Linux is a well-known open-source operating system. It is freely available for almost every major computer platform, mobile and embedded devices, mainframes, and many others. It has a wide range of features that make it unique from other operating systems in various ways.
Considering its importance, this post enlists the top seven benefits of Linux that are listed below:
- Free and Open Source OS
- Secure and Reliable
- Easy to Install, System Updation
- Lightweight
- Flexible
- Various Linux Distributions
- Large Community Support
1. Free and Open Source OS
Linux refers to an open-source operating system that’s source code is freely available. It comes with the “GPL”, i.e., “General Public License”,and does not require download licenses. A variety of software available in Linux is free of cost, that’s why it is a very cost-effective OS.
The main advantage of the Linux OS system is that the user can easily make changes in its source code as per requirements. The user can also modify and introduce new functionalities in Linux for personal or community usage.
2. Secure and Reliable
Linux OS is very secure in contrast with other operating systems. It does not need antivirus as not a single virus can execute independently. This is because every Linux program requires the superuser or the root user authentication in the form of a password.
If the password is not typed, then the virus can’t execute. That’s why it is the first choice of the developers to keep the system free from any viruses.
3. Easy to Install, System Updation
The installation of Linux is quite simple and easy to download from the website. It does not require any prerequisites and can run on any hard drive. Furthermore, it does not need any drivers to monitor it except in some special cases.
Apart from Linux installation, its updation is reliable compared to other operating systems. The system updation is in the user’s hands and much faster. It does not ask to delete the existing software while the upgradation of system packages and repositories. In addition, it does not crash the system normally, and all updates are done without any problem.
4. Lightweight
Most Linux distro refers to lightweight because they do not consume many system resources, including a hard disk and RAM space. These are easily installed and run fast compared to the older computers with common(low) system configurations.
5. Flexible
Moreover, the Linux operating system is considered very flexible. The user can install only the required components without installing the full suite. It can keep the files in more than one partition if one is deleted, then the data will remain saved in others. It can be used for embedded systems, server applications, and desktop applications.
6. Variety of Supported Systems
The Linux operating system comes with a wide range of distributions known as “Linux distros”.
Some of the majorly used Linux distributions are listed below:
- Debian
- Ubuntu
- Linux Mint
- RHEL
- CentOS
- Fedora
- Arch Linux
The user must use the Linux distro as per choice/requirements. “Ubuntu” and “Linux Mint” are recommended for beginners as they are easy to understand. For proficient programmers, the “Fedora” Linux distro is suggested.
7. Large Community Support
If the user faces any problem or error while using the Linux operating system, then the error can be easily fixed. This is because Linux offers large community support, i.e., multiple forums are available on the websites to troubleshoot the user problem. However, most programmers use the Linux OS, which makes communities that help users with their problems and issues.
Conclusion
Linux is considered more reliable and secure operating software. It is an open-source and freely available OS that can be quickly installed without requiring any driver support. Its errors and problems can also be quickly fixed with the help of various forums placed on the websites. This post has briefly illustrated the top seven benefits of Linux.
