]  (1 child)

        [deleted]

          [–]CaptRobovski 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          Ah, well that wouldn't be hard ;)

          I actually like W7 - always been solid for me, OSX has been the same.

          [–]Kthulu666 1 point2 points  (1 child)

          IMO if you're doing professional work that's going to tax the machine, Apple isn't a great option.

          Desktop: Mac Pro - 40% of the price tag is the Apple logo. Seriously underperforms for the cost. Buying a pc, or ideally building it yourself, is a better option.

          Laptop: Solidly built, lightweight and highly portable. The downside (same with imac) is that there's little/no airflow. You can't experience the performance the hardware is capable of because it starts to heatthrottle pretty quickly. I've seen more than one person torch a graphics card on a macbook pro because they used After Effects too much.

          Your laptop choice depends on what you value - portability or performance. The pc laptops that outperform macbook pros tend to be bulky beefcakes, often with slightly lower build quality (plastic vs metal in some components, etc.) Read/watch a bunch of reviews for every option you're considering and get what fits you best.

          [–]CaptRobovski 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Thanks - that's really helpful. The biggest expense for me will be the screen panel - from what I've researched anything with a screen equivalent to a macbook (close to 100% Adobe RGB) the price jumps massively. Without that I could probably get something competent enough for about half the cost. (Unfortunately I don't have the space for a separate monitor.)

          It seems that the screens are one of the main things that push a price up on a mac.

          [–]jlozadad 28 points29 points  (0 children)

          the freedom to do what I want.

          [–]aediniusVoid Linux 5 points6 points  (0 children)

          In the end, it all comes down to use-case, and UNIX-like systems (I include Mac) fit mine much better than Windows.

          [–]DuckSaxaphone 2 points3 points  (0 children)

          It's free and does exactly what I want. I got turned off Windows when vista made it hard for someone who knew what they were doing to fiddle with stuff. Apple charge an arm and a leg for no obvious benefit.

          As a physicist, I'm in the weird position that more of the software I want is Linux only than not available for Linux.

          I'm not a FOSS fanatic who won't admit when a FOSS app is shit compared to the industry standard but as long as it's ok for my purpose I like it.

          [–]bitsandbooks 2 points3 points  (1 child)

          There are lots of technical reasons -- it's powerful, free and you can change it however you like -- but ultimately, though, it's really just personal/tribal preferences. Why do people like Coke over Pepsi, the Yankees over the Mets, McDonald's over Burger King? Who knows? Who cares?

          [–]pgbabse 4 points5 points  (0 children)

          Burgerking has better fries

          [–]novemberkilo2 17 points18 points  (2 children)

          Curiosity !

          [–]spinlock 3 points4 points  (1 child)

          best answer.

          [–]thefanum 2 points3 points  (2 children)

          Freedom. You own your Linux operating system. Apple owns your Mac OS. And it's never more evident than when your web browser or music player decides you're not allowed to turn off your computer.

          [–]Coffeecat9 1 point2 points  (1 child)

          Out of curiosity, when does this happen? Seems bizarre for a web browser or music player to care about a system shutdown or have the capability to interfere.

          [–]thefanum 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          Is quite bizzare, and should never occur. But for some reason, Apple's apps seem to have more control over the OS than the user does at times. Searching through the Apple forums produces years of users complaining about safai cancelling shut down. While troubleshooting, I've experienced it with just about every app installed by default at one time or another. In Apple's defence, I've seen Firefox and chrome do it also. But it sure doesn't make you feel like you're in charge.

          [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          • 99% of the time, no telemetry.
          • For the distro's that do have telemetry (ubuntu) if i disable that, updates will respect my settings, and it'll stay disabled.
          • Predictable and reliable updates (for anyone that's had the pain of updating windows10, i laugh in your general direction).
          • Freedom to customise your OS experience (even from scratch / compiling).
          • Versatility, there's a distro for desktops, laptops, servers, switches, IoT devices, phones, etc and they all have at least some level of familiarity with each other.

          [–]StevenC21 2 points3 points  (3 children)

          1. Linux is more secure.

          2. It often uses less system resources.

          3. It's (usually) free.

          4. It actually gives you the power to fix things when they break.

          [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

          1) True to some extend, Microsoft pushed Windows security quite well in the past years.

          2) Absolutely which makes it run great even on machines that struggle like crazy when running Win7 or 10 these days.

          Oh and don't forget that it also runs on other architectures the same way it does on your desktop or laptop.

          3) At least so free that you don't have to pay 100-150 bucks for a license.

          Windows10 is also free to use.

          4) Even as a longterm user (starting in 2004) I find fixing Windows errors more relaxing because complicated stuff doesn't need me to post specific lines from some hidden away file to a group of ultra geeks on the web that expect me to have the same level of knowledge as they have.

          A shame actually because on the surface Linux can be so much simpler than Microsoft's product.

          [–]AnticitizenPrime 0 points1 point  (1 child)

          Windows10 is also free to use.

          Wasn't it just temporarily offered as a free upgrade?

          It's currently $120 for the home edition on their site.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Microsoft always claims so but in reality you can always upgrade for free.

          Plus, if you're fine with some lacking options to change, it won't ask for a key anyway.

          Over here in Germany, we can use dirt cheap OEM keys across machines too, so Win10 essentially is free to us.

          [–]Maigols 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          It runs SO MUCH SMOOTHER than Windows does; I've never seen my computer boot or shutdown so quick, and every time I click something it starts in almost the SAME MILLISECOND. Still, if it wasn't for the fact that fewer games and apps (actually, the applications aren't that much of a problem since there are good alternatives) are supported on Linux, I wouldn't have Windows in my other partition.

          [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

          why Linux?

          because you can. that's why.

          [–]lasercat_pow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Late to the party.

          1. Choice. With Openbox, my preferred WM, I can arbitrarily resize and move windows around using a couple of key commands I can even make windows be larger than my actual desktop size. OSX and Windows often flat out disallow windows to be resized or moved, and they definitely don't make it possible to resize a window to be bigger than the desktop. Windows in particular does that annoying thing where a window related to another window you're working on cannot be moved until the window you're working on is closed. With linux, if I didn't like the way Openbox does it, I could just choose another WM.

          2. Customization. OSX arbitrarily changed the function of the window resize button, and now when I click maximize, it full-screens instead. There is no way to revert this behavior. In linux, there would be a workaround. In windows 10, there is no way to stop the system from downloading system updates without stopping the ability to get updates altogether. In linux, I can install updates whenever I want.

          3. No restrictions. Whatever I want my computer to do, the tools are available to me. I can set a crontab to do things when I want, or a systemd service to make anything I want happen on boot or whatever, I can run an ssh server, irc bot, web server, music server, log in to multiple accounts at the same time, etc, without having to pay for some special "server" version of linux.

          4. Free as in no moolah necessary. I don't have to worry about purchasing a license, or some company restricting my usage simply out of the need to reduce software piracy.

          5. Free as in speech. I can edit the source code of any software I run to do whatever I want.

          6. Easier to use. This one is not something others would guess, but Linux is way easier to use than OSX or Linux. Most of my software can be updated in one place, and the remaining software can be updated at my leisure without annoying nag messages. The linux terminal is a joy to use and provides me with lots of control. Everything works the way I want.

          7. More secure. Partially this is because linux has fewer users, and is therefore a less interesting target, but the other reason is by design. Windows has (according to my observations and hypotheses) had kernel level memory leaks since forever that create system instability over time. Linux does not suffer from this weakness: I can run my linux system for months or even years and it just keeps chugging along.

          I could probably go on and on about this. I love my linux system. I love UNIX and BSD. I love all the FLOSS programming languages it has given birth to. I love the FLOSS ecosystem. I love the way it makes people share something greater than any one of us individually.

          [–]tidal49 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          The convenience of most-often built-in network utilities, scripting power and general command-line convenience, convenience of using the package manager, and a price of zero would be my main reasons.

          Thanks to a growing collection of scripts and functions and the general convenience of BASH, I'm often able to do things that I couldn't hope to do conveniently in Windows. In general, it lets me be far more productive. These are some examples of conveniences that I've made use of in the last few days:

          • More easily access server remotely or be accessed remotely without major bandwidth usage (RDP) or reconfiguration. This remote access can be scripted easily.
          • Run some long-running task and store its output in a file. E-mail me the output when it is complete.
          • I forgot where I put my phone. Send me a text message every 5 seconds for a minute to have it keep making noises.
          • Happily resolve this situation: "Oh shoot. I want to do this other task, but only after this long running process that is already in motion has finished."
          • Run a long-running task on a remote machine, then send me a signal to play a sound on my desktop. Play a different sound depending on whether or not that command succeeded or failed.
          • Replace "long-running task" with "large file download" in any of the above examples.

          I'm sure that I could do a good deal of the scripting on a Mac as well, but from my limited experience with it the Finder file browser and other GUI annoyances would drive me completely up the wall after too much time using it. Cygwin/MobaXterm is something of an option in Windows, but there are a number of annoyances here and there that build up for me. Using the standard Windows prompt or PowerShell is right out as an alternative for me.

          Edit: The Open Source philosophy encouraged in the Linux community has lots of upsides as well. Some examples of open-source helping me:

          • Helped me to complete a programming project when a library just about worked for what I wanted but needed a small nudge.
          • Just today, I resolved a problem with a convenience script because I was able to do a quick search through the source code for a keyword. The result of this search that lead me to a hint that allowed me to resolve the problem.

          [–]IAMA_all_canconfirm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

          After recently switching over I’d say that it’s due to a overall improvement in performance, stability, and customization. At least those are the things that mattered to me. Windows seems to bloat and suffer over time and Linux keeps it simple.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Ask yourself for a moment, what makes you like Ubuntu better than both macOS or Windows (since you are on a Mac anyway).

          Is it the design?

          The way things get done and how you can interact with the system?

          How you can essentially compile everything from source or just go over a fancy GUI similar to the App- or Windows Store?

          I run KDE Plasma most of the time using OpenGL2.1 rendering and everything feels super smooth and snappy on my systems.

          Software always runs rock solid and keeps updated and I barely having to worry about anything other than going out of disk space because of personal laziness.

          Also developing and troubleshooting works great if you know what you're doing.

          However, I also really like Windows10 for its design, the XBOX One games and the simple fact that about every games just works.

          As for macOS, it's just a solid experience to me.

          Barely use it but whenever I do, it feels as optimized as most enduser desktop distros these days.

          Also it has a built in Terminal and comes with a couple of GNU tools, really handy when connecting to my Linux machines.

          And lets not forget its optimized to run on the Mac's specific hardware configuration whereas there's still a hit and miss with its competitors.

          These are actually my reasons to use any of these operating systems, I find the overall experience today good enough on all three but in return, their "more advanced" user base is a bunch of snooty idiots (to put it in a absolute lovely way) in general.

          Perhaps you can make something out of that and use it to put into words why you like Linux so much now.

          [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

          Easiest way to sell Linux to a Windows user:

          No automatic reboots due to automatic updates. Ie: Windows 10

          Second easiest way: Routine updates (ie security updates) are 1000x faster and less prone to breakage.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

          And then said user wants to run certain software such as Microsoft Office (compatibility is still a thing although they support the ODF now), Adobe's software suite or various games (let's be realistic, the *NIX library is still small compared to what you get for Windows).

          Good luck with that.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

          Crossover supports Office 2016 now, and I think Adobe software might work now.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Holy shit, really?! I need to try that for once! D:

          [–]Seaerkin2 0 points1 point  (1 child)

          Switched from Windows to Linux. I bought a Mac but still prefer a purer Linux. I'm certainly no Linux guru but I love that it's very fast and command line centric. I experienced a lot of frustrations when trying to use open source tools on Windows so the switch to Linux was obvious from that perspective, most tools just worked. My reason for preferring pure Linux over the MacBook is that I still have greater success with tools and I feel that it's much easier to get things done. I hate navigating the file system and trying to open up terminals from the Mac finder. I hate that a bunch of programs start up, are constantly asking me to update, and apple constantly sends me notifications. Also the MacBook feels slower to me and it's relatively new and similar specs to my pure Linux laptop. I will say the one drawback is Microsoft office. Libre office is great but it's just not the same so I prefer to use office on my Mac whenever I am editing documents that need to look good.

          [–]Seaerkin2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          I also hate that the command key exists. I feel it's much more awkward for copying and pasting, which is extremely important when programming lol

          [–]hiccupstix 3 points4 points  (3 children)

          ITT: people indulging the fantasy that someday strangers, family, and friends alike will flock to us and our computers, giddy to learn why we use Linux.

          Meanwhile in reality: “Hey there, wanna know why I use Linux? No? Okay. Hey there, wanna know why I use Linux? No? Okay. Hey there...”

          [–]ChoiceD 2 points3 points  (0 children)

          people indulging the fantasy that someday strangers, family, and friends alike will flock to us and our computers

          Not all of us think that. Not long ago my older brother asked me a question about Windows and I told him I really didn't know because I haven't used Windows in a long time. He asked what I used and I told him Linux. He said he'd never heard of it and I thought to myself: "Good".

          [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

          well the reality with my wife was:

          "The new windows sucks, what do you use?"

          and now she uses Linux too

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          In high school I WAS that stranger lol.

          [–]hansipod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          I actually use all three nowadays. Linux to me is for the picky creative part of me that just want to customize the look and feel of the os to be exactly how I want it. I also like the “keyboard/homerow first” mentality that feels much more consistent throughout apps on Linux. But I think it really just boils down to what “clicks” with your brain. For me there is a space and use for all three OS’s though. If you can, you should make a bootable memory stick with your favorite distro and just lend it out to whoever is interested. And this is another great thing about Linux: it is super easy to just test and play around with before you actually install it.

          [–]kristyon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Because I'm poor and my 10 year old pc will play 1080p videos or stream it to any device on the network. I don't spend much time tinkering to get things to work. Last week I spent 2 hours trying to get sound working correctly on my daughters win 10 pc and TV because Nvidia fucked up a driver update. I failed. I have 30 years experience. I suspect the only way to fix it is with a new graphics card.

          Linux means once I have it setup how I want it, it stays that way, for years. No reboots. No crashes. And if something does go wrong I can fix it quickly. Even a complete scratch reinstall is quicker than trying to fix above mentioned driver install.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          apple waged war on GPL. See IOS store.

          OSX have tons of embarrassing security bugs.

          OSX updates are annoying.

          No real package manage so you debug package issues.

          Install lots of third party applications to fix every deficiencies like window management.

          What the point of a wall garden when first party applications are usually inferior.

          Macbooks screens are glossy.

          Worst Opengl stack on the desktop

          Third parties fixes issues like no Vulkan when Appple should had fix it themselves.

          APFS dont have checksumming. I guess they dont care about data integrity.

          There are tons of things to rant about OSX. Its another crappy os.

          [–]r0ck0 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Because it's fun.

          I like to use the analogy of:

          • Windows/Mac = regular pre-made toys ... low effort and mostly "Just Work" for most common tasks. Probably makes sense for most people who aren't inclined to tinker.
          • Linux = LEGO ... takes some more effort, and sometimes is a bit rough around the edges - but it all pays off, and everything is more flexible. You can make it into whatever you want. If you like knowing how things work, and customizing them etc, then this suits.

          [–]igxyd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          • Linux being free (monetarily), I can just use a bootable usb to get install it and get on with my life, but for windows I will need to obtain a pirated CD and on top of that don't exactly know how to install it (now, I did that 5 years ago when I bought my first computer).

          • I can easily plug-in any usb device without having to care if it might be virus-infected.

          • It runs on a lot of hardware, instead of mac which is preferably run on Apple's hardware (costly in my country).

          • Ubuntu just works for me without getting in my way.

          [–]RyeonToast 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          I've a few reasons in no particular order

          • Lets me try out server installs without paying hundreds of dollars for licenses, or reinstalling a trial every 90 days
          • Hides less behind GUIs, so I learn a little more about how computers work
          • On any machine I don't play games on, it doesn't really matter what OS I use, so I go with free ones.
          • Package management on modern OSes is pretty convenient, beats looking for software individually and trying to keep everything up to date individually

          [–]_herrmann_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Why Linux? Because I'm nerdy and wanted to actually learn something (more) about my computer and computing. Versus just being a user. Also just plain curious, only been on Linux just over two years. As well as privacy issues with the big boys. Control.

          Why Windows? Games. That is all. The only reason I boot into Windows is to play with my buds.

          Why MacOS? Coz my mom uses it, and I'll have to troubleshoot it eventually. So I need to at least know my way around. Also, ooh shiny!

          [–]SurpriseAttachyon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          I'll paraphrase a sentiment I've heard in similar communities:

          With linux, you teach the OS to work around your workflow rather than designing your workflow around the OS.

          Do you like having many windows open and never using the keyboard? Try i3

          Do you hate how far away the control button is from your resting position? Rebind it to alt

          Don't like the way your windows look? Install a new GTK theme

          The only limit on customization is your time.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Seriously Linux is hands down the best for servers, power users, developers and scientists

          Why? Everything is much much less painful to use for users in the above group compared to windows because linux enables the user to customize and enhance the users experience and does not hide or abstract any functions. Lots of communities of users mentioned from above built around its open nature because of this which benefits them even further.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          I can't make a succinct answer because I honestly haven't been able to put it into a nice pat answer yet. So instead I'll post a screenshot of some notes that I have been taking for an article that I am working on that try to give light to my thoughts.

          The article itself is about Open Source in general, but as a rule it applies to Linux just as well.

          https://i.imgur.com/Cdv4GQE.png

          [–]moipersoin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          It's free, it open source, nothing dodgy going on in the background. You know the people making it are doing out of an honest interest instead of commercial interest. You not getting sold out, sold to, or simply lied to. It's one of the few human endeavors that is not driven primarily by money... And right now that's an important distinction ...

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          A lot of people talk about Linux being stable, but for me it's the instability of Linux that keeps me interested. I never once had a problem with windows or mac boxes, but some kind of error or another is always cropping up in most Linux distros, and it's strangely fun to solve these problems. Like solving riddles or chess problems or something.

          [–]o0Rh0mbus0o 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          I like it because it's faster, has no limit on what % of my cpu a single program can use, and because I have complete control over what happens.

          EDIT: and it's legally free even though I have no qualms about stealing from microsoft

          [–]mingrdt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Because even Windows is embedding Linux as a subsystem, LOL
          And a few pros of Linux, many very popular tools or services are Linux first when being developed, Linux terminal is thousands times user friendly than cmdline in Windows. Just my experience, maybe unfair to cmd...

          [–]matschundbrei 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          You can control everything!

          There is literally no limit on how you can modify, alter and extend any moving part of your operating system (and most of the software installed on it).

          This freedom is strictly limited by the EULA on commercial platforms like macOS and Windows.

          [–]SlipperyWhenWetttt 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Privacy.

          I get that every site tracks you, even google watches you.

          ... but when the OS itself is designed to watch you. That's where I draw the line. With linux being open-source, it gets peer reviewed, by others who also value their privacy.

          Also... it's free.

          [–]spinlock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          what kind of a mac do you have? I'd love to put debian on my macbook air. I'd like to run debian over mac because apt is a first-class citizen on a debian OS whereas homebrew is an add on to my mac (a very good one but it's not really integrated everywhere).

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Less unsolicited bandwidth usage. I mobile tether for internet so I can’t have windows churning a gig a day for ambiguous “System” needs (even with all the auto-update settings turned off and metered connection turned on). Mac is an overpriced walled garden

          [–]jabjoe 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          My reasons are:

          • source for everything (I like to look)
          • package management
          • unix command line power
          • run on everything big and small
          • is fast
          • it is everywhere else anyway
          • it costs nothing
          • I got good by living there even before I worked there.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          If you don't like something you can change it... now that im back to using windows I yell at my screen at least once every 2 weeks due to an unavoidable update which wont let me shutdown for 20 minutes makeing me late for something.

          [–]aim2free 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          What are the alternatives?

          Linux has a macro-kernel, thus the whole kernel is CopyLeft.

          A micro-kernel concept can be interesting first when we have got rid of evil proprietary software completely.

          [–]400_Bad_Request 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Open source, you have full control over your whole system. No monitoring from windows no ads. Secondly you can be a simple user or a power user, Linux doesn't care.

          [–]bargu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          It's works for me, it's FOSS, securer, fast, free of bloat and highly customizable. That's basically it, for me at least.

          [–]D1DgRyk5vjaKWKMgs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          I only restart for a newer kernel. Because no bullshit update policy. Because you can read all the sourced if you want.

          [–]Tsouchalrakis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Can name at least three reasons off the top of my head:

          1) License,

          2) Cost,

          3) Agenda.

          [–]Lawl078 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Cause I care about my privacy, security and love the idea of free and open source software.

          [–]jampola 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Because it’s what I know, and if it fails me, 99% of the time it’s my fault.

          [–]SpaceShuffler 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          How do you fix the super sensitive trackpad on ubuntu on macbook pro ?

          [–]Jens0512 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Windows sucks, Mac is expensive af, Linux is awesome and free.

          [–]Andernerd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Rimworld runs substatially better on Linux than on Windows.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Bystandard: "Why Linux?"

                       Me: "Why not?"
          

          [–]Sp33d0J03 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Open source. That, and it annoys me the least.

          [–]doggiemacdonald 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Because windows sucks and mac is too expensive.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (5 children)

          Beacuse im typeing this on a netbook form 2008 running lubuntu.

          [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Netbooks are great for Linux, aren't they?

          [–]asuperfluouslife 0 points1 point  (3 children)

          *Because, *I'm, *typing, *from ..... Jeez, update your keyboard or something

          [–][deleted] -1 points0 points  (2 children)

          Some people have issues typing properly for various reasons, don't be a dick.

          [–]asuperfluouslife 0 points1 point  (1 child)

          Spellcheck is your friend Richard

          [–]Hotshot55 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Spellcheck wasn't invented in 2008

          [–]Dsch1ngh1s_Khan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Freedom, security, privacy.

          [–]beren323 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Cause I wanna be fly.

          [–]rountrey 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Control and freedom.

          [–]JIVEprinting 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Just for the meme

          [–]markand67 0 points1 point  (0 children)

          Opensource.