Linux and windows comparison

Linux vs Windows

Windows is a series of operating systems, computer operating system (OS) developed by Microsoft for personal desktops/devices or computers (PC). Each operating system has a graphical user interface (GUI) with a desktop that allows users to view all files, videos, etc. It runs on x86 hardware, such as AMD and Intel processors. So Windows OS comes with almost all companies that make PCs or laptops. Linux is an open-source operating system based on UNIX, created in 1991. It is software that sits underneath all other software on a computer. Users can modify the existing code and develop distributions from it as it is an open-source operating system. Linux is mainly used as a server – as most of the web pages over the internet are generated from Linux servers and

What is Windows Operating System?

The first version of Windows OS was released in 1985; a simple GUI, an extension of the existing disk operating system (MS-DOS), and a significant release. From my perspective, the 1995 consumer release integrated Windows and DOS with built-in internet support. Most of the PC is currently running on the Windows operating system only. The latest Windows OS version is Windows 10, which is presently ruling the market.

Web development, programming languages, Software testing & others

What is a Linux Operating System?

Linux is an open-source operating system based on UNIX, created in 1991. The Linux operating system also comes with a graphical user interface (GUI) with some necessary daily software. It is also used with Linux running on desktop computers, mobile devices, gaming consoles, digital storing devices, eBook readers, cameras, and video recorders.

Head to Head Comparison Between Linux vs Windows (Infographics)

Below is the Top 9 Comparison Between Linux vs Windows:

Critical Differences Between Linux vs Windows

Following are the Differences Between Linux and Windows:

• Linux is an open-source operating system, whereas Windows OS is commercial.
• Linux has access to source code and alters the code per user need, whereas Windows does not have access to source code.
• Linux will run faster than window’s latest editions, even with a modern desktop environment and operating system features, whereas Windows is slow on older hardware.
• Linux distributions don’t collect user data, whereas Windows contains all the user details, which leads to privacy concerns.
• Linux is more reliable than Windows, as in Linux; we can kill applications if they are hung through the x kill command, whereas, in Windows, we need to try multiple times to kill them.
• Linux supports a wide variety of free software than Windows, but Windows has an extensive collection of video game software.
• The cost of Linux software is almost as all programs, utilities, and complex applications such as open office are free. Still, windows also have many free programs and utilities, but most of the programs are commercial.
• Linux is highly secure because it’s easy to identify bugs and fix, whereas Windows has a large user base and becomes a target for developers of viruses and malware.
• Corporate organizations use Linux as servers and operating systems for security purposes at Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc., whereas gamers and business users mostly use Windows.
• Linux and Windows have the same priority over hardware and driver support in the present situation.

Linux vs Windows Comparison Table

Below is a detailed comparison of Linux and Windows.

Basis for Comparison	Linux	Windows
Access	In Linux, the user can access the kernel’s source code and alters the code according to his need. It has advantages, like bugs in OS will fix quickly, and disadvantages, like developers may take advantage of any weakness in OS if they find it.	In Windows, every user won’t have access to the source code; only members of the selected group will have access to it.
Flavors or Variety	Linux has various distributions which are highly customizable based on user needs.	Windows has very few customization options available.
Licensing	In Linux with GPL- Licensed operating system, users can modify the software, reuse it in any number of systems, and even sell the revised version.	In Windows, with a Microsoft license, users won’t have access to source code (can’t modify the software), and based on the number of permits – we can install it only on those computers.
Command-line	In Linux, a command line is a handy tool for administration and daily tasks, but for end-users, it doesn’t make much difference.	We have a command line in Windows but can’t use a Linux command line. We need to run and enter cmd; the command line will open.
Run level	Linux has an inbuilt ability to stop at different run levels; with this, we can work using a command line and GUI if anyone has an issue.	In Windows, if we encounter any problem to fix it, we need to reboot at run level 3 as an administrator/ root to find and fix the problem.
Usability	Linux is complicated to install but can complete complex tasks easier.	Windows gives users a simple system to operate, but it will take longer to install.
Support	Linux has support via a massive community of user forums/websites and online searches.	Windows has support that is easily accessible, online forums/ websites, and it has paid support also.
Updates	In Linux, users have complete control of updates; we can install them whenever needed, which will take less time without rebooting.	In Windows, updates will come at inconvenient times, such as giving a print to the printer, but suddenly an update pop-up will come, which frustrates users and takes more time to install.
Security	Linux is more secure than Windows, where hackers or developers of viruses will find it difficult to break through Linux.	Windows is the primary target for developers of viruses and malware, and it is most vulnerable without anti-virus software.

Conclusion

Finally, it is an overview of Linux vs. Windows. After reading the differences between Linux and Windows articles, I hope you will be interested to know more about these operating system internals. Users looking to change operating systems from Windows to Linux or vice-versa will have a good idea of the advantages and disadvantages of both Linux and Windows operating systems and decide based on their requirements and have more advantages. These are the differences between Linux and Windows operating systems, and in my opinion, I feel that Linux has more advantages than Windows operating systems.

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Linux vs Windows: Key Difference Between Them

When we compare file system in Windows and Linux, in Microsoft Windows, files are stored in folders on different data drives like C: D: E:

But, in Linux, files are ordered in a tree structure starting with the root directory.

This root directory can be considered as the start of the file system, and it further branches out various other subdirectories. The root is denoted with a forward slash ‘/’.

A general tree file system on your UNIX may look like this.

Types of Files

In Linux and UNIX, everything is a file. Directories are files, files are files, and devices like Printer, mouse, keyboard etc.are files.

Let’s look into the File types in more detail.

General Files

General Files also called as Ordinary files. They can contain image, video, program or simply text. They can be in ASCII or a Binary format. These are the most commonly used files by Linux Users.

Directory Files

These files are a warehouse for other file types. You can have a directory file within a directory (sub-directory).You can take them as ‘Folders’ found in Windows operating system.

Device Files:

In MS Windows, devices like Printers, CD-ROM, and hard drives are represented as drive letters like G: H:. In Linux, there are represented as files.For example, if the first SATA hard drive had three primary partitions, they would be named and numbered as /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2 and /dev/sda3.

Note: All device files reside in the directory /dev/

All the above file types (including devices) have permissions, which allow a user to read, edit or execute (run) them. This is a powerful Linux/Unix feature. Access restrictions can be applied for different kinds of users, by changing permissions.

Difference between Windows and Linux Users

There are 3 types of users in Linux.

Regular User

A regular user account is created for you when you install Ubuntu on your system. All your files and folders are stored in /home/ which is your home directory. As a regular user, you do not have access to directories of other users.

Root User

Other than your regular account another user account called root is created at the time of installation. The root account is a superuser who can access restricted files, install software and has administrative privileges. Whenever you want to install software, make changes to system files or perform any administrative task on Linux; you need to log in as a root user. Otherwise, for general tasks like playing music and browsing the internet, you can use your regular account.

Service user

Linux is widely used as a Server Operating System. Services such as Apache, Squid, email, etc. have their own individual service accounts. Having service accounts increases the security of your computer. Linux can allow or deny access to various resources depending on the service.

1. You will not see service accounts in Ubuntu Desktop version.
2. Regular accounts are called standard accounts in Ubuntu Desktop

In Windows, there are 4 types of user account types.

Windows Vs. Linux: File Name Convention

In Windows, you cannot have 2 files with the same name in the same folder. See below –

While in Linux, you can have 2 files with the same name in the same directory, provided they use different cases.

Windows Vs. Linux: HOME Directory

For every user in Linux, a directory is created as /home/

Consider, a regular user account “Tom”. He can store his personal files and directories in the directory “/home/tom”. He can’t save files outside his user directory and does not have access to directories of other users. For instance, he cannot access directory “/home/jerry” of another user account”Jerry”.

The concept is similar to C:\Documents and Settings in Windows.

When you boot the Linux operating system, your user directory (from the above example /home/tom) is the default working directory. Hence the directory “/home/tom is also called the Home directory which is a misnomer.

The working directory can be changed using some commands which we will learn later.

Windows Vs. Linux: Other Directories

Comparing Windows vs Linux for other directories, in Windows, System and Program files are usually saved in C: drive. But, in Linux, you would find the system and program files in different directories. For example, the boot files are stored in the /boot directory, and program and software files can be found under /bin, device files in /dev. Below are important Linux Directories and a short description of what they contain.

These are most striking differences between Linux and other Operating Systems. There are more variations you will observe when switching to Linux and we will discuss them as we move along in our tutorials.

Linux vs Windows – Difference Between Them

Here is the main difference between Windows and Linux:

Windows	Linux
Windows uses different data drives like C: D: E to stored files and folders.	Unix/Linux uses a tree like a hierarchical file system.
Windows has different drives like C: D: E	There are no drives in Linux
Hard drives, CD-ROMs, printers are considered as devices	Peripherals like hard drives, CD-ROMs, printers are also considered files in Linux/Unix
There are 4 types of user account types 1) Administrator, 2) Standard, 3) Child, 4) Guest	There are 3 types of user account types 1) Regular, 2) Root and 3) Service Account
Administrator user has all administrative privileges of computers.	Root user is the super user and has all administrative privileges.
In Windows, you cannot have 2 files with the same name in the same folder	Linux file naming convention is case sensitive. Thus, sample and SAMPLE are 2 different files in Linux/Unix operating system.
In windows, My Documents is default home directory.	For every user /home/username directory is created which is called his home directory.

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