Steve Campbell wrote:
Comrade Shampanyov, Last Gentleman of the Mohicans wrote:
Not so fast, Dr. Whoever!
OK, so why is Linux virus-free? Because it can't be attacked, or because nobody bothers to write viruses for the two of you who have Linux installed? If Linux is installed, does it still make sense to install an anti-virus program?
It's a little of both...it's harder to attack for two (main) reasons, firstly it's system of file and folder permissions is shit hot....you will be logged in as comrade...comrade can fuck over comrades files, but never touch anything related to the system, only root can do that (also handy for being shitfaced...you can't accidentaly delete half your system, at least not without supply a password)...so a virus you receive can only twat your own user over...also because no two linux systems are quite the same, the damage it can do is heavily limited (it doesn't know where to strike). Of course there are holes,ways to grab root access, or freak something out and bring the system down, but most of these require someone to be logged in to the system rather than via some annoying email attachment. And this brings me to the 2nd point...anyone and everyone can see the source code for every linux package...if someone spots a weakness, it's fixed the next morning...and even those who don;t apply the fix are aided because no one will bother to use the exploit.
Now, suppose I, a person who merely wants a computer to download por... err, suppose I, a person who merely wants a computer for word processing, surfing the internet, and perhaps for studio duty (video, music) if I were decide to rebuild my studio someday, were to buy a computer and want Linux installed. How would I go about doing that? Would I buy a computer without an OS (remember, I'm not going to be wasting word processing time building any computers up from scratch), or would I jettison the crappy Gates OS and install Linux? And how would I go about getting Linux?
Etc. Etc. Etc.
First....I know sod all about music stuff in linux, cos I'm a cubase head, and can use nothing else on any platform with any degree of elegance....but what I do know is that it's less than optimal, in that you are in non standard territory since none of the big name programs run on linux. I know a guy who does all his work in it tho and swears by it.
It's an exceptionally good OS for "word processing" 
since none of the dodgy viri one finds in "word processing tutorial videos" function there, nor can webpages steal your credit card number off your hard drive and all the other wonderous things activeX enables in windows (in fairness that was patched in Xp SP1). It's a "lovely" OS for watching movies and the like, it's TV output quality and colour tone is quite beautiful (it's been a while since I had a good comparison tho because i have an ATI radeon in the windows box....oh FUCK the TV out is VILE!!!!! but it was vile on that card in linux)....in fact in general, everyone I've evern sat down at my 2 machines has said that for some reason they cannot define, the linux one always looks sort of slicker and prettier.
As for ging about getting it.....well it's free...you just download it, or order a copy from a burning service for a nominal fee. (you can also pay daft money for manuals and stuff if you like, but all the docs are on the discs anyway).
But, why bother testing it unless it's safe....so....
http://www.knoppix.org/
that's the knoppix "livecd"....you use your PC like a games console....switch off, put this in the drive and switch on, it runs entirely from the CD so you can see what all the fuss is about without doing anything too scarey. Certainly you woun't see the speed because CD's are slower than HD's and I'm not sure they have a license to distribute the full 3d accelerator drivers for things like nvidia and ati yet....but you'll get a beautiful KDE desktop, and a ton of apps to try out. Remember it does not even allow itself write access to the existsing HD, in fact it will run in a box with no HD...tho you CAN speed things up by offering it some swap space I think)
You can even install it from the live cd, but if you were considering an installation, I would look at Mandriva, a real newbie friendly distro (there are numerous distribution of linux, each put together as someone's perfect idea, and with their own quirks and ways of handling certain things), it has good software management, and lots of helpful point and drool "wizards" for those who don't like to talk to computers with text like I do.
My lovely gentoo, is by far the best I have tried, but I'd be a damned liar if i said the install was for novices, or the impatient (36hours is typical...most of it spent with white text streaking up the screen). Once it's in, it just WORKS, and has done since day one, barring one or two attempts by yours truly to lobotomize it. I can't honestly remember the last time the machince crashed for any non hardware reason (fuckin video card and dvdburner hate me).
just stick a knoppix cd in the nearest PC and see what YOU think. (oh...linuc loves ram, uses lots f it, but uses it wisely.....give it plenty and it zings)
So how's it work for word processing? :D
