...Windows® vs. Linux It was inevitable that operating systems—and computer system in general—at least in the year 2012, are not anything like those envisioned by science fictionists, novelists, and screen writers of the early and mid 20th century. For the most part, they saw computers as a single entity one system controlling everything, like a giant brain reaching out and serving each end-user anonymously. And there were surely no “blue screens of death.” Computers today come in hundreds of flavors. Let’s say you want a tablet instead of a keyboard, no problem. Need to run a multi-million dollar company with an extensive database from home? No problem. Interfaces and operating systems and software applications and hardware upgrades and I/O devices provide each and every person on the planet a customized computer experience. We should thank capitalism for many of the technological advances that have come about over the past fifty years. After all, money has a tendency to flow to the products that make our lives the most enjoyable. Three of the most notable advances in computer history are servers (formerly known as mainframes), Microsoft Windows, and the Linux operating system. Each one in its own right could fill volumes. However, the objective of this paper is to simply highlight a few of the most prominent features each of these advances has to offer. We will start with the most notorious MS Windows®. Microsoft has been in the computer industry...
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...Premise Linux was created as a variation of UNIX by Linux Torvalds in 1991. He created it as open source with a GNU (GPL) General Public License and a lot of coders began downloading the source code and creating their own programs with it. They created patches and fixes for bugs to improve the Linux OS use experience. Security Advantages and Disadvantages Linux and Windows Server share logical security mechanisms that work similar in principle. Both are advantages in their own right using different techniques to secure a network. The importance of network security and how users have access to a network can be maintained not only through best practices but, a strict policy as well. Linux and Windows Server use security mechanisms directly manipulated by the OS, called account privileges. The key advantage with this mechanism is how it assigns a user account privilege to folders and files within the operating system. Linux users are not assigned “root “privilege as default instead the user is assigned an account with low-level privilege. Setting read, write, and execute permissions for owner, group, and other users to give them access control to specific files and folders is usually controlled through the Command Line Interface (CLI) yet some distributions of Linux may also have a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows an administrator to change permissions. Windows Server is similar in the way is too assigns account privileges to users. The client/server architecture...
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...Comparison of the Security of Windows NT and UNIX† Hans Hedbom1,2, Stefan Lindskog1,2, Stefan Axelsson1 and Erland Jonsson1 1Dept of Computer Engineering 2Dept of Computer Science Chalmers University of Technology S-412 96 Göteborg, SWEDEN {sax, Erland.Jonsson}@ce.chalmers.se University of Karlstad S-651 88 Karlstad, SWEDEN {Hans.Hedbom, Stefan.Lindskog}@hks.se Abstract This paper presents a brief comparison of two operating systems, Windows NT and UNIX. The comparison covers two different aspects. First, we compare the main security features of the two operating systems and then we make a comparison of a selection of vulnerabilities most of which we know have been used for making real intrusions. We found that Windows NT has slightly more rigorous security features than “standard” UNIX but the two systems display similar vulnerabilities. The conclusion is that there are no significant differences in the “real” level of security between these systems. †Presented at the Third Nordic Workshop on Secure IT Systems, NORDSEC’ 5-6 November, 1998, Trondheim, Norway. 98, 1. Introduction It has been claimed that the security of Windows NT is far better than that of previous commercial operating systems. In order to verify (or refute) this statement we have made a brief comparison of the security of Windows NT to that of UNIX. UNIX was selected as a reference since it is well-known and widely spread. Thus, the target systems were (1) a networked Windows NT 4.0 and (2) UNIX with...
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...Ms Windows vs. Unix/Linux MS Windows vs. Unix/Linux University of Phoenix POS/420 Introduction to Unix October 20, 2008 Scott Stewart MS Windows vs. Unix/Linux The Microsoft and Linux operating systems have been long considered to be in a competition to be the best operating systems on the market. This paper will compare and contrast these operating systems to help the consumer decide which is right for his or her environment. Such subjects as; cost, market share, hardware requirements, file processing, programming capabilities, availability if application software, networking, and user interface will be examined. Cost The cost difference between running a Linux desktop / server compared to a Microsoft desktop / server is overwhelming. In all scenarios, Linux ends up being the cheaper and more “functionality rich” option. In the first scenario, let’s compare the cost difference between a Linux and Microsoft desktop. The first cost difference in this scenario is the cost of obtaining the software. A copy of most Linux distributions can be obtained for under $60 dollars, and free if it is downloaded from such sites as www.linuxiso.com. A Microsoft desktop is not so cheap however; the initial cost of purchasing a full copy of Windows Vista is currently $319.95, a much larger cost than that of Linux desktop. Functionality wise, both the Linux and Microsoft desktops provide the basic needs of the “home user,” however, such additional features as an Office...
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...Linux vs Windows has been a subject of debate since the inception of computers. As told by Severance, (2008) LINUX was originally developed at Bell Laboratories as a private research project by a small group of people starting in 1969. Linus Torvalds, who was then a student at the University of Helsinki in Finland, developed Linux in 1991. It was released for free on the Internet and generated the largest software-development phenomena of all time (Linux's History, 2000). Today LINUX owns about 10% of the market share and this has dropped in recent years as both Windows and Linux have increased their share of the available market with Linux currently holding about 20% (Galli, 2007). As noted by Windows History (2006), many long-time PC users trace the Microsoft Windows operating system to the 1990 release of Windows 3.0, the first widely popular version of Windows and the first version of Windows many PC users ever tried. However, Microsoft initially announced the Windows product seven years earlier and released the first version in 1983. In its early offerings, Windows was still based upon the Disk Operating System (DOS), but it brought a much needed Graphical User Interface (GUI) to the mainstream computer market and began and evolution (or revolution) of the computing industry which resulted in Microsoft owning about 70% of the world-wide market share (Galli, 2007). This paper will compare and contrast Ubuntu (Linux) and Windows 7 in the following areas:• History Operating...
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...The Operating System is a piece of software that is being advanced daily in the Information Technology world today. There are many operating systems to choose from but below four specific operating system are compared. Process Management, File Management, Memory Management, and Security are going to be compared between Windows, Linux, UNIX, and Mac operating systems. Every operating system is different and is interesting to see how every piece of software has the same outcome but has different procedures in between. Process management is defined as how the OS manages multiple programs running at the same time. A thread is a feature of an OS that enables parallel processing within a single process. UNIX, Windows, and Mach are all multitasking systems that support both processes and threads. They can be compared in several respects with regard to the process management features. When executing a program on UNIX, the system creates an environment for that program. In this setting there is everything needed to execute that program. The OS tracks processes though a five digit number Recognized as the Process ID. Each process has its own unique PID. PID’s ultimately repeat because all the probable numbers are used, and the next PID repeats the system again. At any time, no two Processes with the same PID occur in the system, because it is the PID that UNIX uses to track its processes. Each UNIX process has two ID numbers. The PID or process ID, and PPID or Parent process ID. Each...
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...COMPARISON: WINDOWS VS. LINUX This report is a critical comparison of the computer operating systems (OS), Windows and Linux. It is written for an average audience that uses a computer almost everyday and is now curious to know which operating system is better. The audience is assumed to have sufficient knowledge to understand the various aspects of an OS, but is not aware of the specific details of each OS. This report analyzes the different features of both operating systems in order to arrive at a conclusion on which OS is better for daily use. Both systems are evaluated on a wide range of criteria such as cost, installation process, software applications, hardware, user interface, security/stability, troubleshooting, and the implementation of the OS itself. These will help decide which of the two systems is better to use on a daily basis. Before I begin the comparison the reader needs to know that Windows is created, maintained, and updated by Microsoft. No one from outside can access the underlying code. However, Linux is created and updated by volunteers all over the world, which is why there are so many different variations of Linux like Red Hat, SuSE, MandrakeSoft and a few more. The important features of the operating systems are discussed below. COST The Windows operating system is significantly more expensive than the Linux operating system. In fact, the Linux OS can...
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...| Linux and Windows Device Support | 6-3 Short Paper Submission | | By Lauren K Homa | 7/10/2013 | | It is true that the internet hosts an abundance of support websites, forums, links and other discussions regarding Linux and Windows device support. It would seem that this topic has been highly debated for some time as to whose support is best. In my own research, I have found that responses and web sources tend to be biased towards one OS or another based on personal experiences and preferences depending on the task that the system is being used for. I have found one non-subjective difference between Windows and Linux that could help get to the bottom of the discussion: When it comes to Windows, “Microsoft writes generic drivers to help ensure users can get up and running, then 3rd party supplied drivers can be installed to optimize performance. With Linux, drivers are all included with the Linux kernel, and devices are detected and the appropriate drivers are then activated on the fly. There are no 3rd parties to contact for drivers (unless a proprietary driver is needed, in which it has to be manually installed, similar to Windows.” (Clay, 2013) This offers some benefits and costs to each system. With Windows being more prevalent, it’s evident that Microsoft makes an effort to ensure that software is compatible and available with all their hardware drives and devices, and that resources can be readily available to customers if needed. With Microsoft...
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...This archive file of POS 420 Week 5 Discussion Questions shows the solutions to the following problems: DQ 1: Compare and contrast the X Window system and Microsoft Windows. DQ 2: What is the most interesting, useful, unexpected or unusual thing you have learned about Linux/UNIX during this course? Computer Science - General Computer Science POS 420 Week 1 UNIX® and Linux® Comparison Matrix Resources: University of Phoenix Material: UNIX® and Linux® Comparison Matrix Complete the UNIX® and Linux® Comparison Matrix located on your student website. See the Assignment 1 post in the Main forum or Course Materials forum for detailed instructions. POS 420 Week 2 Individual File Processing Commands Worksheet Resource: University of Phoenix Material: File Processing Commands Worksheet Resource: University of Phoenix Materials: Linux® Directory Log Complete the Linux® Directory Log located on your student website. Complete the University of Phoenix Material: File Processing Commands Worksheet located on your student website. See the Assignment 2 post in Main forum or Course Materials POS 420 Week 3 Individual Linux® Script Worksheet Resource: University of Phoenix Material: Linux® Script Worksheet Complete the University of Phoenix Material: Linux® Script Worksheet located on your student website. See the Assignment 3 post in Main forum or Course Materials forum for detailed...
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...LESSON 2 BASIC COMMANDS IN LINUX AND WINDOWS LESSON 2 – BASIC COMMANDS IN LINUX AND WINDOWS “License for Use” Information The following lessons and workbooks are open and publicly available under the following terms and conditions of ISECOM: All works in the Hacker Highschool project are provided for non-commercial use with elementary school students, junior high school students, and high school students whether in a public institution, private institution, or a part of home-schooling. These materials may not be reproduced for sale in any form. The provision of any class, course, training, or camp with these materials for which a fee is charged is expressly forbidden without a license including college classes, university classes, trade-school classes, summer or computer camps, and similar. To purchase a license, visit the LICENSE section of the Hacker Highschool web page at www.hackerhighschool.org/license. The HHS Project is a learning tool and as with any learning tool, the instruction is the influence of the instructor and not the tool. ISECOM cannot accept responsibility for how any information herein is applied or abused. The HHS Project is an open community effort and if you find value in this project, we do ask you support us through the purchase of a license, a donation, or sponsorship. All works copyright ISECOM, 2004. 2 LESSON 2 – BASIC COMMANDS IN LINUX AND WINDOWS Table of Contents “License for Use” Information....................
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...and applications. Memory is one of the most essential components of any computer system. No matter which operating system is being used, whether it is Windows, Linux or Mac’s OS X, the same basic requirements of memory management exist. The main requirements of memory management are protection, sharing, relocation and organization. Memory protection is necessary because it stops unauthorized programs, which may contain harmful threats, from accessing the computer’s memory. Memory sharing is when multiple programs need to access the same portion of memory. Proper management of memory ensures that this happens without hindering the performance of the system. Relocation involves moving programs between virtual memory and physical memory 2. Compare two common operating systems—Windows 8 and Fedora 20—on the difference in the memory management features. * Full access vs. No access * Linux Fedora 20: Linux has the most significant access to the source code, allowing the users to alter the code that serves as the foundation of the Linux operating system. * Windows 8: Windows 8 allows no users to the code, which is a good idea once you think about it, as some people has used that access to take advantage to make bugs and viruses. * Licensing freedom vs. licensing restrictions * Linux Fedora 20: With a Linux GPL-licensed operating system, you are free to modify that software and use and even republish or sell it. Also, with the GPL, you can...
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...access to the source code is probably the single most significant difference between Linux and Windows. The fact that Linux belongs to the GNU Public License ensures that users (of all sorts) can access (and alter) the code to the very kernel that serves as the foundation of the Linux operating system. You want to peer at the Windows code? Good luck. Unless you are a member of a very select (and elite, to many) group, you will never lay eyes on code making up the Windows operating system. You can look at this from both sides of the fence. Some say giving the public access to the code opens the operating system (and the software that runs on top of it) to malicious developers who will take advantage of any weakness they find. Others say that having full access to the code helps bring about faster improvements and bug fixes to keep those malicious developers from being able to bring the system down. I have, on occasion, dipped into the code of one Linux application or another, and when all was said and done, was happy with the results. Could I have done that with a closed-source Windows application? No. #2: Licensing freedom vs. licensing restrictions Along with access comes the difference between the licenses. I’m sure that every IT professional could go on and on about licensing of PC software. But let’s just look at the key aspect of the licenses (without getting into legalese). With a Linux GPL-licensed operating system, you are free to modify that software and use and even...
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...Windows VS Linux. Ronald Prasad When it comes to computers, majority of the users tend to prefer windows based systems rather than Linux. While Linux has its own qualities like been open source licensed, Windows on the other hand is more user friendly and also has great Hardware supporting compatibilities. Linux is an open source licensed operating system, which basically means that it’s free for everyone to download, free of cost, and modify it without any need of a licenses. Since it’s totally free there is no guarantee of its reliability or customer support to help deal with technically problems. Whereas compared to Windows, which costs about $99-$199 for Windows 8 version, although it does not come cheap, but it provides a guarantee of its reliability and customer support. Windows operating systems are much more user friendly, especially the Windows 8 version, which has excellent user interface, which allows users to navigate, explorer, trouble shoot with very little difficulty. Whereas Linux has a very complex look and puts more emphasis on usage commands in Terminal Window usage instead if using the interface, e.g. To install updates on Linux, sudo apt-get upgrade command must be type in the Terminal Window whereas is Windows getting updates is easily done with just few mouse clicks in the Control Panel. Windows supports most motherboards, mice, hard drives, keyboards, network cards, DVD drives, flash drives and monitors. Since these hardware’s mostly comes with only...
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... The five differences I came up with is price, quantity of functions, compatibility, easy to use, easy to find system. Windows is most common due to its mid-range price and most popular used in the operating systems today. Mac OS is in the higher range of price but hardly any compatibility but good for home pc that you don’t use to play games or want any viruses because Mac has very little virus due to the windows market share. Almost every application or game will work on a windows operating system but due to this you may need a antivirus on your system due to windows is very vulnerable to viruses. With windows there is also so many functions to make windows very easily to use and with its popularity it has the highest tech support although windows due run slower due to all the applications and software it can run. Mac OS is high in price due to its high reliability and it looks way better than a windows. Linux is the cheapest operating system because it is just a kernel and not a full operating system. With that being said, Linux also has fewer virus capabilities than a windows but more than a Mac OS. Linux is also more complicated to use but fewer software and applications can be used than a windows. There also is not many vendors of a Linux operating system where most operators of a Linux operating system buys a windows and rebuilds it to a Linux system....
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...Unix / Linux vs. Microsoft Windows Server Student Name Goes Here Class Number Goes Here Due Date Goes Here Professor Name Goes Here Unix / Linux vs. Microsoft Windows Server Introduction Pace Glass Company is a global cutting, polishing and bending company with operating facilities in two U.S. cities. Pace Glass Company's major clientele include RV manufacturers, specialty car manufacturers, automotive parts manufacturers, aircraft manufacturers, appliance manufacturers and most prestigiously N.A.S.A. With manufacturing plants in Southwest Michigan and Northwest Ohio, Pace Glass Company's online business plays a vital role in continued growth and as such there is heavy consideration underway as to which type of computer operating base the company upgrades will be implemented against. Pace Glass executives and partners recognize that security and reliability are key to the continued growth in their online presence which plays a substantial role in system determination. Purpose The purpose of this study is to discuss the differences between Unix, Linux and Microsoft Windows and server environments. This study will discuss facts that cover security, administrative, networking, performance, programmability as well as provide a briefing in conclusion. Security Approach A fundamental difference between the Unix approach to system security and the Windows approach is that significant security characteristics of Unix systems are a consequence of good architectural design...
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