Wow! I never expected a little image I made early in the morning just to make a filler post would get to the front page of Digg, and Mixx!
This post is to reply to all the comments which where made in favor of the popularity of Windows. I don’t believe Windows is more vulnerable to viruses simply because it’s more popular and that’s why people write viruses for them.
I know anti-viruses are programs like ClamAV, rather than Linux itself - I just though claiming Ubuntu to be an “antivirus” would be a good joke (because I saw a similar “serious” article about it in PCWorld - my wish was to emphasize that with Linux, you are restriction-free, glitch-free, and virus-free (except in extremely rare cases).
No. Linux is open source, you have more eyes looking at the source, developing the system, creating different patches. Yesterday I listened to an episode of the TLLTS podcast and they said that most of the holes get patched in 24 to 48 hours. So that’s a big difference. And Linux does have a solid market share in the server world.
March 10th, 2008 at 17:45
I see that nonsense about “security through obscurity” at lease once a week. There can only be three reasons for someone promoting it:
1. Ignorance
2. Willful ignorance
3. Malicious ignorance
If you encounter such miscreants in the future, you may want to include one or more following links in your rebuttal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_through_obscurity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_by_design
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=379
BTW, I predict that picture will become a classic. Nice work.
March 10th, 2008 at 17:55
Interesting links. Thanks for the kind words
March 10th, 2008 at 22:44
“Linux has a solid market in the server world.”
It does in the webserver, but that has little to nothing to do with security and a whole lot more to do with what people know and are familiar with. It also has a little to do with licensing and the fact that Microsoft was actually somewhat late in the game to the webserver front.
Another reason linux has a solid market in the server world is because it’s traditionally far less resource hungry and nearly every distribution out there comes with information on how to setup LAMP, the most popular use (and one of the few uses or it) in the server world.
March 10th, 2008 at 22:55
Now THAT pic will make linux sell!
March 12th, 2008 at 03:52
The only thing keeping me from switching to Linux is Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Flash, …
The only thing keeping me from switching to Linux is Adobe.
March 12th, 2008 at 18:33
I am using Linux only for server, on workstation keeping Windows - more usefull (for me)
March 23rd, 2008 at 12:34
Why oh why do I so much admire and even love LINUX?
I just don’t know. I am a windows user that wish for the speed of a linux power box with software that could replace the windows versions.
Once I have the time I quess I will come around to install a copy of Linux on a spare computer…
What we need is more and more people like you Greg, who even unknowingly get people to talk about Linux.
Quite a creative soul in the morning, are you not Greg?
March 27th, 2008 at 21:43
“quote”
Marcus Says:
The only thing keeping me from switching to Linux is Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Flash, …
The only thing keeping me from switching to Linux is Adobe.
Try Ubuntu + VirtualBox
VirtualBox is very easy to set up and will allow you to run windows as a virtual machine where you can run your adobe software. With an up to date system and a healthy dose of system ram your virtual machine will practically run like a standalone pc, if not faster…
May 10th, 2008 at 01:19
Thanks for referencing VirtualBox, Mike. I’ve never heard of it before, which is weird because I’m pretty knowledgeable in that field (emulators and VMs.)
The knowledge… It feeds me. It is meat.
May 14th, 2008 at 05:26
One thing lots of folks tend to overlook when they discuss the “popularity” of Windows vs. Linux with regards to the amount of virii is the kernel protection.
Windows comes with at least 3 ways to easily destroy your system with very little privilege (vsb, active-x, wsh, etc) and does very little to protect the registry from being corrupted or destroyed. Linux imposes heavier restrictions in this arena by default, so it’s harder to figure out a way to break it.
My 2 cents: If Linux were more popular and people had to learn how to write operating system, or machine, code in order to execute a limited exploit, I think they’d still hammer Windows because it’s so much more accessible and a blackhat hacker gains just as much enjoyment from ruining one persons day as he does a thousand
BTW - Where do I get that version of Ubuntu, and can the version with that box be sent in a plain brown wrapper so my wife doesn’t kill me?
, Mike
October 7th, 2008 at 05:07
Thank you for the great post.
October 7th, 2008 at 05:08
Very interesting, well done.
October 7th, 2008 at 05:09
Linux is becoming more and more popular…
October 7th, 2008 at 05:11
Awesome post, interesting read.
November 13th, 2008 at 00:44
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