@jsveiga@invalido_incazzato what are the actual benefits of using Linux over windows or MacOS? Because I’m saving for a MacBook for computer science but I’m open to trying Linux.
(for context: My first job out of college was as an AIX - IBM’s Unix - systems engineer, I’ve administered Linux servers as part of another job for 20 years, and I’m currently working as a sr SW developer since 2018, android/java, C#, js/ui5 for SAP-integrated systems)
My home destop is exclusively running Linux since the late 90s, and that’s what my (non-technical) wife uses for everything. The benefits over Win/Mac in this case are pretty clear: Stability, security, privacy, cost (hw and sw), longevity of “support” (availability of updates while running on ancient albeit capable hardware).
On my previous job, I used Linux (RedHat for a while, then Debian) on servers (headless, no gui) for every server possible function: network shares, web/mail/db/dns/dhcp server, proxy/vpn/firewall, etc. Benefits there are the same as above, plus “autonomy”: once properly setup, they need much less babysitting than windows servers, which sometimes manage to break themselves if left alone, and no need for expensive third party solutions for anything.
On my current job I still help with SUSE Linux servers administration, as HANA (SAP’s database runs on that). Benefit here are stability, security, performance, resources usage, and, well, that’s what is needed to run HANA.
Now, as a platform for learning computer science, it depends. Apart from the occasional automation or interop script, all my development in the last 5 years has been on Windows, because that’s what most companies and end users will have. There’s no sense (although it’d be possible) in using Linux as a development environment if I’m developing things that will run on Windows (ok, android would be an exception, but the nodejs/ui5 will run on customers’ windows servers, and the SAP B1 addons on windows clients).
So if you intend to develop solutions for MacOS and iOS, using MacOS is technically the best option. If you intend to learn Linux administration, Linux is the best choice. If you intend to develop Windows solutions, Windows is the best choice. If you want the safest, more stable, and cheapest desktop, Linux is the best option - If you actually use it instead of falling into the distro hopping hole.
Linux (and windows, and macos) are tools, not the final goal. None is better than the other in EVERY aspect, for EVERY purpose. You have to choose one that is better for your intended purpose.
@jsveiga @invalido_incazzato what are the actual benefits of using Linux over windows or MacOS? Because I’m saving for a MacBook for computer science but I’m open to trying Linux.
(for context: My first job out of college was as an AIX - IBM’s Unix - systems engineer, I’ve administered Linux servers as part of another job for 20 years, and I’m currently working as a sr SW developer since 2018, android/java, C#, js/ui5 for SAP-integrated systems)
My home destop is exclusively running Linux since the late 90s, and that’s what my (non-technical) wife uses for everything. The benefits over Win/Mac in this case are pretty clear: Stability, security, privacy, cost (hw and sw), longevity of “support” (availability of updates while running on ancient albeit capable hardware).
On my previous job, I used Linux (RedHat for a while, then Debian) on servers (headless, no gui) for every server possible function: network shares, web/mail/db/dns/dhcp server, proxy/vpn/firewall, etc. Benefits there are the same as above, plus “autonomy”: once properly setup, they need much less babysitting than windows servers, which sometimes manage to break themselves if left alone, and no need for expensive third party solutions for anything.
On my current job I still help with SUSE Linux servers administration, as HANA (SAP’s database runs on that). Benefit here are stability, security, performance, resources usage, and, well, that’s what is needed to run HANA.
Now, as a platform for learning computer science, it depends. Apart from the occasional automation or interop script, all my development in the last 5 years has been on Windows, because that’s what most companies and end users will have. There’s no sense (although it’d be possible) in using Linux as a development environment if I’m developing things that will run on Windows (ok, android would be an exception, but the nodejs/ui5 will run on customers’ windows servers, and the SAP B1 addons on windows clients).
So if you intend to develop solutions for MacOS and iOS, using MacOS is technically the best option. If you intend to learn Linux administration, Linux is the best choice. If you intend to develop Windows solutions, Windows is the best choice. If you want the safest, more stable, and cheapest desktop, Linux is the best option - If you actually use it instead of falling into the distro hopping hole.
Linux (and windows, and macos) are tools, not the final goal. None is better than the other in EVERY aspect, for EVERY purpose. You have to choose one that is better for your intended purpose.