Specifications

University of Hertfordshire



Linux is secure and versatile:

The security model used in Linux is based on the UNIX idea of security, which is known to be

robust and of proven quality. But Linux is not only fit for use as a proxy server against the attacks

from the Internet, but also it will be adapted to other situations. With Linux your computers and

network will be as secure as your firewall.



Linux is scalable:

With Linux, you don’t need a supercomputer anymore, because you can use Linux to do big things

using the building blocks provided with the system. From a Palmtop with 2 MB of memory to a

petabyte storage cluster with hundreds of nodes: add or remove the appropriate packages and Linux

fits all. If you want to do little things, such as making an Operating System for your old 486, Linux

will also do that as well.



The Linux OS and Linux applications have very short debug-times:

Because Linux has been developed and tested by thousands of people, both errors and people to fix

them are found very quickly. It often happens that there are only a couple of hours between

discovery and fixing of a bug. (Garrels, 2002)

Linux Cons



There are too many different distributions:

Just as the saying goes: the more people, the more opinions. At first glance, you may think that the

amounts of Linux distributions are frightening, or ridiculous. But it also means that everyone can

find what he or she needs. You don't need to be an expert to find a suitable release. So do not worry

too much about that: all releases contain more or less the same set of basic packages. On top of the

basics, special third party software is added making, for example, Turbo Linux more suitable for the

small and medium enterprise, Red Hat for servers and SUSE for workstations. However, the

differences are likely to be very superficial. The best strategy is to test a couple of distributions.

Luckily, on the Internet, there is plenty of advice on the subject of choosing your Linux; you will

find a suitable distribution depending what your need.



Linux is not very user friendly and confusing for beginners:

You may find that Linux is not easy to use, especially for new users. However, more information is

being released daily, to help fill the gap for documentation available to users at all levels.