PCLinuxOS Why it's different

Radically Simple
Linux for the non-geek!

Part Three:

Why PCLinuxOS is different to WIndows

If you read Part One, you may be forgiven for thinking What's The Difference? PCLinuxOS is the same as Windows why change?

Well for a start, Windows programs and Linux programs don't run on the other Operating System. Uh? What about OpenOffice, Firefox? Well there is a difference between Source Code (human readable lines of computer programs) and the actual binary code (sucession of ones and zeros) that the computer understands. To convert Source Code to Binary Code you need a compiler, and the Source for Firefox will compile to different binary codes for Linux and Windows. Complicated? Doesn't need to be, all you need to know is that if you download Firefox for Windows from the internet and try to run it on Linux, it won't work. Well not strictly true, there is a program called "wine" which enables some Windows programs to run on Linux. But generally they don't.

You may ask what's the point if Linux doesn't run Windows programs? Well for a start, most programs you might want to use in Windows have free, opensource alternatives that run on Linux. So not only do you get your Operating System and loads of programs on a disk for nothing, you can also download and add hundreds more for free, too! PCLinuxOS uses a program called Synaptic which lists the available packages, you just select what you want, click the right buttons and go! Obviously a fast internet connections is seriously recommended.

But what about those other windows programs: Viruses, Trojans, Spyware. Well they don't run on Linux either. Not only don't they run, but the way Linux is structured under the surface, it would be really hard for a virus writer to create one for Linux. A few viruses have been designed to work under Linux, as a "proof of concept", but last time I read about it, none had managed to execute their payload. Whilst we're worrying about security, there is also the "Firewall". The part that stops programs sending stuff up your internet connection isn't needed in Linux, and the other part, the part that hides your computer on the net so that no-one can see you are connected and attack your computer -- in Linux that's built right into the kernel. It's not some addon program taking up valuable processing time, but an integral part of the system.

So when Mr Norton or Mr MacAfee has slowed your super-duper-lighting-fast rig down to a crawl, think of all those Linuxers whose boxes, half as well specced as yours, are flying along!

OK Time for some more screenshots:

Now just look at that menu. You can see five different programs for transferring files. These include a BitTorrent program (KTorrent), a Gnutella client (Frostwire), and others. On the internet menu itself, you have sections for Chat, Messaging, Mail, News, Remote Access, Video Conferencing, and Web Editors, in addition to the Web Browsers you'd expect. And grouped logically by function, not a new submenu for every program vendor like certain confusing menus I've seen in Windows!

Here's a nice one:

Why is it nice? Because "Nvu" is the Web Editor I am creating this site with as I type! It's a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) web editor, like Dreamweaver, not quite as powerful yet, but, hey, it's free and it's getting there! For those who prefer to do HTML with assistance, in a program that can preview your effort, there are others to download, Quanta Plus and Bluefish. No matter what your level is in designing Web Sites, there's one to suit you.

OK that was a little taster, but we mentioned Viruses, etc above. Before I start to go into all the programs I use and you may want to, I think we ought to discuss the questions of Stability and Security. These are the areas where Linux really scores over Windows. Once upon a time, this came at the cost of an unfriendly operating system but today you can have the best of both worlds. So that will be the main topic for Part 4.

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