Open Source vs. Proprietary Solutions - Case Study of Windows and Linux, A Consumer Perspective

International Journal of Advanced Technology & Engineering Research (IJATER)
OPEN SOURCE VS. PROPRIETARY SOLUTIONS:

CASE STUDY OF WINDOWS AND LINUX,
A CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE
Harjit Singh, Assistant Professor, Punjabi University Akali Phoola Singh Neighbourhood Campus,
Dehla Seehan(Sangrur), Punjab, India. Email: hjit@live.com
Abstract
This is a non-partial evaluation of Open Source and Proprietary Solutions based on Linux and Windows which can serve as
an introduction to Linux for Windows users. The article studies
some technological competition between open-source and proprietary software. The organizational structure of open-source
software is a key feature which, together with compatibility, can
allow open-source software to overcome existing proprietary
standards.
Linux and Microsoft Windows differ in philosophy, cost, versatility and stability, with each seeking to improve in their perceived weaker areas. Comparisons of the two operating systems
tend to reflect their origins, historic user bases and distribution
models. Typical perceived weaknesses regularly cited have often
included poor consumer familiarity with Linux, and Microsoft
Windows' susceptibility to viruses and malware.
Keywords:
Open-source software, Proprietary Software,

Linux vs. Windows, Advantages and Disadvantages of Linux and
Windows, History of Linux and Windows.
Definitions
A. Open Source Solution
Introduction
In the software world there are basically two sides an IT decision-maker can take. These are Proprietary Solutions and Open
Source Solutions. To understand both sides, first recognize how
the two methodologies differ. What makes one solution superior
to the other? Does one solution offer a more effective way than
the other to conduct business? How can each of these opposing
solutions benefit the consumer? Learning the internal details and
goals of each side is a required step to determine the best solution
for an organization.
Open source software is an emerging type of software that may
fundamentally affect the business and economic features of the
software industry. Linux, an open source operating system, has
been the prominent example of the potential of the open source
movement, competing against Microsoft Windows, the incumbent operating system.
Both Windows and Linux come in many flavors. All the flavors
of Windows come from Microsoft, the various distributions of
Linux come from different companies (i.e. Red Hat, Linspire,
SuSE, Ubuntu, Xandros, Knoppix, Slackware, Lycoris, etc.).
ISSN No: 2250-3536
Windows has two main lines. The older flavors are referred to as
"Win9x" and consist of Windows 95, 98, 98SE and Me. The
newer flavors are referred to as "NT class" and consist of Windows NT3, NT4, 2000, XP, Vista and 7.
The flavors of Linux are referred to as distributions (often shortened to "distros"). All the Linux distributions released around the
same time frame will use the same kernel (the guts of the Operating System). They differ in the add-on software provided, GUI,
install process, price, documentation and technical support. Both
Linux and Windows come in desktop and server editions.
There may be too many distributions of Linux, it's possible that
this is hurting Linux in the marketplace. It could be that the lack
of a Linux distro from a major computer company is also hurting
it in the marketplace. IBM is a big Linux backer but does not
have their own branded distribution.
The following sections of this paper will explain the perceived
advantages and disadvantages of both to help IT decision makers
identify the areas that are most important to them in choosing an
operating system.
Open Source is a method and philosophy for software licensing and distribution designed to encourage use and improvement
of software written by a network of volunteers. Through this system, a programs source code is made available to all interested
parties for use, modifications, and improvements. Frequently a
product of a collaborative environment, open source software is
typically created by a number of developers and made freely
available to all who wish to utilize it.
Often referred to as free software, open source software is
free in the sense that it freely allows anyone to change, enhance,
and redistribute the program as they see fit. However, it does not
necessarily mean free of charge. Although many open source
programs are available at no cost, there are countless others that
charge an initial fee for the program but freely provide the source
code. The most popular form of open source software is the Linux operating system. Created utilizing parts of the Unix operating system and the GNU project, Linux has achieved mainstream
adoption with improved distributions from popular vendors like
Red Hat, Novell, IBM.
Driven by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), developers of
software allow the code to be freely shared, enhanced, and redi-
Volume 2, Issue 4, July 2012
28
stributed. Those that chose to create or re-distribute open source

software can use the Open Source trademark if their distribution
terms conform to the OSI's Open Source Definition. Among other things this model requires that:
The software being distributed must be redistributed to
anyone else without any restriction.
The source code must be made available (so that the receiving party will be able to improve or modify it).
There can be no discrimination against persons, groups, or
fields of endeavor.
The license can require improved versions of the software
to carry a different name or version from the original software.
1986
MS-DOS 3.2
1087
MS-DOS 3.3
1987
Microsoft
Windows 2.0
(Operating Environment)
Windows 386
B. Proprietary Solution
1987
Proprietary Software refers to software that is owned by an
individual or a company and is protected from unauthorized use
by patents, trademarks and/or copyrights. Such software is often
sold or licensed to other individuals or organizations, usually
with strict restrictions regarding its use, modification and further
distribution.
The most prominent vendor of proprietary software is Microsoft.
Along with the purchase of Microsoft programs, users receive a
license to utilize those programs. Source codes are kept hidden to
prohibit user modification and re-distribution. Proprietary vendors contend that the information contained in the source code is
Intellectual Property and that it is best utilized and protected by
remaining kept from the public. This approach to development
has been the standard for many years, and corporate developers
like Microsoft are actively fighting to maintain its efficacy.
1988
Windows 286
1988
MS-DOS 4.0
and 4.1
1990
Microsoft
Windows 3.0
Case Study: Windows and Linux
1991
MS-DOS 5.0
A. Windows Historical Background
1991
Microsoft
Windows NT
1991
Microsoft
Windows 3.0
Microsoft
Windows 3.1
Table 1. Windows Historical Background
Year
1981
Operating System
MS-DOS 1.0
1982
MS-DOS 1.25
1983
MS-DOS 2.0
1984
MS-DOS 3.0
and 3.1
1985
Microsoft
Windows 1.0
ISSN No: 2250-3536
Description
MS-DOS 1.0 was released August, 1981.
MS-DOS 1.25 was released
August, 1982.
March, 1983.
Microsoft Windows was announced November 10, 1983.
Microsoft introduces MS-DOS
3.0 for the IBM PC AT and
MS-DOS 3.1 for networks.
Microsoft Windows 1.0 is introduced in November 20, 1985
and is initially sold for $100.00.
It was not an operating system
1992
1992
Microsoft
Windows for
Workgroups
3.1
but was an operating environment for MS-DOS. The user

had to have MS-DOS to install
it. The same was true with all
versions of Windows up to
Windows 95.
April, 1986.
April, 1987.
Microsoft Windows 2.0 was
released December 9, 1987 and
is initially sold for $100.00.
Microsoft Windows /386 or
Windows 386 is introduced
December 9, 1987 and is initially sold for $100.00.
Microsoft Windows /286 or
Windows 286 is introduced
June, 1988 and is initially sold
for $100.00.
MS-DOS 4.0 was released July,
1988.
November, 1988.
Microsoft Windows 3.0 was
released May, 22 1990. Microsoft Windows 3.0 full version
was priced at $149.95 and the
upgrade version was priced at
$79.95.
June, 1991.
Following its decision not to
develop operating systems cooperatively with IBM, Microsoft
changes the name of OS/2 to
Microsoft Windows NT.
Microsoft Windows 3.0 or
Windows 3.0a with multimedia
was released October, 1991.
Microsoft Windows 3.1 (Janus)
was released April, 1992 and
sells more than 1 Million copies
within the first two months of
its release.
Microsoft Windows for
Workgroups 3.1 (Kato) was
released October, 1992.
29
1993
1993
1994
1994
1994
1995
1995
1996
1996
1997
1998
1998
1999
1999
2000
2000
Microsoft
Windows NT
3.1
MS-DOS 6.0
and 6.2
Microsoft
Windows for
Workgroups
3.11
MS-DOS 6.21
and 6.22
Microsoft
Windows NT
3.5
Microsoft
Windows NT
3.51
Microsoft
Windows 95
Microsoft
Windows NT
4.0
Microsoft
Windows CE
1.0
Microsoft
Windows CE
2.0
Microsoft
Windows 98
Microsoft
Windows CE
2.1
Microsoft
Windows 98
SE
Microsoft
Windows CE
3.0
Pocket PC
Microsoft
Windows 2000
ISSN No: 2250-3536
Microsoft Windows NT 3.1

was released July 27, 1993.
2000
Microsoft
Windows ME
MS-DOS 6.0 was released August, 1993

MS-DOS 6.2 was released November, 1993
Microsoft Windows for
Workgroups 3.11 (Snowball)
was released February, 1994.
2001
Microsoft
Windows XP
2001
Microsoft
Windows XP
64-bit Edition
(Version 2002)
Microsoft
Windows Server 2003
Microsoft
Windows XP
64-bit Edition
(Version 2003)
Microsoft
Windows XP
Media Center
Edition 2003
Microsoft
Windows Media Center Edition 2005
Microsoft
Windows XP
Professional
x64 Edition
Microsoft
Windows Vista
2003

March, 1994
April, 1994
(Daytona) was released September 21, 1994.
was released May 30, 1995.
Microsoft Windows 95 (Chicago) was released August 24,
1995 and sells more than 1 Million copies within 4 days.
(Cairo) was released July 29,
1996.
Microsoft Windows CE 1.0 was
released November, 1996.
2003
2003
2004
2005
2006

released November, 1997.
Microsoft Windows 98 (Memphis) was released June, 1998.
released July, 1998.
Microsoft Windows 98 SE
(Second Edition) was released
May 5, 1999.
released 1999.
2009
Microsoft Windows XP Media

Center Edition 2005 is released
on October 12, 2004.
Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is released
on April 24, 2005.
Microsoft announces its next
operating system, codenamed
"Longhorn" will be named
Windows Vista on July 23,
2005.
Microsoft releases Microsoft
Windows Vista (Longhorn) to
corporations on November 30,
2006.
Microsoft releases Microsoft
Windows 7 (Vienna and Blackcomb) October 22, 2009.
B. Linux Historical Background

Table 2. Linux Historical Background
Year
On January 4th at CES Bill
Gates announces the new version of Windows CE will be
called Pocket PC.
Microsoft Windows 2000
(Odyssey) was released February 17, 2000.
Microsoft
Windows 7
Microsoft Windows ME (Millennium) released June 19,

2000.
Microsoft Windows XP (Whistler) is released October 25,
2001.
Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit
Edition (Version 2002) for Itanium systems is released March
28, 2003.
Microsoft Windows Server
2003 (Whistler Server) is released March 28, 2003.
Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit
Edition (Version 2003) for Itanium 2 systems is released on
March 28, 2003.
Microsoft Windows XP Media
Center Edition 2003 is released
on December 18, 2003.
1965
Operating System
Multics
Description
AT&T Bell Labs along with
General Electric and MIT decided to create Multics (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service) for third generation computers.
30
1969
1971
UNICS
Unix (1st Edition)
1972
Unix - (2nd Edition)
1973
Unix (3rd
Edition)
Unix (4th Edition)
Unix (5th Edition)
1973
1974
1975
1977
1978
1979
1979
1980
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1986
1988
1988
1989
Unix (6th Edition)

1BSD
2BSD
Unix (7th Edition)
3BSD
4BSD
IRIX
SCO XENIX
System V
Ultrix 1.0
Unix (8th Edition)
HP-UX 1.0
Unix (9th Edition)
HP-UX 2.0
HP-UX 3.0
SCO Unix System V/386
ISSN No: 2250-3536
AT&T Bell Labs decided to

withdraw Multics and go with
GECOS. AT the same time Ken
Thompson and Dennis Ritchie
rewrite the operating system for
a smaller machine i.e. DEC
PDP-7 and developed UNICS
(UNiplexed Information and
Computing Service) which is
an 'emasculated Multics'.
First edition of Unix released
November 3, 1971. It contains
about 60 commands like : cat,
chdir, chmod, chown, cp, who,
wc, b(to compile b language
program), mv etc.
Second edition of Unix released
December 6, 1972. Ritchie rewrote the language B and called
the new language C.
Third edition of Unix released
February 1973
Forth edition of Unix released
November 1973
Fifth edition of Unix released
June 1974. Bill Joy (a student),
frustrated with ed, developed a
more rich featured editor em.
Sixth edition of Unix released
May 1975. Bourne shell is introduced.
1BSD released late 1977
2BSD released mid 1978
Seventh edition of Unix released January 1979
3BSD released late 1979
4BSD released October 1980
SGI introduces IRIX.
SCO delivers its first packaged
Unix system called SCO XENIX System V for Intel 8086
and 8088 processor-based PCs.
Ultrix 1.0 was released.
Eighth edition of Unix released
February 1985
HP-UX 1.0 released.
Ninth edition of Unix released
September 1986
HP-UX 2.0 released.
HP-UX 3.0 released.
SCO ships SCO Unix System
V/386, the first volume commercial product licensed by
AT&T to use the Unix System
1989
1989
1990
HP-UX 7.0
Unix (10th
Edition)
AIX
1991
Solaris 2
1991
Linux
trademark.
HP-UX 7.0 released.
Tenth edition of Unix released
October 1989
AIX (Advanced Interactive
eXecutive) was launched by
IBM February 1990.
Sun introduced Solaris 2 operating environment which was
specially tuned for symetric
multiprocessing.
Linux is introduced by Linus
Torvalds, a student in Finland.
Who post to the comp.os.minix
newsgroup with the words:
Hello everybody out there using
minix -
1991
1992
1993
HP-UX 8.0
HP-UX 9.0
NetBSD 0.8
1993
FreeBSD 1.0
1994
Red Hat Linux

1.0
1994
1994
NetBSD 1.0
1995
FreeBSD 2.0
1995
Red Hat Linux

2.0
HP-UX 10.0
4.4 BSD Lite
Release 2
1995
1995
1996
Red Hat Linux

3.0 and 4.0
1997
1997
HP-UX 11.0
OpenLinux
Standard 1.1
I'm doing a (free) operating

system (just a hobby, won't be
big and professional like gnu)
for 386(486) AT clones.
HP-UX 8.0 released.
HP-UX 9.0 released.
NetBSD 0.8 released April 20,
1993
FreeBSD 1.0 released December, 1993
Red Hat Linux 1.0 is introduced on November 3, 1994 by
Red Hat which uses Linux 1.2.8
Caldera, Inc was founded in
1994 by Ransom Love and
Bryan Sparks.
NetBSD 1.0 released
10/26/1994
FreeBSD 2.0 released
01/xx/1995
Released on September 20,
1995
HP-UX 10.0 released.
4.4 BSD Lite Release 2 the true
final distribution from the
CSRG June 1995.
Red Hat Linux 3.0 Released on
May 1, 1996 and
Red Hat Linux 4.0 Released on
October 3, 1996 uses Linux
2.0.18
HP-UX 11.0 released.
Caldera ships OpenLinux Standard 1.1 May 5, 1997, the
31
1997
1998
Red Hat Linux

5.0
IRIX 6.5
1998
UnixWare 7
1998
Sun Solaris 7
1998
FreeBSD 3.0
1999
2000
2000
Red Hat Linux

6.0
FreeBSD 4.0
Red Hat Linux
7
2001
2002
2002
2003
2003
Red Hat Linux

8.0
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1
AS
Red Hat Linux
9
ES
2003
Fedora Core 1
2003
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3
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second offering in Caldera's

OpenLinux product line
Released on December 1, 1997
uses Linux 2.0.32-2
IRIX 6.5 the fifth generation of
SGI Unix is released July 6,
1998.
SCO delivers UnixWare 7 operating system.
Sun Solaris 7 operating system
released.
FreeBSD 3.0 released October
16, 1998
Released on April 26, 1999
uses Linux 2.2.5-15
FreeBSD 4.0 released March
13, 2000
2000 (this release is labeled "7"
not "7.0") and uses Linux
2.2.16-22
Linus Torvalds releases version
2.4 of the Linux Kernel source
code on January 4th.
2002 and uses Linux 2.4.18-14
AS (Pensacola), March 26,
2002
Released on March 31, 2003
and uses Linux 2.4.20-8 (this
release is labeled "9" not "9.0")
The Fedora Project was created
in late 2003, when Red Hat
Linux was discontinued. Red
Hat Enterprise Linux was to be
Red Hat's only officially supported Linux distribution, while
Fedora was to be a community
distribution. Red Hat Enterprise
Linux 2.1 ES (Panama), released on May, 2003
Fedora Core 1 was the first
version of Fedora and was released on November 6, 2003.
Fedora Core 1 was based on
Red Hat Linux 9 and shipped
with version 2.4.19 of the Linux kernel, version 2.4 of the
GNOME desktop environment,
and version 3.1 of KDE (the K
Desktop Environment).
(Taroon), 22 October 2003.
2004
Fedora Core 2
and 3
2005
2005
Fedora Core 4
2006
Fedora Core 5
and 6
2007
2007
Fedora 7 and 8
Uses Linux 2.4.21

Fedora Core 2 was released on
May 18, 2004, codenamed
Tettnang. It shipped with Linux
2.6, GNOME 2.6, KDE 3.2
November 8, 2004, codenamed
Heidelberg. This was the first
release of Fedora Core to include the Mozilla Firefox web
browser, as well as support for
the Indic Languages.
(Nahant), February 15, 2005.
Uses Linux 2.6.9

June 13, 2005, with the codename Stentz. It shipped with
Linux 2.6.11, KDE 3.4 and
GNOME 2.10. It also shipped
with the OpenOffice.org 2.0
office suite
March 20, 2006, with the codename Bordeaux, and introduced
the Fedora Bubbles artwork.
October 24, 2006, codenamed
Zod.
(Tikanga), March 14, 2007.
Uses Linux 2.6.18
Fedora 7, codenamed Moonshine, was released on May 31,
2007. The biggest difference
between Fedora Core 6 and
Fedora 7 was the merging of
the Red Hat "Core" and Community "Extras" repositories,
and the new build system put in
place to manage those packages. This release used entirely
new build and compose tools
that enabled the user to create
fully-customized Fedora distributions that could also include
packages from any third party
provider.
Fedora 8, codenamed Werewolf, was released on November 8, 2007.
32
2008
2009
2010
Fedora 9 and
10
Fedora 11 and
12

Beta 1 and Beta2
Fedora 9, codenamed Sulphur,

was released on May 13, 2008.
Fedora 10, codenamed Cambridge, was released on November 25, 2008.
Fedora 11, codenamed Leonidas, was released on June 9,
2009.
Fedora 12, codenamed Constantine, was released on November 17, 2009.
(Santiago) not yet released,
(Beta 1 released April 21, 2010,
Beta 2 released June 6, 2010).
Final version may be released
before end of 2010.
2010
Fedora 13
Fedora 13, codenamed Goddard, was released on May 25,

2010. During early development Fedora project leader Paul
Frields commented on Fedora
13 by saying that during the
development they would "be
looking at the fit and finish
issues. We have tended to build
a really tight ship with Fedora,
but now we want to make the
dcor in the cabins a little more
sumptuous and to polish the
deck chairs and railings."
Linux vs. Windows: A Debate

Comparisons between the Microsoft Windows and Linux computer Operating Systems are a long-running discussion topic
within the personal computer industry. Throughout the entire
period of the Windows 9x systems through the introduction of
Windows 7. Windows has retained an extremely large retail sales
majority among operating systems for personal desktop use,
while Linux has sustained its status as the most prominent free
software operating system. After their initial clash, both operating systems moved beyond the user base of the personal computer market and share a rivalry on a variety of other devices, with
offerings for the server and embedded systems markets, and mobile internet access.
ISSN No: 2250-3536
A. Customizability
Linux is customizable in a way that Windows is not. For one, the
user interface, while similar in concept, varies in detail from distribution to distribution. For example, the task bar may default to
being on the top or the bottom. Also, there are many special purpose versions of Linux above and beyond the full blown distributions described above. For example, NASLite is a version of Linux that runs off a single floppy disk (since revised to also boot
from a CD) and converts an old computer into a file server. This
ultra small edition of Linux is capable of networking, file sharing
and being a web server.
B. Graphical User Interface

Both Linux and Windows provide a GUI and a command line
interface. The Windows GUI has changed from Windows 3.1 to
Windows 95 (drastically) to Windows XP (slightly) to Windows
7 (fairly large) and is slated to change again with the next version
of Windows, the one that will replace XP. Windows XP has a
themes feature that offers some customization of the look and
feel of the GUI.
Linux typically provides two GUIs, KDE and Gnome. The lynucs.org web site has examples of many substantially different
Linux GUIs. Of the major Linux distributions, Lindows has
made their user interface look more like Windows than the others. Here is a screen shot of Linux made to look like Windows
XP. Then too, there is XPde (Figure 1) for Linux which really
makes Linux look like Windows. Quoting their web site "It's a
desktop environment (XPde) and a window manager (XPwm) for
Linux. It tries to make easier for Windows XP users to use a Linux box."
An important point is that the Linux GUI is optional while the
Windows GUI is an integral component of the OS. The speed,
efficiency and reliability are all increased by running a server
instance of Linux without a GUI, something that server versions
of Windows cannot do. The detached nature of the Linux GUI
makes remote control and remote administration of a Linux
computer simpler and more natural than a Windows computer.
Is the flexibility of the Linux GUI a good thing? Yes and No.
While advanced users can customize things to their liking, it
makes things harder on new users for whom every Linux computer they encounter may look and act differently.
C. Text User Interface

This is also known as a command interpreter. Windows users
sometimes call it a DOS prompt. Linux users refer to it as a shell.
Each version of Windows has a single command interpreter, but
the different flavors of Windows have different interpreters. In
general, the command interpreters in the Windows 9x series are
very similar to each other and the NT class versions of Windows
(NT, 2000, XP) also have similar command interpreters. There
33
are however differences between a Windows 9x command interpreter and one in an NT class flavor of Windows. Linux, like all
versions of Unix, supports multiple command interpreters, but it
usually uses one called BASH (Bourne Again Shell). Others are
the Korn shell, the Bourne shell, ash and the C shell (pun, no
doubt, intended).
D. Cost
For desktop or home use, Linux is very cheap or free, Windows
is expensive. For server use, Linux is very cheap compared to
Windows. Microsoft allows a single copy of Windows to be used
on only one computer. Starting with Windows XP, they use
software to enforce this rule (Windows Product Activation at
first, later Genuine Windows). In contrast, once you have purchased Linux, you can run it on any number of computers for no
additional charge.
As of January 2005, the upgrade edition of Windows XP Home
Edition sells for about $100, XP Professional is about $200. The
"full" version of XP Home is about $200, the full version of XP
Professional is $300. Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
with 10 Client licenses is about $1,100. The irony here is that
Windows rose to dominance, way back when, in large part by
undercutting the competition (Macs) on cost. Now Linux may do
the same thing to Windows.
You can buy a Linux book and get the operating system included
with the book for free. You can also download Linux for free
from each of the Linux vendors (assuming your Internet connection is fast enough for a 600 MB file and you have a CD burner)
or from www.linuxiso.org. Both these options however, come
without technical support. All versions of the Ubuntu distribution
are free.
You can purchase assorted distributions of Linux in a box with a
CD and manuals and technical support for around $40 to $80
(some distributions may be less, others may be more). Regular
updates and ongoing support range from $35 a year for a desktop
version of Linux to $1,500 for a high-end server version. August
2004 Red Hat started selling a desktop oriented version of Linux
for under $6 per user per year.
After the initial cost (or lack thereof) of obtaining software, there
is the ongoing cost of its care and feeding. In October 2002,
ComputerWorld magazine quoted the chief technology architect
at Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York as saying that "the cost of
running Linux is typically a tenth of the cost of Unix and Microsoft alternatives." The head technician at oil company Amerada
Hess manages 400 Linux servers by himself. He was quoted as
saying "It takes fewer people to manage the Linux machines than
Windows machines."
E. Running PC without Hard Disk

One thing that Linux can do that Windows cannot, is run from a
CD. To run Windows, it has to first be installed to your hard
disk. Normally Linux also runs from a hard disk, but there are
quite a few versions of Linux that run completely from a CD
ISSN No: 2250-3536
without having to be installed to a hard disk. The term for this is

a "Live CD. Running a Live CD version of Linux is a great way
for Windows users to experience Linux for the first time. Among
the Linux distros that have a CD-only version are Knoppix,
Ubuntu and Open SuSE).
That said, if Windows is broken to the point that it can't start up,
there is a free program called Bart's Preinstalled Environment
(BartPE) that can run a few Windows programs from a bootable
CD. However, this is not from Microsoft and is only intended to
fix a broken copy of Windows, it is not for everyday use. BartPE
can only run a handful of programs that have been set up ahead
of time for use with it. BartPE fills an important need, but creating the CD is not trivial, it requires a Windows CD (not recovery
CDs or DVDs). The main point stands, in and of itself, Windows
cannot run from a CD.
The CD based versions of Linux differ in their use of the hard
disk. Some, such as Lindows, do not write anything at all to your
hard disk, making it the safest and easiest way to experience Linux. The downside of this is speed (CDs are much slower than
hard disks) and continuity (being able to save data between uses).
Other versions, such as SuSE 9 (this is now up to v10.2), do use
your hard disk (SuSE 9 creates over 200 MB worth of files).
What you give up in safety, you gain in speed.
In addition to kicking the tires on Linux, a Live CD can also be
used to insure that your hardware is supported by that specific
version of Linux. Bootable Linux CDs are also used to recover
files when Windows breaks to the point of not being able to start
up. A recent Live Linux CD should be able to see all Windows
files (they can read NTFS) and copy them to an external USB
device or another computer on a LAN. Older CD based versions
of Lindows and SuSE could not read files stored in an NTFS
partition.
In June 2006 David Pogue wrote about Linux distros can run
from a thumb drive (A Handy Tip From a Reader on Flash
Drives) where the two distros mentioned are 50MB (Damn Small
Linux) and 70MB. In fact, Damn Small Linux does even more
tricks. It can run from within Windows! And, if you have 128MB
of ram to spare, it can run completely in ram, which has got to be
fast.
F. Application Software
There is more application software available for Windows. Then
again, there may be sufficient Linux software for the needs.
If we buy a copy of Windows on a CD-ROM, we get no application software with it. If we buy a copy of Linux on a CD-ROM
(or two or three) it typically comes with gobs of free application
software. Likewise, Linux ISO downloads usually include lots of
application software. The exception are Linux distributions that
are small on purpose such as Damn Small Linux or Pen Drive
Linux.
A new computer with Windows pre-installed normally comes
additional application software, exactly what to include is up to
34
the PC vendor. However, there are two problems with the preinstalled application software on Windows computers.
First, much of it is junk. So much, that a new term "crapware" is
being used to describe it. The PC vendors make money by installing this software that many people consider worse than useless.
In fact, the first thing many techies do is un-install this software,
someone even came out with a PC de-crapifier program to automate the un-installs. Windows computers sold to businesses tend
to have less undesirable application software pre-installed compared to computers sold to consumers. I have never heard of anyone complaining about the software that comes pre-installed in
the normal, popular versions of Linux.
Second, important software is often missing or old. For example,
the Adobe Acrobat reader, may not pre-installed by the PC vendor or installed with old version.
G. Windows Applications under Linux

Some distributions of Linux include commercial software called
Crossover Office from CodeWeavers that runs Microsoft Office
(versions 2003, XP, 2000 and 97) and some other Windows applications under Linux. While this approach does less, it does not
require a Windows license. Codeweavers has a list of supported
applications and a comparison of their approach vs. virtual machines.
Since Crossover Office is a commercial product, it is not included in the free distributions of Linux. CrossOver is based on
the Wine project. Wine is free software and is included with
many GNU/Linux distributions. After 15 years of development,
the first "finished" version of Wine was released in June 2008.
Wine lets Windows applications run under Linux without a copy
of Windows and without any virtualization. Windows applications talk to Windows using a specification known as the Windows API. Wine intercepts each Windows API command/request
made by a Windows program and does, in Linux, the functions
Windows does in response to the same command.
Wine does not, and will not, provide 100% compatibility; it will
never run all Windows applications perfectly. Even applications
that it runs well, may not have all their features and functions
available. The Wine Project maintains a list of applications and
how well they run under Wine.
H. Security
The vast majority of malicious software (of all types) runs on
Windows. Windows users are burdened with the need for antivirus and anti-spyware software. Linux users are not. Why is
this? Windows software is either executable or not, depending on
the file extension. So if a file ends with ".exe" or ".scr", it can be
run as a program (yes, of course, if you change a text file's extension from ".txt" to ".exe", nothing will happen, because it's not
really an executable). It is easy to run executables in the Windows world, and users who get an email with a subject line like
"Check out this wicked screensaver!" and an attachment, too
ISSN No: 2250-3536
often click on it without thinking first, and bang! Also most of

the viruses and worms attack .exe files. But in case of Linux
there is no meaning of .exe files. Linux executable files need
not have .exe extension.
Sure, there are Linux viruses. But let's compare the numbers.
According to Dr. Nic Peeling and Dr Julian Satchell's Analysis
of the Impact of Open Source Software:
There are about 60,000 viruses known for Windows, 40 or so
for the Macintosh, about 5 for commercial Unix versions, and
perhaps 40 for Linux. Most of the Windows viruses are not important, but many hundreds have caused widespread damage.
Two or three of the Macintosh viruses were widespread enough
to be of importance. None of the Unix or Linux viruses became
widespread - most were confined to the laboratory.
Linux privileges are basically whether you can read, modify or
execute a file. Files in Linux are always owned by a specific user
and group. Windows has similar file-related privileges but only
when using the NTFS file system. The earlier FAT and FAT32
file systems had no file level security.
In case of Windows the concept of restricted Windows user is
not so successful. It is because there are too many programs that
did not function correctly when run by a non-Administrative user. On a Windows system, programs installed by a nonAdministrative user can still add DLLs and other system files
that can be run at a level of permission that damages the system
itself. While Linux has supported the concept of root and restricted users more successfully, this is a relatively new thing to
Windows. It will be a long time before all Windows software is
designed to be used by a restricted user. Until then, viruses and
malware will have free reign on Windows machines. Certainly
software written for Windows 95, 98 and ME expects total system access and may not work when run from a restricted userid
under Windows NT, 2000 and XP.
User Account Control (UAC) in Windows Vista, which means
among other things that user programs run with restricted permissions and require the privileges of a super-user to perform
sensitive actions, is a good step forward. The poor security architecture of past versions of Windows continue to haunt current
users in the form if legacy software that fails to install or even
run, in many circumstances, without the elevated privileges that
UAC seeks to enforce. Windows 7 takes a step backwards by
relaxing the restrictions enforced by UAC to make installing and
running legacy programs easier, but at the cost of security.
Unfortunately, running as root (or Administrator) is common in
the Windows world. In fact, Microsoft is still engaging in this
risky behavior. Windows XP, supposed Microsoft's most secure
desktop operating system, automatically makes the first named
user of the system an Administrator, with the power to do anything he wants to the computer. The reasons for this decision
boggle the mind.
I. Hardware Support
35
Linux runs on many different hardware platforms, not so with

Windows. For example, Windows NT used to run on MIPS
CPUs until Microsoft changed their mind. It also used to run on
Alpha CPUs, again, until Microsoft changed their mind. No one
gets to change their mind with Linux. It runs on a very wide
range of computers, from the lowest of the low to the highest of
the high. The supported range of computers is all but stunning.
Because of its ability to run without a GUI, and thus need less
hardware horsepower than Windows, Linux can run on very old
personal computers such as 486 based machines. On the high
end, Linux runs natively on IBM mainframes (the Z series) and
on other high end IBM servers. eBay runs their web site on Linux as does Google. IBM's family of "Blue Gene" supercomputers, used by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for nuclear weapons simulations, run Linux. NASA uses it on supercomputers that run space-shuttle simulations. On the small side,
the iPodLinux Project created a version of Linux that runs on
Apple iPods. NEC is working on Linux-based cell phones and
Motorola is going to make Linux its primary operating system
for smart cell phones. Debian Linux can run on a computer the
size of a deck of playing cards (100mm by 55mm) with an ARM
CPU. In the home, Sony and Matsushita (parent company of Panasonic) will use Linux to build increasingly 'smart' microwave
ovens, TVs and other consumer gizmos. Likewise MontaVista
Software will release a version of its embedded Linux for use in
consumer electronics devices. Web site linuxdevices.com seems
to track this.
While Linux itself runs on many more computers than Windows,
when it comes to hardware peripherals, many work with Windows but not with Linux. The hardware vendors write drivers for
Windows more often than they do for Linux. Market share and
all that. Some hardware vendors will release technical specs so
that someone in the Linux community can write a driver for the
device, but other vendors aren't so open minded.
Everything isn't rosy in the Windows world however. When
Windows XP was released, many existing peripherals would not
work with it because XP required new drivers and the vendors
had little motivation to write drivers for old hardware.
J. Multiuser Operating System

Linux is a multi-user system, Windows is not. That is, Windows
is designed to be used by one person at a time. Databases running
under Windows allow concurrent access by multiple users, but
the Operating System itself is designed to deal with a single human being at a time. Linux, like all Unix variants, is designed to
handle multiple concurrent users. Windows, of course, can run
many programs concurrently, as can Linux. There is a multi-user
version of Windows called Terminal Server but this is not the
Windows pre-installed on personal computers.
K. Downtime
ISSN No: 2250-3536
Reboots are usually required after system and driver updates.

Microsoft has its hotpatching technology, designed to reduce
downtimes.
Linux itself needs to restart only for kernel updates. However, a
special utility can be used to load the new kernel and execute it
without a hardware reset (kexec) and hence can stay up for years
without a single hardware reboot, reducing downtime. For minor
updates such as security fixes, Ksplice allows the linux kernel to
be patched without a reboot. System libraries, services and applications can mostly be upgraded without restarting.
L. Open Source vs. Closed Source

Linux claims its platform is more secure because of a comprehensive approach to security using the Security Development
Lifecycle.
However, because Windows is closed-source, only Microsoftemployed programmers (or licensed third-parties) can fix bugs.
Because the software is closed-source, consumers have to trust
that Microsoft is not doing anything against them. However,
even recent Windows versions have some security vulnerabilities
detected.
Linux claims its platform is more secure because all of its code is
reviewed by so many people that bugs are detected (referred to as
Linuss law).
Anyone with programming experience is free to fix bugs and
submit them for inclusion in future releases and updates. However such an approach has indeed produced several vulnerabilities,
although this is rare case.
M. Hard Disk Partitions

Windows must be installed to and boot from a primary partition.
There are a maximum of four primary partitions on a single hard
disk (a computer with two hard disks can have eight primary
partitions). Linux is better in this regard as it can be installed to
and boot from either a primary partition or a logical partition.
Logical partitions reside inside a special type of primary partition
called an extended partition. There is no practical limit to the
number of logical partitions that can exist on a single hard disk.
Thus you can easily experiment with a dozen different Linux
distributions by installing each one in a different logical partition.
Conclusion and Suggestions

As stated before and demonstrated throughout this paper, both
open source and proprietary solutions have advantages and disadvantages. The perfect solution is still waiting to be developed
so in the meantime it is up to the IT professionals to determine
what their organization deem valuable. Do they value price over
user-friendliness? Security over variety? Freedom over familiarity? Knowing the answers to these types of questions could make
36
the great Linux vs. Microsoft debate a bit less challenging for the
end consumer.
When making this decision it is also important to remember that
in a relatively short amount of time, Linux vendors have made
incredible strides in developing an operating system that would
encompass the values Windows users cherish while at the same
time continue to improve upon the ideals open source was invented on. The perceived downfalls of Linux are becoming more
obsolete while its benefits continuing to rise. There is no end to
the possibilities with Linux and open source software which is
predominantly why so many worldwide organizations are making the switch. With Linux establishing itself as a qualified and
robust alternative, the years of Microsoft and vendor lock-in domination are quickly coming to a close.
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