by Jini M R (Software Programmer, Excellone Technologies)

Linux Open source Operating System is rapidly increasing these days. Recent statistics say that it has about 20 million installations all round the globe.

Now coming to Linux Development, it is the strong foundation or base on which almost all other open source softwares are resting. Linux is a stable, cost effective, easy and flexible foundation for your software needs. Linux as any other commercial operating systems has both good and bad sides. As an innovative businessperson, you have to decide whether it would be wise to switch on to Linux. Almost all details about Linux are put in black and white down here.

• Linux with a strong and stable foundation can be a reliable base for your computing needs for years.
• Linux, the modern standard based, strong production grade OS puts before you a handful of computing acronyms (BMP, JF Protocol memory, VM, etc.) compatible with any other OS.
• Linux can work easily on new or old hardware, 386, 486, Intel Pentium, AMD, Power PC, SPARC, and IBM.
• Linux advises you to give rest to your old hardwares, which, if you need can be put back in service with Linux.
• Linux is also a good hedge against premature hardware replacement while giving you a big economic advantage.
• Linux is most likely to automatically recognize most hardware upgrades & put it into service.
• Though all the software used for Linux is not free; most of it is free, providing you with good proprietary application at a reasonable cost.
• Linux offers free upgrades. One can get a new version of Linux for all your systems, for free.
• With Linux you wont have to worry about software licensing. In Linux, GPL (General Public License) is used, which allows you to copy software to all the computers you want to, absolutely free of cost.
• Linux involves an easy installation process, known as graphical installation process, which automatically configures the system.
• Linux can easily be connected to any network, irrespective of whether it is NT network, AppleTalk network, Novel or Unix.
• Linux can inter-operate, communicate or get along with computers ranging in any other OS like Windows, Unix, Mac OS etc. Thats why Linux is called flexible.
• Linux gives you a strong Graphical User Interface (GUIs) similar to Windows environment. KDE & Gnome are the ones from which you can select.
• Linux Development is designed by keeping security in mind. Virus attacks are considerably very low in Linux operated system.
• Linux can assure a strong access to Internet, with all type of connection DSL, Cable, Standard Medias, ISDN.
• Linux also supports mobile computers, like laptops, Palms with its wonderful features.
• More than one user can use Linux as a single system. So its a multi-user system, making it possible for more than one person to share a machine. This cost saving measure allows PCs to be replaced by simpler computers called Thin Clients.
• The ability to access and operate one computer from a different computer, through remote desktop support, is remarkable.
• Linux Development’s flexibility makes it possible to adapt to the specific needs of clients. This is because Linux has a great pool of open source software, which facilitates the fast addition of company-specific function.
• Linux Development offers you with a developers toolbox, a complete set of developing tools, which is free.

Linux has some negatives too: –

• Compared to the existing commercial OS like Windows, Macintosh and Unix; Linux has only a short history in IT field. It began in 1991 and became a notable software force only in 1997. This means Linux cannot offer competitive packages in all software categories.
• Linux is the strongest server software, but the weakest end user machine.
• Conversion or migration, from your existing systems need additional costs. So,the existing documentation data has to be converted to comparable open source software.

Now that almost every aspect of Linux and Linux Development is clear to you, it is upto you to decide, whether to shift to Linux wholly or partially. For this you may have to consider your prevailing system, the affordable budget and the area where you require its service.