Why install Linux?
I got asked this in a thread on Imgur and took the time to write a proper private reply rather than try and address the issues in the 140char limit they provide. I liked my answer enough that Im sharing it all with the four people who read this.
On the 'Why Linux' thing. It isn't something I can put in the normal communications limits, because it isn't a single, simple things. In the end it boils down to what I, as a person, like.
* Control: I prefer a stick-shift to automatic transmission because I like to be able to control the machines I'm operating. Linux lets me do that. I can look under the hood, understand what my computer is doing, change the behavior however and whenever I want. It means I have to learn how, but to me that time isn't a chore.
* Choice: I can choose between several solutions already pre-built for most problems or use cases, and use the one I prefer. This includes everything from simple UI look/feel to desktop management (handles icons and application menus) down to which services to start and even control hardware initialization in some cases. Do I end up with something that matches OSX's polished and consistant experience? No. It does mean I get the experience /I/ want, not the one someone else thinks I do.
* Power: Linux builds on the concepts of the Unix OS, which has, in varying flavors, been driving computers since the 1970s. Today it runs everything from computers the size of a matchbook to those the size of a building. It runs the routers we connect to the internet. It runs set-top multimedia boxes like TiVo and Roku. It runs on just about any general purpose computer made in the last 20 years. This feeds into my next point...
* Anti-Obsolescence: You can't buy Win XP anymore, or MacOS 6.0.5, or even earlier versions of OSX. So what are you going to do with that ten year old laptop that you kind of want to give to your niece but it's low on memory and can't run Win8 anyway? Well... you can drop a copy of Linux on it and it'll run better than before, get security updates, be far more malware resistant and have a fully functional machine. It runs great on old hardware, giving machines a longer useful life and preventing waste.
* Freedom: And I don't just mean the cost, which since it's yours for the price of a download is hard to beat. It means that I can use GIMP and not have to worry about Adobe's crazy DRM and upgrade schemes. It means I can install a full-featured desktop system including an office suite, digital photo, music, video editors, design software, some very cool games all from a single source.
* Free: I don't like the marketing or business practices engaged in by Microsoft or Apple. I don't want either of them to have any of my very limited money. Most commercial software for production of art or manufacturing is priced out of the reach of a hobbyist. As a supporter of the 'Maker' movement, the availability of free/low cost tools is important and most software houses price themselves out of the market.
* Support: The support for Linux and really all free software is provided by the community of users. Because (unlike commercial products) the internal operation of the software isn't obfuscated for reasons of 'secrecy' typically lots of good information is available when something goes wrong. Usually a look on the 'Net turns up your answer, and if not, a forum post or bug report gets addressed quickly. The 'Linux Community' spent a bunch of years putting commercial shops to shame with high-quality, fast, accurate support, and was awarded prizes for its excellence.
This is all not to say that there are no drawbacks... I put up with some hassles. I probably spend about 30-min a week on 'maintenance' because I'm also pushing the cutting edge. I'm not a great coder so I can't give back to the community that way, but I can be a guinea-pig for new stuff, find and report bugs as I find them, which is a valuable service. Also... the above points may not hold sway for you. Your tastes are not my own, and what I find acceptable, you may well not. But... you asked the question of 'why' and that's why.
On the 'Why Linux' thing. It isn't something I can put in the normal communications limits, because it isn't a single, simple things. In the end it boils down to what I, as a person, like.
* Control: I prefer a stick-shift to automatic transmission because I like to be able to control the machines I'm operating. Linux lets me do that. I can look under the hood, understand what my computer is doing, change the behavior however and whenever I want. It means I have to learn how, but to me that time isn't a chore.
* Choice: I can choose between several solutions already pre-built for most problems or use cases, and use the one I prefer. This includes everything from simple UI look/feel to desktop management (handles icons and application menus) down to which services to start and even control hardware initialization in some cases. Do I end up with something that matches OSX's polished and consistant experience? No. It does mean I get the experience /I/ want, not the one someone else thinks I do.
* Power: Linux builds on the concepts of the Unix OS, which has, in varying flavors, been driving computers since the 1970s. Today it runs everything from computers the size of a matchbook to those the size of a building. It runs the routers we connect to the internet. It runs set-top multimedia boxes like TiVo and Roku. It runs on just about any general purpose computer made in the last 20 years. This feeds into my next point...
* Anti-Obsolescence: You can't buy Win XP anymore, or MacOS 6.0.5, or even earlier versions of OSX. So what are you going to do with that ten year old laptop that you kind of want to give to your niece but it's low on memory and can't run Win8 anyway? Well... you can drop a copy of Linux on it and it'll run better than before, get security updates, be far more malware resistant and have a fully functional machine. It runs great on old hardware, giving machines a longer useful life and preventing waste.
* Freedom: And I don't just mean the cost, which since it's yours for the price of a download is hard to beat. It means that I can use GIMP and not have to worry about Adobe's crazy DRM and upgrade schemes. It means I can install a full-featured desktop system including an office suite, digital photo, music, video editors, design software, some very cool games all from a single source.
* Free: I don't like the marketing or business practices engaged in by Microsoft or Apple. I don't want either of them to have any of my very limited money. Most commercial software for production of art or manufacturing is priced out of the reach of a hobbyist. As a supporter of the 'Maker' movement, the availability of free/low cost tools is important and most software houses price themselves out of the market.
* Support: The support for Linux and really all free software is provided by the community of users. Because (unlike commercial products) the internal operation of the software isn't obfuscated for reasons of 'secrecy' typically lots of good information is available when something goes wrong. Usually a look on the 'Net turns up your answer, and if not, a forum post or bug report gets addressed quickly. The 'Linux Community' spent a bunch of years putting commercial shops to shame with high-quality, fast, accurate support, and was awarded prizes for its excellence.
This is all not to say that there are no drawbacks... I put up with some hassles. I probably spend about 30-min a week on 'maintenance' because I'm also pushing the cutting edge. I'm not a great coder so I can't give back to the community that way, but I can be a guinea-pig for new stuff, find and report bugs as I find them, which is a valuable service. Also... the above points may not hold sway for you. Your tastes are not my own, and what I find acceptable, you may well not. But... you asked the question of 'why' and that's why.