Sign in or 
Share this
Linux versus Windows
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/assurance/default.aspx
I. Linux versus Windows Vista on the Desktop
"Windows is the most prominent proprietary operating system, while Linux is the most prominent operating system that is free software. " (source from Wiki)
According to the pie chart, we see that the majority of people are still using Windows. Perhaps this is because the Microsoft company is very strong in marketing. One of the difference between Windows and Linux perhaps is the purpose of their creation.
"According to a survey of Register readers, carried out by analysts Quocirca, reveals that despite all these well-publicized objections to Windows, many customers are still loath to leave Microsoft because of what they see as a lack of compatible open source software, user resistance to change, high training costs, high costs of porting bespoke applications and a dependence on Microsoft's Active Directory. 'The move to Linux should not be an emotional one' "(Source from: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/07/linux_windows_quocirca/).
"For some time, the folks at Ubuntu have attempted to build a Linux distribution that's easy to install, use, configure, and maintain -- one that's at least as easy as Windows, and whenever possible, even easier. As a result, Ubuntu is one of the Linux distributions that has been most directly touted as an alternative to Windows."(Source from: http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/linux/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199201179)
A key issue between Windows and Linux based operating systems is simplicity. "Ubuntu makes it far easier to deal with hardware than previous, less user-friendly versions of Linux did, but only up to a point. The most common types of hardware and usage scenarios are handled the best, but the further you drift from that, the more complicated it gets. At its worst, Ubuntu's way of dealing with hardware often involves manual hacking to accomplish things that ought to be trivial (and in Windows usually are). Vista's way of dealing with hardware is pretty centralized -- the Device Manager lets you browse all the installed hardware in a system, manage each device's driver and configuration, and so on. Ubuntu has a device manager, but it's just a static list, and can't be used for configuring devices per se. To do that, you often need to edit a configuration file, and the exact file to edit may depend on the type of device." (Source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/linux/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199201179&pgno=3&queryText=&isPrev=)
Being a college student we have to worry about the prices of things we are going to use, especially on our computers. I have found a few statistics about the different prices of the Linux and Windows operating systems and their softwares. On http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000575.htm it said that the Linux OS can be found for free or very cheap. However, Windows OS is priced between $50 - $150 per license copy. The software for Linux OS can be found for free or at a very low cost, while Windows software ranges from $20 - $200+ per copy. However, Windows does offer a few software programs for free, but not as many as Linux offers. Overall if you are trying to save money or are running low on cash, your best bet for an operating system and the software that goes with it are Linux products.
(Source: http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000575.htm)
II. Linux versus Windows Vista on a Laptop
It seems that Linux laptop is quite cheap compared with Windows. "An exciting new trend is the appearance of Linux pre-installed in many new lost-cost laptop computers.If I had to bet, I'd say that low cost Linux laptops will take off. The cost, simplicity and portability are likely to be the big appeal. Not to mention immunity from most malicious software and the lack of a normal disk that increases the battery life and makes the machine more rugged."(Source from: http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html)
In February 2008, Everex launched its Linux laptop, CloudBook, which became available for $399 at Wal-Mart and other online retailers. This was a defining moment for Linux, which was previously not available from any "mainstream" venues. It is predicted that Linux will not gain the same market share that Windows has, but "perhaps 1 percent to 3 percent of traditional PC users" (The VAR Guy, Feb 2008) will switch to Linux. Others companies have jumped on the bandwagon, and Dell will "continue to gradually expand their Ubuntu Linux offerings." (Source "http://www.thevarguy.com/2008/02/20/linux-laptops-reach-critical-mass")
IBM decided to preload their ThinkPad laptops with Linux instead of Windows. This decision was made because IBM believes Linux is a standard for computers of varying sizes and also because Linux could one day replace Windows. However, at this point IBM believes that their main client for these computers will be computer professionals. While there are many benefits to using Linux there are still some major concerns about not having Windows installed on the laptops. Most people perfer to use Microsoft Word and Excel which are not in the Linux format. Not having these applications on the ThinkPad might cause IBM a lot of customers. IBM could lose a lot of student customers. Students often have laptops because they are easy to bring with them to class and because they are always on the go. Due to the fact that students use these windows applications frequently IBM could definitly loose out on these customers. (Source: http://find.galegroup.com/ips/retrieve.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C5%29linux%3AAnd%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C7%29windows%3AAnd%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C7%29laptops%24&sgHitCountType=None&inPS=true&sort=DateDescend&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&searchId=R1¤tPosition=1&userGroupName=viva_jmu&docId=A62858847&docType=IAC&contentSet=IAC-Documents)
Originally, users who wanted to install Linux as their operating system had to work "backwards." First choose the distribution of Linux, then find compatible hardware. This approach worked fine for desktop computers due to easily interchangeable cards and parts; however, in the world of laptops proprietary hardware and drivers made it difficult to work like this. In recent years, access to open source drivers has grown dramatically. An end-user can simply run a LiveCD to ensure compatibility, and within a short time be running their preferred OS. This has opened a world of options for mobile computer users. Additionally, Linux allows developers to create many, many different distrobutions. Older laptops that can't handle large OSs that eat up resources like Windows Vista or XP. Puppy Linux and DSL are two examples of great user-friendly environments that can render old, forgotten laptops useful again. Source: DSL and Puppy Linux - Dan Cartis
III. Linux versus Windows on a Server
According to the statistic, " Microsoft 's Windows commands 65 to 70 percent of the server operating system market, while the Linux share stands at 15 to 20 percent. Currently, Linux server shipments represent the fastest-growing segment of the market. " (Source from: http://www.telecom-gear.com/Linux-vs-Windows-TCO-Comparison-article4014--1.htm)
"Linux is customizable in a way that Windows is not. For example, NASLite is a version of Linux that runs off a single floppy disk (since revised to also boot from a CD) and converts an old computer into a file server. This ultra small edition of Linux is capable of networking, file sharing and being a web server. " (Source from: http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html)
"For server use, Linux is very cheap compared to Windows. Microsoft allows a single copy of Windows to be used on only one computer. Starting with Windows XP, they use software to enforce this rule . In contrast, once you have purchased Linux, you can run it on any number of computers for no additional charge. "(Source from: http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html)
IV. Linux versus Windows - File Management
Windows:" expanding NTFS partitions is possible without problems, and on Vista it is possible to shrink partitions as well. Dynamic Disks provide dynamic partitioning. Third party tools are available that have more features than the built-in partitioning tools. Natively supported: NTFS, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, and others; 3rd-party drivers available for ext2, ext3, reiserfs, HFS, and others ."(Source from Wikipedia )
Linux: "Some file system support resizing partitions without losing data. LVM and EVMS provide dynamic partitioning. All Linux distributions have bundled partitioning software such as fdisk or gparted. Natively supported: ext2, ext3, ext4, ReiserFS, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, NFS, and others; many additional filesystems (including NTFS using NTFS-3g) are available using FUSE. " (Source from Wikipedia )
P.S. "Windows can read and write with Ext2 and Ext3 file systems with third-party drivers such as FS-driver or ext2fsd; and ReiserFS through rfstool and related programs." (Source from Wikipedia )
IV. Linux versus Windows Hosting
As we know it today there are many different OS that are being used by web servers, but the OS for Linux and Windows are two of the most widely used today for web hosting. Although Linux seems to be the most prominent form for hosting on the Web, both are used. (http://www.hostvoice.com/blog/linux-vs-windows-hosting)
Linux hosting allows many technologies to run on it all the while remaining to be an open source with an easily managed coding language. Because of this, Linux has the lower cost of the two, and it performs faster. (http://www.hostvoice.com/blog/linux-vs-windows-hosting) “It's typically found to be the most reliable, stable and efficient system and, as such, it's commonly used for the demanding environment of Web and mail servers.” (http://www.purohits.com/hosting/windows-vs-linux.htm) The disadvantage is that the Linux hosting does not support many Windows based applications and coding languages. (http://www.3essentials.com/articles/windowslinux-web-hosting.asp)
Windows hosting supports SQL server, programming frameworks, etc. The main advantage of the Window hosting is that it gives you the ease of compatibility with Microsoft based technologies. (http://www.hostvoice.com/blog/linux-vs-windows-hosting) Unfortunately, Windows is generally more expensive and Linux because of the licensing used in different technologies.
So ultimately, the main difference between the two is based on the technology they each support. Linux uses a scripting language, called PHP and Windows uses ASP. (http://www.3essentials.com/articles/windowslinux-web-hosting.asp) PHP is supported in the Windows environment but it works better in Linux, whereas Linux does not support ASP.
V. Linux versus Windows - Process Management
Source from Wikipedia
VI. Linux versus Windows - Security
One of the weaknesses of Windows is that it is based on a single-user design and only recently has been adapted to work in a multi-user mode. According to 'The Security Report' by Nicholas Petreley, "Windows was originally designed to allow both users and applications free access to the entire system, which means anyone could tamper with a critical system program or file. It also means viruses, Trojans and other malware could tamper with any critical system program or file, because Windows did not isolate users or applications from these sensitive areas of the operating system." Many have argued that Microsoft Vista is the first version of Windows to truly take into account multi-user networks when designing the operating system security.
In attempt to compare Linux/Windows/Vista, I came across an article "Mac OS X vs. Linux - Red Hat vs. Windows 98 and Above Including Windows Vista" from KezNews.com. In this article it stated that "Red Hat was found to have the most number of vulnerabilities (633), with 99% (629 vulnerabilities) due to third-party components. Solaris, which had a total of 252 vulnerabilities, came next and had 80% (201) due to third-party components. Apple Mac OS X came third with 235, 62% (146) of which is due to third-party components. Fourth came Windows with 123, but with only 4% due to third-party software. Last came HP-UX with 75 vulnerabilities, 81% (61) of which are due to third-party software," Secunia revealed. See diagram below.
However, what was interesting, several people had posted comments below the article, debating the true interpretation of the surrey's results. I really agree with the following post from user sjc1963 who stated " the only reason which makes linux or mac more secure than windows is that more 90% of pc users around the world use windows. now if you are a spammer and write spamming codes, will you write a spam , a spyware or a virus, to strike the 10% of the pc users in the world that use mac and linux, or will you make your virus success chance by making it for 90% of the pc users since they use window? it's pure logic..."
In order to ensure that the creation of malware is discouraged and its impact is reduced, software should have a small user base, rapid updates to neutralize new threats, and a compartmentalized structure that isolates damaged sections. According to wikipedia, prior to the introduction of Windows Vista, "almost all Windows users were given a root account by default because lesser accounts were overly restrictive for most users." Linux user accounts, however, have "historically allowed greater control, precluding the need for all users to have root access. Without root, it becomes much more difficult for malware to spread."
The following chart offers further detail on the subject:
Source: wikipedia
The plain fact is that the Windows OS is used in such a high quantity there statistically are more viruses than any other OS. "There are about 60,000 viruses known for Windows, 40 or so for the Macintosh, about 5 for commercial Unix versions, and perhaps 40 for Linux. Most of the Windows viruses are not important, but many hundreds have caused widespread damage. Two or three of the Macintosh viruses were widespread enough to be of importance. None of the Unix or Linux viruses became widespread - most were confined to the laboratory." source: theRegister
Energy Consumption - Linux vs. Windows
In an independent test done in June 2008 by Tom Henderson and Rand Dvorak of the Network World Lab Alliance, it was found that Linux used up to 12% less power than Windows 2008 on identical hardware (http://www.networkworld.com/research/2008/060908-green-windows-linux.html?fsrc). Windows has power-management systems that the user can toggle between and choose to their own liking, but even with that, Windows at the highest-energy efficiency setting still uses slightly more energy consumption than the Linux platform. However, the tests run by Network World were under various distributions and hardware configurations, so Windows users might not experience as big of a decrease in power consumption when using Linux as the tests run may lead you to believe, but Phillip M., who wrote an article on Neoseeker, said that he could see a considerable difference in the battery life of his Linux OS laptop and his Windows Vista OS laptop.
Upon reading various articles, one I read said that a particular test has shown that Linux "eats up" more resources, but it does it at a much slower pace than Windows which adds to why Linux has better energy efficiency (article). Also, CNN reports that "switching from a Windows-operated computer to a Linux-operated one could slash computer-generated e-waste levels by 50%." It's no longer about software freedom. It's also about environmental responsibility. A UK government study in late 2004 reported that there were substantial green benefits to running a Linux open source operating system (OS) on computers instead of the ubiquitous Windows OS, owned by Microsoft. The main problem with Windows users was that they had to change their computer twice as many times as Linux users, on average, thereby effectively creating twice as much computer-generated e-waste." -Posted by Julie Chiou
One reason for Windows users having to change their computers is due to frequent major upgrades.
According to a report by the Department of Government Commerce about Open Source Software Trials in Government, open source software has lower hardware requirements and needs less frequent hardware refreshes. Compared to Microsoft Windows systems, the open source system is able to use a slower processor speed and less memory for the same functionality.
"The reduction in hardware demands brings environmental benefits, because it translates into lower energy requirements and less waste, reducing landfill requirements and costs arising from disposal of redundant equipment." (Source from: http://www.techworld.com/opsys/news/index.cfm?newsid=8226).
VII: Linux vs Windows - GUI
Most Linux distributions let you choose between multiple GUIs. Linux users can even create their own GUIs. This means that if you don’t like the way your desktop functions, you can build a desktop to your liking. The standard GUI however is not very user friendly or as smooth as Windows. Windows users will find items similar to the “Start button” in one corner where you can launch programs, and a trash can icon on the desktop where you can find deleted files but that’s about it. Many Linux procedures still require the use of the command line, making it hard for those who aren't technologically savvy lost and confused. "If you fail to learn at least a smattering of Linux's intricacies, chances are good that you won't get much done." The simple (or lacking) Linux GUI makes it a perfect choice for users with computers running older systems. On older hardware, you can choose to run Linux with a customized GUI, a feature-light GUI, or without a GUI at all. “Windows is a one-GUI-fits-all system: No Windows applications--even the command-line tools--will run outside of Windows' bulky GUI, making XP unusable on older, slower systems." (Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/104693-13/linux_vs_windows_the_rematch.html)
Linux vs Windows- Security
According to Ed Sawicki, who is the President of the Accelerated Learning Center (ALC) and Tailored Computers. Linux differs greatly from Windows in firewall protection. "The Windows firewall is... minimalistic. It only filters inbound packets and the rules must be simple - generally too simple to be useful to an experienced administrator." Linux benefits network engineers by allowing most forms of NAT, port translation, and packet mangling. Which then allows such things as transparent proxies, sophisticated QoS and policy routers.
As it challenges simple to use user interfaces, the biggest problem with the Linux firewall is said to be figuring out how to configure it. Experienced Linux/UNIX administrators have less difficulty.
Biznix- Windows vs. Linux Security.
posted by: Megan Wolfrey
Application Imbalance - Security Vulnerabilities Between Windows and Linux
One factor that is often overlooked in the grand debate about the superiority of one operating system over another hinges on the fact that security vulnerabilities almost always revolve around applications. This presents a problem when comparing Windows to Linux, because the two are not at all equal with respect to application portability and availability. On the one hand, most of the popular Microsoft Windows applications are Microsoft applications, and they only run on Windows. When a flaw is found in Microsoft Exchange, one can be reasonably certain that this problem only affects Windows customers. Microsoft Exchange does not run on Linux, Solaris, or anything else but Windows. The Apache web server, on the other hand, may be most often associated with Linux, UNIX or other UNIX-like systems, but Apache does run on Windows, as well. So when one compares the overall security of Windows vs. Linux, is a flaw in Apache a blemish on Linux only? Or does it reflect negatively on both Linux and Windows? To complicate matters, there are several cases where a flaw in Apache poses little or no danger on Linux, but is a serious vulnerability on Windows. The reverse is rarely, if ever, the case. Should the overall security ranking of Windows suffer because it is more adversely affected than Linux when using software that is most commonly associated with Linux? One is obligated to question if any of these factors have been considered when comparing the security of Windows to Linux.
Source : http://www.theregister.co.uk/security/security_report_windows_vs_linux/
Midori
Midori is an operating system being developed by Microsoft to succeed the Microsoft Windows platform. Microsoft has continued to keep this project a secret by not having any public reports about it, but Microsoft does confirm that it exists. "Although Microsoft won't comment publicly on what Midori is, the company has confirmed that it exists. Several reports-- the most comprehensive to date published on Tuesday by Software Development Times-- have gone much further than that. That report paints Midori as an Internet-centric OS, based on the idea of connected systems, that largely eliminates the dependencies between local applications and the hardware they run on that exist with a typical OS today. The report claims Midori is an offshoot of Microsoft Research's Singularity OS, which creates "software-isolated processes" to reduce the dependencies between individual applications, and between the applications and the OS itself." Source: Yahoo News about Midori.
From Engadget, "The basis for the platform centers around research related to Microsoft's Singularity project, and envisions a distributed environment where applications, documents, and connectivity are blurred in a cloud-computing phantasmagoria which can be run natively or hosted across multiple systems. The researchers are working to create a concurrent / parallel distribution of resources, as well as a method of handling applications across separate machines -- religiously-dubbed the Asynchronous Promise Architecture -- which will set the stage for a backwards-compatible operating system built from the ground up, with networks of varying size in mind. Says the SD Times, "The Midori documents foresee applications running across a multitude of topologies, ranging from client-server and multi-tier deployments to peer-to-peer at the edge, and in the cloud data center. Those topologies form a heterogeneous mesh where capabilities can exist at separate places."" Source: Midori Posted by Zachary Schultz
Midori is the code name for a managed code operating system developed secretly by Microsoft . It has been reported to be a possible commercial successor to the Singularity operating system, a research project started in 2003 to build a highly-dependable operating system in which the kernel, device drivers, and applications are all written in managed code.
The code name Midori was first discovered through the PowerPoint presentation CHESS: A systematic testing tool for concurrent software.Midori has also been rumoured by some IT journalists as a possible replacement to Microsoft Windows.
Midori is meant to be unbound to the physical hardware of the computer and is assumed to be a much more virtual than it's precursors. It's also said that it assumes that the user will be online at all times. Midori will be easily moved between different environments without reinstallation.
Midori is also a distribution of Linux, started in 2001. "Midori Linux is an Open Source project for delivering system software on small devices"
Midori, as stated above, is an operating system that is largely centered around the Singularity project. Supposedly, it assumes that the user will always be connected to the internet and will run its applications in a manner similar to that of the Singularity project which is described as follows in a white paper from Microsoft.
"Singularity is a new operating system being developed as a basis for more dependable
system and application software. Singularity exploits advances in programming languages
and tools to create an environment in which software is more likely to be built correctly, program
behavior is easier to verify, and run-time failures can be contained.
A key aspect of Singularity is an extension model based on Software-Isolated Processes
(SIPs), which encapsulate pieces of an application or a system and provide information hiding,
failure isolation, and strong interfaces. SIPs are used throughout the operating system and
application software. We believe that building a system on this abstraction will lead to more
dependable software." Source: ftp://ftp.research.microsoft.com/pub/tr/TR-2005-135.pdf
Midori Linux is the name of a new Microsoft operating system based on the Japanese word for the
color green (midori) to reflect its environmentally friendly aspects of the energy efficient Linux operating system.
It is a managed code operating system built as an Open Source project with a build system, a Linux kernel with
memory and storage conserving features. It is built to be unbound to the physical hardware of computers and
is assumed to be more virtual than its predecessors, along with the capability to be easily moved between
different environments without reinstallation.
Midori Linux is said to become the replacement for both the Singularity operating system and Microsoft Windows.
The vice chairman and chief technology officer of Transmeta Corporation that built the new software says
that “Midori Linux will be attractive for any application that can benefit from full Linux compatibility, low power,
low thermals and a small footprint”. Posted by: Michelle Miller
Source: http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS6122668009.html
Midori is a new operating system that is being prepared by Microsoft that would move applications and data from desktops to the internet quickly. This idea is of giving up control of one's applications and data to a server farm hosted by a large company such as Microsoft of Google is called "cloud computing". Cloud computing is not only a technological change, but a cultural one as well. It is going to be a shift from the personal computer era, which moved computing power, data, and applications from the central mainframe onto the desktops, to going back towards the centralized server idea again. This concept has obviously created a lot of buzz. Many people are skeptical about losing control, risking the ownership of one's data, and relying on the quality of the provider for reliable service. Such concerns are being taken into consideration and being addressed. The argument given regarding security concerns is that the loss isn't very frequent or prominent when it does occur. And also that, "a large hosting facility like Google can do a far better job of backing up your data than you can." Also, regarding the service prover's quality, Microsoft is offering a "sort of hybrid" where users can work on desktop-based programs and applications when the server isn't connected, and once the cloud is restored, the can sync up to servers again, share their files, and collaborate with other users. Midori is still a new concept, however it is slowly gaining momentum and users are finding out more about cloud computing.
Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/149516/cloud_computing_is_midori_sour_or_sweet.html
Linux as a viable desktop OS for entry level users, Ubuntu
Linux currently runs on 13.4% of servers and is growing its market penetration almost 8 times the rate of Windows. Enterprise level companies have embraced it as a cost effective, secure, fact and fully functional server OS that can deliver. Linux has historically not been so successful in penetrating the home user OS community. Market research shows that Linux holds about 2% of the market in this segment. One of the largest complaints with Linux has been its learning curve for new users. Veteran users in the Linux community have a saying, “I'll believe Linux is ready for the desktop as soon as you can give me a Linux distribution that even my grandmother can run”. For most people, Vista/XP have been in use for many years and a lot of functionality of Windows needs to be adapted to the Linux environment before users can make the switch. One such distribution, Ubuntu, offers uses a very easy to use interface that mimics many of Windows features but retains the core Linux kernel in an easy to use environment.
Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux Distributions. It currently controls 30% of the desktop installations for all Linux installations. The Ubuntu project started as an effort to bring simple, intuitive, easy to use OS with a GUI interface to mass appeal. Ubuntu has focused on making many of the functions of Ubuntu has similar to Windows as possible. Ubuntu is installed easily by Windows users. The current version, 8.04, has an easy to use live CD installer which helps users install Ubuntu like a normal application in windows. Many people in the Linux community are hoping that Ubuntu will help bring in new users to the Linux world and be a viable options for Vista users. (Source from http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/06/05/mobile-linux-at-23-percent-by-2013/1 , http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10027925-16.html , http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/linux/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199201179 ). Posted by Michael Bala
Linux vs. Windows - Security
One has to question whether the attacks occur so often on Windows because of its overwhelming market share, or because there are flaws in its design? There are several reasons for this.
First, Windows has only recently developed a true multi-user system with Windows Vista and even that is debatable. Prior to that, malicious software was able to penetrate critical system programs or files, because Windows did not limit user access from these parts of the operating system. It was not until the release of Windows XP that Microsoft showed real effort to address these security issues. Windows XP did offer significantly better access restrictions and memory protection. However, Windows set the Administrator account as the default account. Therefore, the user has to set up a standard account which had limited system privileges. Most users did not create a standard account, but instead choose to run under their Administrator account. Windows made more improvements with Windows Server 2003, but it was still plagued by security vulnerabilities.
Next, Windows is monolithic by design unlike Linux, which is modular. A monolithic architecture is where processing, data and the user interface all reside on the same system. Microsoft builds most features offered by competitors into its operating systems. While this makes it harder for rivals to compete with Microsoft, the integration of the operating system exposes the user’s system to significant risks. A monolithic system can be unstable. You can introduce many risks when even one piece of the system is changed (intentionally or not). This can create a domino effect with other system applications. In this environment, even something as simple as adding a patch or security update can fix one part of Windows, but cause problems in others.
Finally, Windows uses the RPC model too much. RPC stands for Remote Procedure Call. “Remote procedure call (RPC) is an Inter-process communication technology that allows a computer program to cause a subroutine or procedure to execute in another address space (commonly on another computer on a shared network) without the programmer explicitly coding the details for this remote interaction. That is, the programmer would write essentially the same code whether the subroutine is local to the executing program, or remote” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_procedure_call). This opens a network-connected computer to exploitation by another user who can tell your computer what to do. The problem is that RPC cannot be deactivated because Windows depends upon it whether you are connected to a network or not.
Linux systems have a history of being less vulnerable to infection from viruses, trojans and other malware than Windows systems. According to Evans Data's Summer 2004 Linux Development Survey, 92% percent of survey respondents indicated that their Linux systems have never been infected with a virus. Further, 78% of Linux developers say that their Linux systems have never been hacked and less than 7% were hacked three or more times. Of the 22% that have been hacked, 23% of the intrusions were by internal users with valid login ID’s (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040728005158&newsLang=en). There are several reasons the Linux operating system is less vulnerable.
First, Linux was developed as a multi-user system. Therefore users are isolated from applications, files and directories that could damage the operating system. Each user has their own directory where system configuration and data files are stored. Another user cannot access or change anything within these directories without administrative access. This results in greater protection from system penetration from viruses, trojans, malware, etc because only the users files can be damaged while the overall system remains protected.
Next, as mentioned above, Linux was designed as a modular operating system. This means that most parts of the operating system operate independently of one another. As a result, a vulnerability in one part of the operating system may not harm another application on that same system. This is because few applications depend on one another to operate effectively.
Finally, unlike Windows which uses the RPC model, most Linux based distributions of programs have their network access turned off by default when they are installed on the users system. If the user wants the application to access the network, the user must manually activate this feature. The user is then required to clearly define the users and machines allowed to access the system. Even when Linux applications are installed with network access turned on by default (as some are), they are usually set up to ignore any requests from other machines on the network unless they are clearly defined by the user as previously mentioned. Additionally, Linux gives the user the ability to disable nearly all network-related RPC services and still have a fully functional machine.
In the debate over security between Linux and Windows, Linux is a much safer OS because it was designed to minimize the affects of attacks.
"Myth Windows only gets attacked most because it's such a big target, and if Linux use (or indeed OS X use) grew then so would the number of attacks. Fact When it comes to web servers, the biggest target is Apache, the Internet's server of choice. Attacks on Apache are nevertheless far fewer in number, and cause less damage. And in some case Apache-related attacks have the most serious effect on Windows machines. Attacks are of course aimed at Windows because of the numbers of users, but its design makes it a much easier target, and much easier for an attack to wreak havoc. Windows' widespread (and often unnecessary) use of features such as RPC meanwhile adds vulnerabilities that really need not be there. Linux's design is not vulnerable in the same ways, and no matter how successful it eventually becomes it simply cannot experience attacks to similar levels, inflicting similar levels of damage, to Windows.Windows v Linux security: the real facts"
Linux Adoption
While as a whole Linux adoption is slow, both public and private sectors are noticing benefits of switching to the Open Source Operating System. "US government agencies such as the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency also have adopted Linux. The NSA has even created a “Security Enhanced Linux” that they have made available on their web site for users who have significant security requirements" (Source: http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~hal/Papers/2004/linux-adoption-in-the-public-sector.pdf).
Linux adoption in the US is rather small when compared worldwide. Asia and Europe individually have at least double the adoption rate of desktop Linux when compared to the US. The sizable difference may be somewhat attributed to a greater need for affordable software in emerging markets such as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). Brazil intends to switch a vast majority of public computers over to the Linux platform in the near future (Source: http://www.trianglenug.org/downloads/0706/TheDiffusionandAdoptionofDesktopLinuxinGovernment.pdf). Furthermore, in 2004 QNB Intelligence released a report on behalf of Microsoft titled, Corporate Linux Adoption in Europe. The study interviewed 400 Senior IT decision makers from corporations in various European countries and found the following:
Mac OS
According to Apple Inc, "Leopard is an Open Brand UNIX 03 Registered Product, conforming to the SUSv3 and POSIX 1003.1 specifications for the C API, Shell Utilities, and Threads. Since Leopard can compile and run all your existing UNIX code, you can deploy it in environments that demand full conformance — complete with hooks to maintain compatibility with existing software." Leopard is the most recent edition of Mac OS X to be released, and produced Apple Inc. Its construction was "built on technology that had been developed at NeXT through the second half of the 1980s until Apple purchased the company in early 1997." -- Posted by Frank Pleta
Sources: http://www.apple.com/macosx/technology/unix.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X
Linux v. Windows--A List of Overall Comparison:
Sources:
(http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Windows_and_Linux)
(http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx)
(http://www.linux.org)
I. Linux versus Windows Vista on the Desktop
"Windows is the most prominent proprietary operating system, while Linux is the most prominent operating system that is free software. " (source from Wiki)
According to the pie chart, we see that the majority of people are still using Windows. Perhaps this is because the Microsoft company is very strong in marketing. One of the difference between Windows and Linux perhaps is the purpose of their creation.
"According to a survey of Register readers, carried out by analysts Quocirca, reveals that despite all these well-publicized objections to Windows, many customers are still loath to leave Microsoft because of what they see as a lack of compatible open source software, user resistance to change, high training costs, high costs of porting bespoke applications and a dependence on Microsoft's Active Directory. 'The move to Linux should not be an emotional one' "(Source from: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/07/linux_windows_quocirca/).
"For some time, the folks at Ubuntu have attempted to build a Linux distribution that's easy to install, use, configure, and maintain -- one that's at least as easy as Windows, and whenever possible, even easier. As a result, Ubuntu is one of the Linux distributions that has been most directly touted as an alternative to Windows."(Source from: http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/linux/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199201179)
A key issue between Windows and Linux based operating systems is simplicity. "Ubuntu makes it far easier to deal with hardware than previous, less user-friendly versions of Linux did, but only up to a point. The most common types of hardware and usage scenarios are handled the best, but the further you drift from that, the more complicated it gets. At its worst, Ubuntu's way of dealing with hardware often involves manual hacking to accomplish things that ought to be trivial (and in Windows usually are). Vista's way of dealing with hardware is pretty centralized -- the Device Manager lets you browse all the installed hardware in a system, manage each device's driver and configuration, and so on. Ubuntu has a device manager, but it's just a static list, and can't be used for configuring devices per se. To do that, you often need to edit a configuration file, and the exact file to edit may depend on the type of device." (Source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/linux/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199201179&pgno=3&queryText=&isPrev=)
Being a college student we have to worry about the prices of things we are going to use, especially on our computers. I have found a few statistics about the different prices of the Linux and Windows operating systems and their softwares. On http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000575.htm it said that the Linux OS can be found for free or very cheap. However, Windows OS is priced between $50 - $150 per license copy. The software for Linux OS can be found for free or at a very low cost, while Windows software ranges from $20 - $200+ per copy. However, Windows does offer a few software programs for free, but not as many as Linux offers. Overall if you are trying to save money or are running low on cash, your best bet for an operating system and the software that goes with it are Linux products.
(Source: http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000575.htm)
II. Linux versus Windows Vista on a Laptop
It seems that Linux laptop is quite cheap compared with Windows. "An exciting new trend is the appearance of Linux pre-installed in many new lost-cost laptop computers.If I had to bet, I'd say that low cost Linux laptops will take off. The cost, simplicity and portability are likely to be the big appeal. Not to mention immunity from most malicious software and the lack of a normal disk that increases the battery life and makes the machine more rugged."(Source from: http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html)
In February 2008, Everex launched its Linux laptop, CloudBook, which became available for $399 at Wal-Mart and other online retailers. This was a defining moment for Linux, which was previously not available from any "mainstream" venues. It is predicted that Linux will not gain the same market share that Windows has, but "perhaps 1 percent to 3 percent of traditional PC users" (The VAR Guy, Feb 2008) will switch to Linux. Others companies have jumped on the bandwagon, and Dell will "continue to gradually expand their Ubuntu Linux offerings." (Source "http://www.thevarguy.com/2008/02/20/linux-laptops-reach-critical-mass")
IBM decided to preload their ThinkPad laptops with Linux instead of Windows. This decision was made because IBM believes Linux is a standard for computers of varying sizes and also because Linux could one day replace Windows. However, at this point IBM believes that their main client for these computers will be computer professionals. While there are many benefits to using Linux there are still some major concerns about not having Windows installed on the laptops. Most people perfer to use Microsoft Word and Excel which are not in the Linux format. Not having these applications on the ThinkPad might cause IBM a lot of customers. IBM could lose a lot of student customers. Students often have laptops because they are easy to bring with them to class and because they are always on the go. Due to the fact that students use these windows applications frequently IBM could definitly loose out on these customers. (Source: http://find.galegroup.com/ips/retrieve.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C5%29linux%3AAnd%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C7%29windows%3AAnd%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C7%29laptops%24&sgHitCountType=None&inPS=true&sort=DateDescend&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&searchId=R1¤tPosition=1&userGroupName=viva_jmu&docId=A62858847&docType=IAC&contentSet=IAC-Documents)
Originally, users who wanted to install Linux as their operating system had to work "backwards." First choose the distribution of Linux, then find compatible hardware. This approach worked fine for desktop computers due to easily interchangeable cards and parts; however, in the world of laptops proprietary hardware and drivers made it difficult to work like this. In recent years, access to open source drivers has grown dramatically. An end-user can simply run a LiveCD to ensure compatibility, and within a short time be running their preferred OS. This has opened a world of options for mobile computer users. Additionally, Linux allows developers to create many, many different distrobutions. Older laptops that can't handle large OSs that eat up resources like Windows Vista or XP. Puppy Linux and DSL are two examples of great user-friendly environments that can render old, forgotten laptops useful again. Source: DSL and Puppy Linux - Dan Cartis
III. Linux versus Windows on a Server
According to the statistic, " Microsoft 's Windows commands 65 to 70 percent of the server operating system market, while the Linux share stands at 15 to 20 percent. Currently, Linux server shipments represent the fastest-growing segment of the market. " (Source from: http://www.telecom-gear.com/Linux-vs-Windows-TCO-Comparison-article4014--1.htm)
"Linux is customizable in a way that Windows is not. For example, NASLite is a version of Linux that runs off a single floppy disk (since revised to also boot from a CD) and converts an old computer into a file server. This ultra small edition of Linux is capable of networking, file sharing and being a web server. " (Source from: http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html)
"For server use, Linux is very cheap compared to Windows. Microsoft allows a single copy of Windows to be used on only one computer. Starting with Windows XP, they use software to enforce this rule . In contrast, once you have purchased Linux, you can run it on any number of computers for no additional charge. "(Source from: http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html)
IV. Linux versus Windows - File Management
Windows:" expanding NTFS partitions is possible without problems, and on Vista it is possible to shrink partitions as well. Dynamic Disks provide dynamic partitioning. Third party tools are available that have more features than the built-in partitioning tools. Natively supported: NTFS, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, and others; 3rd-party drivers available for ext2, ext3, reiserfs, HFS, and others ."(Source from Wikipedia )
Linux: "Some file system support resizing partitions without losing data. LVM and EVMS provide dynamic partitioning. All Linux distributions have bundled partitioning software such as fdisk or gparted. Natively supported: ext2, ext3, ext4, ReiserFS, FAT, ISO 9660, UDF, NFS, and others; many additional filesystems (including NTFS using NTFS-3g) are available using FUSE. " (Source from Wikipedia )
P.S. "Windows can read and write with Ext2 and Ext3 file systems with third-party drivers such as FS-driver or ext2fsd; and ReiserFS through rfstool and related programs." (Source from Wikipedia )
IV. Linux versus Windows Hosting
As we know it today there are many different OS that are being used by web servers, but the OS for Linux and Windows are two of the most widely used today for web hosting. Although Linux seems to be the most prominent form for hosting on the Web, both are used. (http://www.hostvoice.com/blog/linux-vs-windows-hosting)
Linux hosting allows many technologies to run on it all the while remaining to be an open source with an easily managed coding language. Because of this, Linux has the lower cost of the two, and it performs faster. (http://www.hostvoice.com/blog/linux-vs-windows-hosting) “It's typically found to be the most reliable, stable and efficient system and, as such, it's commonly used for the demanding environment of Web and mail servers.” (http://www.purohits.com/hosting/windows-vs-linux.htm) The disadvantage is that the Linux hosting does not support many Windows based applications and coding languages. (http://www.3essentials.com/articles/windowslinux-web-hosting.asp)
Windows hosting supports SQL server, programming frameworks, etc. The main advantage of the Window hosting is that it gives you the ease of compatibility with Microsoft based technologies. (http://www.hostvoice.com/blog/linux-vs-windows-hosting) Unfortunately, Windows is generally more expensive and Linux because of the licensing used in different technologies.
So ultimately, the main difference between the two is based on the technology they each support. Linux uses a scripting language, called PHP and Windows uses ASP. (http://www.3essentials.com/articles/windowslinux-web-hosting.asp) PHP is supported in the Windows environment but it works better in Linux, whereas Linux does not support ASP.
V. Linux versus Windows - Process Management
| Windows | Linux | |
| Process Scheduling | NT-based versions of Windows use a CPU scheduler based on a multilevel feedback queue, with 32 priority levels defined. The kernel may change the priority level of a thread depending on its I/O and CPU usage and whether it is interactive (i.e. accepts and responds to input from humans), raising the priority of interactive and I/O bounded processes and lowering that of CPU bound processes, to increase the responsiveness of interactive applications.[42] The scheduler was modified in Windows Vista to use the cycle counter register of modern processors to keep track of exactly how many CPU cycles a thread has executed, rather than just using an interval-timer interrupt routine.[43] | Linux kernel 2.6 once used a scheduling algorithm favoring interactive processes. Here "interactive" is defined as a process has short bursts of CPU usage rather than long ones. It is said that a process without root privilege can take advantage of this to monopolize the CPU,[44] when the CPU time accounting precision is low. However, the new CFS, the completely fair scheduler, addresses this problem. |
| Memory Management/ Disk Paging | Windows NT and its variants employ a dynamically allocated pagefile for memory management. A pagefile is allocated on disk, for less frequently accessed objects in memory, leaving more RAM available to actively used objects. This scheme suffers from slow-downs due to disk fragmentation, which hampers the speed at which the objects can be brought back into memory when they are needed. Windows can be configured to place the pagefile on a separate partition; doing this negates the disk-fragmentation issues, but introduces an I/O slowdown due to the seek time involved in switching back and forth between the two partitions.[45] However, the main reason this is not done by default is that, if the pagefile is on a separate partition, then Windows cannot create a memory dump in the event of a Stop Error.[46] The ideal solution performance-wise is to have the pagefile on a separate hard drive to the primary one, which eliminates both defragmentation and I/O issues. | Most hard drive installations of Linux utilize a "swap partition", where the disk space allocated for paging is separate from general data, and is used strictly for paging operations. This reduces slowdown due to disk fragmentation from general use. As with Windows, for best performance the swap partition should be placed on a separate hard drive to the primary one. |
Source from Wikipedia
VI. Linux versus Windows - Security
One of the weaknesses of Windows is that it is based on a single-user design and only recently has been adapted to work in a multi-user mode. According to 'The Security Report' by Nicholas Petreley, "Windows was originally designed to allow both users and applications free access to the entire system, which means anyone could tamper with a critical system program or file. It also means viruses, Trojans and other malware could tamper with any critical system program or file, because Windows did not isolate users or applications from these sensitive areas of the operating system." Many have argued that Microsoft Vista is the first version of Windows to truly take into account multi-user networks when designing the operating system security.
In attempt to compare Linux/Windows/Vista, I came across an article "Mac OS X vs. Linux - Red Hat vs. Windows 98 and Above Including Windows Vista" from KezNews.com. In this article it stated that "Red Hat was found to have the most number of vulnerabilities (633), with 99% (629 vulnerabilities) due to third-party components. Solaris, which had a total of 252 vulnerabilities, came next and had 80% (201) due to third-party components. Apple Mac OS X came third with 235, 62% (146) of which is due to third-party components. Fourth came Windows with 123, but with only 4% due to third-party software. Last came HP-UX with 75 vulnerabilities, 81% (61) of which are due to third-party software," Secunia revealed. See diagram below.
However, what was interesting, several people had posted comments below the article, debating the true interpretation of the surrey's results. I really agree with the following post from user sjc1963 who stated " the only reason which makes linux or mac more secure than windows is that more 90% of pc users around the world use windows. now if you are a spammer and write spamming codes, will you write a spam , a spyware or a virus, to strike the 10% of the pc users in the world that use mac and linux, or will you make your virus success chance by making it for 90% of the pc users since they use window? it's pure logic..."
In order to ensure that the creation of malware is discouraged and its impact is reduced, software should have a small user base, rapid updates to neutralize new threats, and a compartmentalized structure that isolates damaged sections. According to wikipedia, prior to the introduction of Windows Vista, "almost all Windows users were given a root account by default because lesser accounts were overly restrictive for most users." Linux user accounts, however, have "historically allowed greater control, precluding the need for all users to have root access. Without root, it becomes much more difficult for malware to spread."
The following chart offers further detail on the subject:
| Windows | Linux | Notes | |
| Malware | According to Kaspersky Lab, more than 11,000 malware programs for Windows were discovered in the second half of 2005.[62] Botnets - networks of infected computers controlled by malicious persons - with more than one million computers have been witnessed.[63] Users are advised to install and run anti-malware program | More than 800 pieces of Linux malware have been discovered.[62] Some malware has propagated through the Internet.[64] | |
| Open vs. Closed | Claims its platform is more secure because of a comprehensive approach to security using the Security Development Lifecycle.[65][66] However, due to the nature of closed source, only company programmers can fix bugs. | Claims its platform is more secure because all of its code is reviewed by so many people that bugs are detected (referred to as Linus's law). | Microsoft claims that Windows Vista is more secure than other operating systems.[67] However, security vulnerabilities have been found in Windows Vista.[68] |
| Response Speed | Claims closed source offers a faster and more effective response to security issues,[69] though critical bug fixes are only released once a month after extensive programming and testing[70][71] and certain bugs have been known to go unpatched for months. | Bugs can be fixed and rolled out within a day of being reported, though usually it takes a few weeks before the patch is available on all distributions. | |
| User Accounts | In Windows Vista, all logged in sessions (even for those of "administrator" users) run with standard user permissions, preventing malicious programs from gaining total control of the system. Prior versions of Windows would assign administrator status to the first user account created during the setup process. The majority of users did not change to an account type with fewer rights[citation needed], meaning that malicious programs would have full control over the system. | Users typically run as limited accounts[citation needed], having created both administrator and user accounts during install, preventing malicious programs from gaining total control of the system. | A malicious program executed under a limited account in both Linux and Windows is limited to that users' data. |
Source: wikipedia
The plain fact is that the Windows OS is used in such a high quantity there statistically are more viruses than any other OS. "There are about 60,000 viruses known for Windows, 40 or so for the Macintosh, about 5 for commercial Unix versions, and perhaps 40 for Linux. Most of the Windows viruses are not important, but many hundreds have caused widespread damage. Two or three of the Macintosh viruses were widespread enough to be of importance. None of the Unix or Linux viruses became widespread - most were confined to the laboratory." source: theRegister
Energy Consumption - Linux vs. Windows
In an independent test done in June 2008 by Tom Henderson and Rand Dvorak of the Network World Lab Alliance, it was found that Linux used up to 12% less power than Windows 2008 on identical hardware (http://www.networkworld.com/research/2008/060908-green-windows-linux.html?fsrc). Windows has power-management systems that the user can toggle between and choose to their own liking, but even with that, Windows at the highest-energy efficiency setting still uses slightly more energy consumption than the Linux platform. However, the tests run by Network World were under various distributions and hardware configurations, so Windows users might not experience as big of a decrease in power consumption when using Linux as the tests run may lead you to believe, but Phillip M., who wrote an article on Neoseeker, said that he could see a considerable difference in the battery life of his Linux OS laptop and his Windows Vista OS laptop.
Upon reading various articles, one I read said that a particular test has shown that Linux "eats up" more resources, but it does it at a much slower pace than Windows which adds to why Linux has better energy efficiency (article). Also, CNN reports that "switching from a Windows-operated computer to a Linux-operated one could slash computer-generated e-waste levels by 50%." It's no longer about software freedom. It's also about environmental responsibility. A UK government study in late 2004 reported that there were substantial green benefits to running a Linux open source operating system (OS) on computers instead of the ubiquitous Windows OS, owned by Microsoft. The main problem with Windows users was that they had to change their computer twice as many times as Linux users, on average, thereby effectively creating twice as much computer-generated e-waste." -Posted by Julie Chiou
One reason for Windows users having to change their computers is due to frequent major upgrades.
According to a report by the Department of Government Commerce about Open Source Software Trials in Government, open source software has lower hardware requirements and needs less frequent hardware refreshes. Compared to Microsoft Windows systems, the open source system is able to use a slower processor speed and less memory for the same functionality.
"The reduction in hardware demands brings environmental benefits, because it translates into lower energy requirements and less waste, reducing landfill requirements and costs arising from disposal of redundant equipment." (Source from: http://www.techworld.com/opsys/news/index.cfm?newsid=8226).
VII: Linux vs Windows - GUI
Most Linux distributions let you choose between multiple GUIs. Linux users can even create their own GUIs. This means that if you don’t like the way your desktop functions, you can build a desktop to your liking. The standard GUI however is not very user friendly or as smooth as Windows. Windows users will find items similar to the “Start button” in one corner where you can launch programs, and a trash can icon on the desktop where you can find deleted files but that’s about it. Many Linux procedures still require the use of the command line, making it hard for those who aren't technologically savvy lost and confused. "If you fail to learn at least a smattering of Linux's intricacies, chances are good that you won't get much done." The simple (or lacking) Linux GUI makes it a perfect choice for users with computers running older systems. On older hardware, you can choose to run Linux with a customized GUI, a feature-light GUI, or without a GUI at all. “Windows is a one-GUI-fits-all system: No Windows applications--even the command-line tools--will run outside of Windows' bulky GUI, making XP unusable on older, slower systems." (Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/104693-13/linux_vs_windows_the_rematch.html)
Linux vs Windows- Security
According to Ed Sawicki, who is the President of the Accelerated Learning Center (ALC) and Tailored Computers. Linux differs greatly from Windows in firewall protection. "The Windows firewall is... minimalistic. It only filters inbound packets and the rules must be simple - generally too simple to be useful to an experienced administrator." Linux benefits network engineers by allowing most forms of NAT, port translation, and packet mangling. Which then allows such things as transparent proxies, sophisticated QoS and policy routers.
As it challenges simple to use user interfaces, the biggest problem with the Linux firewall is said to be figuring out how to configure it. Experienced Linux/UNIX administrators have less difficulty.
Biznix- Windows vs. Linux Security.
posted by: Megan Wolfrey
Application Imbalance - Security Vulnerabilities Between Windows and Linux
One factor that is often overlooked in the grand debate about the superiority of one operating system over another hinges on the fact that security vulnerabilities almost always revolve around applications. This presents a problem when comparing Windows to Linux, because the two are not at all equal with respect to application portability and availability. On the one hand, most of the popular Microsoft Windows applications are Microsoft applications, and they only run on Windows. When a flaw is found in Microsoft Exchange, one can be reasonably certain that this problem only affects Windows customers. Microsoft Exchange does not run on Linux, Solaris, or anything else but Windows. The Apache web server, on the other hand, may be most often associated with Linux, UNIX or other UNIX-like systems, but Apache does run on Windows, as well. So when one compares the overall security of Windows vs. Linux, is a flaw in Apache a blemish on Linux only? Or does it reflect negatively on both Linux and Windows? To complicate matters, there are several cases where a flaw in Apache poses little or no danger on Linux, but is a serious vulnerability on Windows. The reverse is rarely, if ever, the case. Should the overall security ranking of Windows suffer because it is more adversely affected than Linux when using software that is most commonly associated with Linux? One is obligated to question if any of these factors have been considered when comparing the security of Windows to Linux.
Source : http://www.theregister.co.uk/security/security_report_windows_vs_linux/
Midori
Midori is an operating system being developed by Microsoft to succeed the Microsoft Windows platform. Microsoft has continued to keep this project a secret by not having any public reports about it, but Microsoft does confirm that it exists. "Although Microsoft won't comment publicly on what Midori is, the company has confirmed that it exists. Several reports-- the most comprehensive to date published on Tuesday by Software Development Times-- have gone much further than that. That report paints Midori as an Internet-centric OS, based on the idea of connected systems, that largely eliminates the dependencies between local applications and the hardware they run on that exist with a typical OS today. The report claims Midori is an offshoot of Microsoft Research's Singularity OS, which creates "software-isolated processes" to reduce the dependencies between individual applications, and between the applications and the OS itself." Source: Yahoo News about Midori.
From Engadget, "The basis for the platform centers around research related to Microsoft's Singularity project, and envisions a distributed environment where applications, documents, and connectivity are blurred in a cloud-computing phantasmagoria which can be run natively or hosted across multiple systems. The researchers are working to create a concurrent / parallel distribution of resources, as well as a method of handling applications across separate machines -- religiously-dubbed the Asynchronous Promise Architecture -- which will set the stage for a backwards-compatible operating system built from the ground up, with networks of varying size in mind. Says the SD Times, "The Midori documents foresee applications running across a multitude of topologies, ranging from client-server and multi-tier deployments to peer-to-peer at the edge, and in the cloud data center. Those topologies form a heterogeneous mesh where capabilities can exist at separate places."" Source: Midori Posted by Zachary Schultz
Midori is the code name for a managed code operating system developed secretly by Microsoft . It has been reported to be a possible commercial successor to the Singularity operating system, a research project started in 2003 to build a highly-dependable operating system in which the kernel, device drivers, and applications are all written in managed code.
The code name Midori was first discovered through the PowerPoint presentation CHESS: A systematic testing tool for concurrent software.Midori has also been rumoured by some IT journalists as a possible replacement to Microsoft Windows.
Midori is meant to be unbound to the physical hardware of the computer and is assumed to be a much more virtual than it's precursors. It's also said that it assumes that the user will be online at all times. Midori will be easily moved between different environments without reinstallation.
Midori is also a distribution of Linux, started in 2001. "Midori Linux is an Open Source project for delivering system software on small devices"
(Source from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midori_(operating_system)#cite_note-0)
Midori, as stated above, is an operating system that is largely centered around the Singularity project. Supposedly, it assumes that the user will always be connected to the internet and will run its applications in a manner similar to that of the Singularity project which is described as follows in a white paper from Microsoft.
"Singularity is a new operating system being developed as a basis for more dependable
system and application software. Singularity exploits advances in programming languages
and tools to create an environment in which software is more likely to be built correctly, program
behavior is easier to verify, and run-time failures can be contained.
A key aspect of Singularity is an extension model based on Software-Isolated Processes
(SIPs), which encapsulate pieces of an application or a system and provide information hiding,
failure isolation, and strong interfaces. SIPs are used throughout the operating system and
application software. We believe that building a system on this abstraction will lead to more
dependable software." Source: ftp://ftp.research.microsoft.com/pub/tr/TR-2005-135.pdf
Midori Linux is the name of a new Microsoft operating system based on the Japanese word for the
color green (midori) to reflect its environmentally friendly aspects of the energy efficient Linux operating system.
It is a managed code operating system built as an Open Source project with a build system, a Linux kernel with
memory and storage conserving features. It is built to be unbound to the physical hardware of computers and
is assumed to be more virtual than its predecessors, along with the capability to be easily moved between
different environments without reinstallation.
Midori Linux is said to become the replacement for both the Singularity operating system and Microsoft Windows.
The vice chairman and chief technology officer of Transmeta Corporation that built the new software says
that “Midori Linux will be attractive for any application that can benefit from full Linux compatibility, low power,
low thermals and a small footprint”. Posted by: Michelle Miller
Source: http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS6122668009.html
Midori is a new operating system that is being prepared by Microsoft that would move applications and data from desktops to the internet quickly. This idea is of giving up control of one's applications and data to a server farm hosted by a large company such as Microsoft of Google is called "cloud computing". Cloud computing is not only a technological change, but a cultural one as well. It is going to be a shift from the personal computer era, which moved computing power, data, and applications from the central mainframe onto the desktops, to going back towards the centralized server idea again. This concept has obviously created a lot of buzz. Many people are skeptical about losing control, risking the ownership of one's data, and relying on the quality of the provider for reliable service. Such concerns are being taken into consideration and being addressed. The argument given regarding security concerns is that the loss isn't very frequent or prominent when it does occur. And also that, "a large hosting facility like Google can do a far better job of backing up your data than you can." Also, regarding the service prover's quality, Microsoft is offering a "sort of hybrid" where users can work on desktop-based programs and applications when the server isn't connected, and once the cloud is restored, the can sync up to servers again, share their files, and collaborate with other users. Midori is still a new concept, however it is slowly gaining momentum and users are finding out more about cloud computing.
Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/149516/cloud_computing_is_midori_sour_or_sweet.html
Linux as a viable desktop OS for entry level users, Ubuntu
Linux currently runs on 13.4% of servers and is growing its market penetration almost 8 times the rate of Windows. Enterprise level companies have embraced it as a cost effective, secure, fact and fully functional server OS that can deliver. Linux has historically not been so successful in penetrating the home user OS community. Market research shows that Linux holds about 2% of the market in this segment. One of the largest complaints with Linux has been its learning curve for new users. Veteran users in the Linux community have a saying, “I'll believe Linux is ready for the desktop as soon as you can give me a Linux distribution that even my grandmother can run”. For most people, Vista/XP have been in use for many years and a lot of functionality of Windows needs to be adapted to the Linux environment before users can make the switch. One such distribution, Ubuntu, offers uses a very easy to use interface that mimics many of Windows features but retains the core Linux kernel in an easy to use environment.
Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux Distributions. It currently controls 30% of the desktop installations for all Linux installations. The Ubuntu project started as an effort to bring simple, intuitive, easy to use OS with a GUI interface to mass appeal. Ubuntu has focused on making many of the functions of Ubuntu has similar to Windows as possible. Ubuntu is installed easily by Windows users. The current version, 8.04, has an easy to use live CD installer which helps users install Ubuntu like a normal application in windows. Many people in the Linux community are hoping that Ubuntu will help bring in new users to the Linux world and be a viable options for Vista users. (Source from http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/06/05/mobile-linux-at-23-percent-by-2013/1 , http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10027925-16.html , http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/linux/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199201179 ). Posted by Michael Bala
Linux vs. Windows - Security
One has to question whether the attacks occur so often on Windows because of its overwhelming market share, or because there are flaws in its design? There are several reasons for this.
First, Windows has only recently developed a true multi-user system with Windows Vista and even that is debatable. Prior to that, malicious software was able to penetrate critical system programs or files, because Windows did not limit user access from these parts of the operating system. It was not until the release of Windows XP that Microsoft showed real effort to address these security issues. Windows XP did offer significantly better access restrictions and memory protection. However, Windows set the Administrator account as the default account. Therefore, the user has to set up a standard account which had limited system privileges. Most users did not create a standard account, but instead choose to run under their Administrator account. Windows made more improvements with Windows Server 2003, but it was still plagued by security vulnerabilities.
Next, Windows is monolithic by design unlike Linux, which is modular. A monolithic architecture is where processing, data and the user interface all reside on the same system. Microsoft builds most features offered by competitors into its operating systems. While this makes it harder for rivals to compete with Microsoft, the integration of the operating system exposes the user’s system to significant risks. A monolithic system can be unstable. You can introduce many risks when even one piece of the system is changed (intentionally or not). This can create a domino effect with other system applications. In this environment, even something as simple as adding a patch or security update can fix one part of Windows, but cause problems in others.
Finally, Windows uses the RPC model too much. RPC stands for Remote Procedure Call. “Remote procedure call (RPC) is an Inter-process communication technology that allows a computer program to cause a subroutine or procedure to execute in another address space (commonly on another computer on a shared network) without the programmer explicitly coding the details for this remote interaction. That is, the programmer would write essentially the same code whether the subroutine is local to the executing program, or remote” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_procedure_call). This opens a network-connected computer to exploitation by another user who can tell your computer what to do. The problem is that RPC cannot be deactivated because Windows depends upon it whether you are connected to a network or not.
Linux systems have a history of being less vulnerable to infection from viruses, trojans and other malware than Windows systems. According to Evans Data's Summer 2004 Linux Development Survey, 92% percent of survey respondents indicated that their Linux systems have never been infected with a virus. Further, 78% of Linux developers say that their Linux systems have never been hacked and less than 7% were hacked three or more times. Of the 22% that have been hacked, 23% of the intrusions were by internal users with valid login ID’s (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040728005158&newsLang=en). There are several reasons the Linux operating system is less vulnerable.
First, Linux was developed as a multi-user system. Therefore users are isolated from applications, files and directories that could damage the operating system. Each user has their own directory where system configuration and data files are stored. Another user cannot access or change anything within these directories without administrative access. This results in greater protection from system penetration from viruses, trojans, malware, etc because only the users files can be damaged while the overall system remains protected.
Next, as mentioned above, Linux was designed as a modular operating system. This means that most parts of the operating system operate independently of one another. As a result, a vulnerability in one part of the operating system may not harm another application on that same system. This is because few applications depend on one another to operate effectively.
Finally, unlike Windows which uses the RPC model, most Linux based distributions of programs have their network access turned off by default when they are installed on the users system. If the user wants the application to access the network, the user must manually activate this feature. The user is then required to clearly define the users and machines allowed to access the system. Even when Linux applications are installed with network access turned on by default (as some are), they are usually set up to ignore any requests from other machines on the network unless they are clearly defined by the user as previously mentioned. Additionally, Linux gives the user the ability to disable nearly all network-related RPC services and still have a fully functional machine.
In the debate over security between Linux and Windows, Linux is a much safer OS because it was designed to minimize the affects of attacks.
"Myth Windows only gets attacked most because it's such a big target, and if Linux use (or indeed OS X use) grew then so would the number of attacks. Fact When it comes to web servers, the biggest target is Apache, the Internet's server of choice. Attacks on Apache are nevertheless far fewer in number, and cause less damage. And in some case Apache-related attacks have the most serious effect on Windows machines. Attacks are of course aimed at Windows because of the numbers of users, but its design makes it a much easier target, and much easier for an attack to wreak havoc. Windows' widespread (and often unnecessary) use of features such as RPC meanwhile adds vulnerabilities that really need not be there. Linux's design is not vulnerable in the same ways, and no matter how successful it eventually becomes it simply cannot experience attacks to similar levels, inflicting similar levels of damage, to Windows.Windows v Linux security: the real facts"
Linux Adoption
While as a whole Linux adoption is slow, both public and private sectors are noticing benefits of switching to the Open Source Operating System. "US government agencies such as the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency also have adopted Linux. The NSA has even created a “Security Enhanced Linux” that they have made available on their web site for users who have significant security requirements" (Source: http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~hal/Papers/2004/linux-adoption-in-the-public-sector.pdf).
Linux adoption in the US is rather small when compared worldwide. Asia and Europe individually have at least double the adoption rate of desktop Linux when compared to the US. The sizable difference may be somewhat attributed to a greater need for affordable software in emerging markets such as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). Brazil intends to switch a vast majority of public computers over to the Linux platform in the near future (Source: http://www.trianglenug.org/downloads/0706/TheDiffusionandAdoptionofDesktopLinuxinGovernment.pdf). Furthermore, in 2004 QNB Intelligence released a report on behalf of Microsoft titled, Corporate Linux Adoption in Europe. The study interviewed 400 Senior IT decision makers from corporations in various European countries and found the following:
- "75% more companies have formally evaluated Linux [2002 - 2003 comparison]
- Attention varies more by geography than by company size
- But formal evaluations tell just part of the story; Linux is also entering companies “under the radar”
- Yet commitment remains piecemeal and spending plans are modest
- The jury is still out on whether Linux is significantly cheaper; even amongst Linux adopters
- 61% of Senior IT Management are still not sure it’s worth the hassle"
Mac OS
According to Apple Inc, "Leopard is an Open Brand UNIX 03 Registered Product, conforming to the SUSv3 and POSIX 1003.1 specifications for the C API, Shell Utilities, and Threads. Since Leopard can compile and run all your existing UNIX code, you can deploy it in environments that demand full conformance — complete with hooks to maintain compatibility with existing software." Leopard is the most recent edition of Mac OS X to be released, and produced Apple Inc. Its construction was "built on technology that had been developed at NeXT through the second half of the 1980s until Apple purchased the company in early 1997." -- Posted by Frank Pleta
Sources: http://www.apple.com/macosx/technology/unix.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X
Linux v. Windows--A List of Overall Comparison:
| Windows | Linux | |
| Main Product Lines: |
|
|
| Procurement & Use of Hardware: |
|
|
| Market Facts: |
|
|
| Comparable Office Software Products: |
|
|
| Software Costs: |
|
|
Sources:
(http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Windows_and_Linux)
(http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx)
(http://www.linux.org)
AshleighKenion |
Latest page update: made by AshleighKenion
, Sep 5 2008, 8:09 AM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by AshleighKenion
1 word added view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
Linux vs. Window: Security
More Info: links to this page
|
| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| womackaj | Part III: Linux vs. Windows - Security | 0 | Sep 2 2008, 1:10 AM EDT by womackaj | ||
|
Thread started: Sep 2 2008, 1:10 AM EDT
Watch
First, Linux was developed as a multi-user system. Therefore users are isolated from applications, files and directories that could damage the operating system. Each user has their own directory where system configuration and data files are stored. Another user cannot access or change anything within these directories without administrative access. This results in greater protection from system penetration from viruses, trojans, malware, etc because only the users files can be damaged while the overall system remains protected.
Next, as mentioned above, Linux was designed as a modular operating system. This means that most parts of the operating system operate independently of one another. As a result, a vulnerability in one part of the operating system may not harm another application on that same system. This is because few applications depend on one another to operate effectively. Finally, unlike Windows which uses the RPC model, most Linux based distributions of programs have their network access turned off by default when they are installed on the users system. If the user wants the application to access the network, the user must manually activate this feature. The user is then required to clearly define the users and machines allowed to access the system. Even when Linux applications are installed with network access turned on by default (as some are), they are usually set up to ignore any requests from other machines on the network unless they are clearly defined by the user as previously mentioned. Additionally, Linux gives the user the ability to disable nearly all network-related RPC services and still have a fully functional machine. |
||||
| womackaj | Part II: Linux vs. Windows - Security | 0 | Sep 2 2008, 1:09 AM EDT by womackaj | ||
|
|
Thread started: Sep 2 2008, 1:09 AM EDT
Watch
Finally, Windows uses the RPC model too much. RPC stands for Remote Procedure Call. “Remote procedure call (RPC) is an Inter-process communication technology that allows a computer program to cause a subroutine or procedure to execute in another address space (commonly on another computer on a shared network) without the programmer explicitly coding the details for this remote interaction. That is, the programmer would write essentially the same code whether the subroutine is local to the executing program, or remote” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_procedure_call). This opens a network-connected computer to exploitation by another user who can tell your computer what to do. The problem is that RPC cannot be deactivated because Windows depends upon it whether you are connected to a network or not.
Linux systems have a history of being less vulnerable to infection from viruses, trojans and other malware than Windows systems. According to Evans Data's Summer 2004 Linux Development Survey, 92% percent of survey respondents indicated that their Linux systems have never been infected with a virus. Further, 78% of Linux developers say that their Linux systems have never been hacked and less than 7% were hacked three or more times. Of the 22% that have been hacked, 23% of the intrusions were by internal users with valid login ID’s (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040728005158&newsLang=en). There are several reasons the Linux operating system is less vulnerable. |
||||
| womackaj | Part I: Linux vs. Windows - Security | 0 | Sep 2 2008, 1:07 AM EDT by womackaj | ||
|
|
Thread started: Sep 2 2008, 1:07 AM EDT
Watch
One has to question whether the attacks occur so often on Windows because of its overwhelming market share, or because there are flaws in its design? There are several reasons for this.
First, Windows has only recently developed a true multi-user system with Windows Vista and even that is debatable. Prior to that, malicious software was able to penetrate critical system programs or files, because Windows did not limit user access from these parts of the operating system. It was not until the release of Windows XP that Microsoft showed real effort to address these security issues. Windows XP did offer significantly better access restrictions and memory protection. However, Windows set the Administrator account as the default account. Therefore, the user has to set up a standard account which had limited system privileges. Most users did not create a standard account, but instead choose to run under their Administrator account. Windows made more improvements with Windows Server 2003, but it was still plagued by security vulnerabilities. Next, Windows is monolithic by design unlike Linux, which is modular. A monolithic architecture is where processing, data and the user interface all reside on the same system. Microsoft builds most features offered by competitors into its operating systems. While this makes it harder for rivals to compete with Microsoft, the integration of the operating system exposes the user’s system to significant risks. A monolithic system can be unstable. You can introduce many risks when even one piece of the system is changed (intentionally or not). This can create a domino effect with other system applications. In this environment, even something as simple as adding a patch or security update can fix one part of Windows, but cause problems in others. |
||||
Showing 3 of 3 threads for this page
