Again, Linux saves the day

[tim-from-pa]

I am using right now my son's old Microsoft Vista laptop that easily and effortlessly gotten a virus when my wife tried to download an Internet game. So for the longest time it was sitting behind our sofa collecting dust and we were ready to throw this computer out like so many Microsoft users do when they have their computers an average of one year, but gets a virus. But then I got this simple idea. I will install Linux ubuntu like I did awhile back on my tower Microsoft computer. While the Linux easily wiped out every trace of Microsoft like a lost soul will perish in hell, I knew that this new OS will resurrect this computer. Now I can go on the most viral sites and download the game without the remotest fear of getting a virus like sickly Microsoft as it is absolutely, and infinitely impossible to get one from that site using Linux.

My wife is sleeping now, but she used to love this computer before Microsoft betrayed her because she wanted a simple game. So tomorrow morning I will present her with this resurrected computer which will never, ever again get a virus for her to use. However, She will probably not accept it because she now has a Mac computer which does not ever get a virus, either. She grew attached to that computer now and probably will let me have this one. Macs are excellent, too, albeit expensive, but a very good OS. I would not let my college sons have anything other than a Mac or Linux so as not to fail miserably at a course when the big project is due, and then Microsoft gets sick with its usual virus. I pay too much money for their education just for a jack-shoot over-priced operating system like Microsoft to ruin their studies by getting a virus when that important project is due. However, most younger people today are indeed using Mac's (kind of like a statement like wearing designer jeans) and indeed the statistics show that most students no longer get viruses since they have Macs, but only the older population that still are bamboozled by using Microsoft.

So.... that's the honest-to-God truth behind these operating systems. And today we can rejoice that a perfectly good laptop computer was "saved" by Linux when indeed it would have been long ago trashed by a Microsoft user. We have enough pollution and waste. why throw away something perfectly good due to the severe inadequacies of something else (operating system)????

 

[Vic C.]

I guess the lesson here is...


Don't download games. :toofunny

I don't understand how so many people get viruses. Yes, I use my Ubuntu box a lot, but honestly, because of some software I need to run, I use my XP box a lot too. I also go online with it and download all sorts of freeware and shareware to try and just don't get the viruses.

 

[jasoncran]

in a few years it will all change again. cloud computing.

you allow your sons to be brainwashed by the illumanatiarian professors??:D

 

[tim-from-pa]

I guess the lesson here is...


Don't download games. :toofunny

I don't understand how so many people get viruses. Yes, I use my Ubuntu box a lot, but honestly, because of some software I need to run, I use my XP box a lot too. I also go online with it and download all sorts of freeware and shareware to try and just don't get the viruses.

Well, Vic, I don't know what possessed my wife to do that, as she is not a computer game player, but a surfer (and on nice sites ). She otherwise knows better.

As much as I bash Microsoft, I'm going to say that we get an average of two viruses a year on each Microsoft computer hooked up to the web (which is only one out of 5 of our computers now).

However, I take issue with those who smugly say "well it's because you click on anything without thinking" thus implying one is dumb.

Let me tell you how I got 2 viruses recently. One time I clicked on a picture of a rat (searched for in Google) to a "normal sounding name" site. We had rats at work and I was researching them. Got a virus. That's all I did--- clicked on the picture.

The other time a Christian forum (not this one) had a viral link--- so said another user. All I did was to hold the cursor over the link (not clicking on it) just to find the address so that I could use my android nook. Got a virus just sitting there! Fortunately, it was not severe, but it required a boot scan that took 3 hours of computer time.

If my described behavior is "dumb" I want to ask the critics just how careful do they want me to be? What was my transgression? And you know as well as I do that even this site had a virus from one of the advertisers. I did not get that as I was using Linux that day, but the forum was strangely quiet that day, like no airplanes in the sky on 911. I was one of the few posting while a few posters later admitted they were cleaning up their computers.

BTW, the nook revealed an excellent article, but also about a half dozen pop-ups which I'm sure at least one of them would install something on a Microsoft computer. Although annoying, I could just casually and fearlessly exit out of the site once I was done reading it and all was well both with the Android and with my soul.

I'm going to post another interesting "conspiracy-type" theory in a few minutes in this forum regarding Microsoft. I questioned why they only get so many viruses, and then it hit me that maybe the OS was designed that way for nefarious monitoring by authorities that the virus writers are just exploiting. I would have never suspected a thing had they made their OS more stable and durable, but like anyone up to no good, they usually "give themselves away".

 

[Vic C.]

A rat?

 

[WIP]

and infinitely impossible to get one from that site using Linux.

computer which will never, ever again get a virus for her to use.

she now has a Mac computer which does not ever get a virus, either.

After being in the industrial controls field for the past 20 years and sticking my foot in my mouth more often than I care to remember the one thing I learned is to avoid using the words, "never" and "always" with too much confidence. In fact, I try to avoid using them at all cost when possible. Been burned too many times.

 

[tim-from-pa]

After being in the industrial controls field for the past 20 years and sticking my foot in my mouth more often than I care to remember the one thing I learned is to avoid using the words, "never" and "always" with too much confidence. In fact, I try to avoid using them at all cost when possible. Been burned too many times.

You're right WIP, never say never. I guess if my wife lives to 1100 years of age the statistics show she will get one Mac virus albeit minimal damage. (as opposed to living one year and getting 1100 viruses )

Seriously, I have yet to install Linux on a Mac computer. All the Mac laptops my kids got are around today yet, and they got a few Mac computers. The old Microsoft ones died from a virus. So you are right, never say never, but I say, "look at the statistics and the vast number of Microsoft viruses vs. those targeted at a Unix-based or type system." And I don't want you hear from anyone that "Microsoft gets more viruses because more people use it" baloney. That's not true with the portable device market, and that's not true with the Internet and servers all which use other OS's. And my kid tells me at NEU where he's studying that 70% of the young people have Macs and they don't get viruses like the unfortunate ones with Microsoft. So, in the past few years, Mac's (with the younger crowd) have been the main computers over Microsoft.

 

[WIP]

Just so you know, my comment was meant more in humor than seriousness but it is true.

You have peaked my curiosity about linux though. I'm not familiar with this OS but I might have to check it out. I am wondering though. I can't help but wonder why it is that more people don't purchase Mac PC's over Microsoft especially when so many high schools use them. It would seem they would be more popular just because of that exposure. Any thoughts about that?

In a similar way, why don't more people insist on Linux if it has the reputation you have expressed. I'm not doubting you, just curious about this. I'm sure marketing plays a big role but I would expect word-of-mouth to be a huge marketing advantage.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Just so you know, my comment was meant more in humor than seriousness but it is true.

You have peaked my curiosity about linux though. I'm not familiar with this OS but I might have to check it out. I am wondering though. I can't help but wonder why it is that more people don't purchase Mac PC's over Microsoft especially when so many high schools use them. It would seem they would be more popular just because of that exposure. Any thoughts about that?

In a similar way, why don't more people insist on Linux if it has the reputation you have expressed. I'm not doubting you, just curious about this. I'm sure marketing plays a big role but I would expect word-of-mouth to be a huge marketing advantage.

From what I gather, Microsoft wins over Mac's because of the price and versatility. I will admit that Microsoft can do a lot, but one walks on security egg shells. Some people don't mind the viruses I guess, but it hit me home and personally and I take it hard in that regards. Mac is an excellent OS, albeit expensive.

As for Linux, I jokingly refer to it as the poor man's Mac --- as Linux and Mac are all based on the Unix kernel. These other OS's for devices such as Android is also based on Linux. The thing about Linux is that it is free, and although there's many applications out there, it is open source with many angles of input. Whereas everyone in it for the money kisses up to Microsoft. So I will admit again Microsoft can do a little more, but at a deadly cost.

A person such as myself just surfs the web, listens to youtube videos or songs, participate on forums and checks his email. That's about the extent of my on-line activities all which Linux handles well. Likewise Linux has a free equivalent to Microsoft's Word, Excel and Powerpoint for the office and business people needing to make a presentation. As a matter of fact, Linux can read and save a document in Microsoft's format for the sake of reading it and editing it on Microsoft. (Libreoffice writer).

Now, if you are into heavy online gaming and graphics, I will admit Microsoft is better at that.

Like I said earlier, take one of your old clunker computers (maybe something you can't get going from a virus and you are about to throw out) and resurrect that with Linux Ubuntu. You may want to do the majority of the online stuff with Linux and leave only the high-powered applications to Microsoft, thus reducing the odds of a virus or something that compromises your security. Some people have dual-boot, but Microsoft may mess that up. However, if Microsoft in your dual-boot gets infected, the Linux half can actually scan the hard drive and kill the Microsoft virus! I've already loaned out a "live Linux CD" for a fellow tech at work to fix his girl's infected computer.

I think the philosophy to compare the two operating systems is this: Microsoft can be a rip-roaring fun party, the best in the neighborhood, but at the cost of police arrests and/or undesirable party crashers that can disrupt the party--- one may get lucky and not have that happen at the party, but the risk is high. Linux is a toned-down party, albeit very fun, with proper security at the door so that no crashers come in or get into trouble. I rather join the latter party. that's a good way to think about the two operating systems.

 

[WIP]

I might have to give it a try someday when my system needs replacing.

Thanks.

 

[th1b.taylor]

Hi Tim,
You already know it but Iĺl just say it for the others, I also run Ubuntu/Linux. I also refurbish donated computers and pass them around to disabled children, youth without the resources to purchase for their education as well as to needy elders. I always install one of the Linux Operating Systems because of the better than forty thousand, business grade packages that are available at zero cost.

My custom built is worth more than three grand and the total cost to me was a little over six hundred because of the Ubuntu system and the free software that is loaded on it. I ran the system for over two years without any anti virus or firewall. I also do a great deal of IT for the folks in my Church Family and most of them run Windoze, of course and the registry, absent in all Nix systems, and viruses are the top two PC killers in their world.

The only trouble I encountered during the first two years was from a MS Tech I upset and even he could not do anything more than to fill my harddrive with gibberish that cost me about thirty minutes to erase. The funny thing was that I sat there and watched him make a fool out of himself and just chuckled. The not so funny part is the Mary Jo Foley of ZD Net asked the Windows team why they did not close the DOS hole that had been there since before Win95 and their answer went some what like, ¨How would we execute a program from the net if we did that?¨ All I could think when that was reported was, ¨DUHHHH?¨

I´m hung on Linux ´til I go Home.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Hi Tim,
You already know it but Iĺl just say it for the others, I also run Ubuntu/Linux. I also refurbish donated computers and pass them around to disabled children, youth without the resources to purchase for their education as well as to needy elders. I always install one of the Linux Operating Systems because of the better than forty thousand, business grade packages that are available at zero cost.

My custom built is worth more than three grand and the total cost to me was a little over six hundred because of the Ubuntu system and the free software that is loaded on it. I ran the system for over two years without any anti virus or firewall. I also do a great deal of IT for the folks in my Church Family and most of them run Windoze, of course and the registry, absent in all Nix systems, and viruses are the top two PC killers in their world.

The only trouble I encountered during the first two years was from a MS Tech I upset and even he could not do anything more than to fill my harddrive with gibberish that cost me about thirty minutes to erase. The funny thing was that I sat there and watched him make a fool out of himself and just chuckled. The not so funny part is the Mary Jo Foley of ZD Net asked the Windows team why they did not close the DOS hole that had been there since before Win95 and their answer went some what like, ¨How would we execute a program from the net if we did that?¨ All I could think when that was reported was, ¨DUHHHH?¨
I´m hung on Linux ´til I go Home.

Yeah, If I had gotten beat up any more over my love of Linux, I would have asked where you were? I remember you having that ministry loading computers with Linux and you said you never had any trouble with all those computers. Yeah, I have my own names for Microsoft. I usually just call them Micro-freakin'-soft and when I'm really angry with them, I call them.... well I won't say. This is a Christian forum. :D