What is Linux?

If you don’t know what Linux is, a quick skim through the intro paragraph from my Linux Guide post should get you up to speed. But in simple terms, Linux or certain Linux distros (variations) are open source operating systems which serve as an alternative to Windows or MacOS.

Setting up a Business

Setting up a business, regardless of the size, requires a lot of work. One particular task is purchasing and setting up desktop workstations and servers for your business. A common and very popular choice has always been Windows. Setting up your computers to your specification on all the machines, connecting to them to your network, and maybe setting up your own server is only the initial setup. After that, you need to do regular maintenance, at least once a month, so that you make sure that your software is up to date, security patches are installed, anti-virus checks, security audits, etc.

Economic benefits.

Windows 10 (Home) currently costs 140 USD. The price of Windows 11 is still not clear. However, the Home edition might not be enough for your business. You might require the Pro or Enterprise Edition depending on your needs which will cost much more. But, assuming that the Home edition is fine, check out the example cost:

For a 10-team business that requires 10 desktop computers, the total cost of licenses required would be 1400 USD at minimum. This is in addition to the cost of the hardware, and the licenses for anti-virus software that you might have to install.

On the other hand, if you choose Linux, it is completely free. This is because it is open source. No licenses to purchase and no anti-virus softwares to install. This is also because it is so much more secure. Because of its open source nature, it has been vetted by thousands of security experts. It also has the advantage of having less viruses made for it as it is less popular.

You will be saving so much money as your team begins to quickly expand. Otherwise, you will be spending unnecessarily when you are cash constrained as a small business.

Security (NO VIRUSES!)

As I said before, Linux is much more secure by default. A new system, is completely locked down, and its security and privilege settings are very granular. This allows you to have a very restrictive and secure setup. You will also have no fear of viruses.

In addition to that, being open source means that the moment a security vulnerability is identified, you can install the update or patch to fix it almost instantly. This is because it is more quickly identified and there are more people working on it.

Reliability

Linux is much more stable and reliable. It has been used on servers for years and very rarely crashes. Windows on the other hand is quite error-prone and needs frequent restarts and updates. On Linux, once set up, you don’t need to worry about anything.

Even when it comes to updates, it is completely your choice. If you don’t want to update anything, you don’t have to. You are not forced to update anything.

Conclusion

Linux offers you a level of flexibility that you can not get anywhere. Give it a chance, and I am sure you will find it helpful. Lastly, certain companies offer paid services or subscriptions for support, incase you would like to reach out to an actual person and get help.

I hope you found this article helpful. Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me incase of any queries. Thanks!