Difference Between Linux and Windows Operating Systems

differences-between-linux-and-windows-operating-systems

What is the most integral part of your laptop or your computer?

It is the operating system. It can be called as the manager or the heart of the computer. With functions like file management, process management, security and resource management, there arises a prime question- which one to select?

The major market holders are Windows and Linux these days. windows 8 cool features certainly created the vibe but Linux have its own hold on its customer due to various advantages. Before choosing one of them, it is crucial to know what they serves to our plates.

The major differences between Windows operating system and Linux operating system are:

Parameters	Linux	Windows
Number of users	Linux have a plus point that many users can be logged into the system simultaneously.SSH (Secure Shell security) is used in this process. This SSH enables a user sitting somewhere else to log in to computer (also known as remote login).Processor’s capability is distributed amongst the users. In this way various users can access the resources at the same time.	There are many windows operating systems considered as single user and multi user. Windows XP, 7 are single user. Multi user comprises of Windows NT.There can be many users logged in the operating system but only one can use it at a time.
Open source	YesIt comes under GNU public license, which gives capability to the users to alter the source code.	No
Cost	Free	Not free
Type of kernel	The core component of the operating system which loads first and remains in the main memory is kernel.Linux uses Monolithic kernel.As all processes are in the same space, no context switching is required. But this adds to the bulkiness in design. Modularity comes into play to solve this.	Windows have Microkernel.The kernel processes are known as servers in this. Some processes run in user space and some in kernel space.The difficulty arises when a process running in kernel space calls a function of a process running in the user’s space. It requires context switching. It increases the cost.
File Formats	It supports wide variety of file formats like Xfs, Btrfs, FAT, FAT32, Ext2.	The file formats supported by it are FAT, FAT32, NTFS, exFAT.
GUI and Kernel separated	YesThey both are separated in this operating system. One can run without the other. For example: GNOME and KDE are the GUIs. But these are optional	No
Secure	Till date, there are around 80 to 100 viruses reported in the Linux.	More than 70,000 viruses are been reported till date.
Ease	Although it have been improved to be more user-friendly. Still people with little experience with technology prefer Windows.	Ease of usage is one of its main marketing features.

So, if you are planning to install an operating system with ease and better understanding pick Windows as although it is costlier but for general users it is the best option available. There are several operating systems based on Linux kernel like Ubuntu, Red hat and Fedora. Pick one of these if you are inclined towards less cost and better security features. They both have their respective pros and cons. Choose them according to your need and preferences.