{"id":5107,"date":"2025-04-21T07:51:30","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T07:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/?page_id=5107"},"modified":"2025-04-21T17:34:05","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T17:34:05","slug":"linux","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/linux\/","title":{"rendered":"Linux"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Linux compared with Windows<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5109 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Linux.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"199\" height=\"199\" \/><\/h1>\n<p>Linux is an operating system known for its versatility and customization. It&#8217;s widely used but is not often seen in computer shops. There are many hundred different variants (called distros) of Linux, like Mint, Ubuntu, and Debian, each tailored for different needs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Advantages over Windows:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Open-Source and Free:<\/strong> Linux is mostly free to use and modify, making it accessible to everyone.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Customization:<\/strong> Linux offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing users to alter almost every aspect of the OS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Security:<\/strong> It has strong security features and fewer vulnerabilities compared to Windows.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Efficiency:<\/strong> Linux often runs faster and uses system resources more efficiently, especially on older hardware.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Disadvantages:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Learning Curve:<\/strong> Linux can be challenging for beginners unfamiliar with its look and feel.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Software Compatibility:<\/strong> Some programs (e.g., certain games or professional software) may not be available for Linux or require extra steps to run. For example Chrome and MS Office are not available.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hardware Support:<\/strong> Some devices might not have optimized drivers for Linux, leading to compatibility issues.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Community-Based Support:<\/strong> While there&#8217;s extensive online help, it may not match the dedicated customer support of Windows.<\/li>\n<li><strong>When Converting:<\/strong> if you want to convert your existing computer to Linux, you will want to ensure your important data, websites and passwords are saved somewhere first!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Linux is excellent for users who value control, security, and efficiency, while Windows may be preferable for those needing extensive software compatibility or a simpler user experience.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 97.8182%; height: 218px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 51.9601%;\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Your LINUX Questions answered<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 10px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 10px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I use Google to search for things?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 10px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 80px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 10px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I use Google Chrome browser?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 10px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">No. You can use Firefox or many other web browsers but not Chrome<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 80px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 24px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I use Microsoft Word, Excel, etc?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 24px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">Yes, but online only through your browser.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 56px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 21px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I use classic Outlook for my email?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 21px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">No, you need to use Outlook online<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 56px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 20px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I open PDF attachments, like bills?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 20px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 104px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 42px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I get Apps from a \u201cStore\u201d?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 42px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">There is no centralised \u201cStore\u201d, but there are many thousands of Apps freely available<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 80px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 40px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I use LibreOffice to create Word compatible documents etc?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 40px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">Yes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 56px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 10px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I use Firefox browser?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 10px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 56px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 18px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I use Edge browser?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 18px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 56px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 10px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I use Artificial Intelligence?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 10px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">Yes, this is mostly done via a web browser<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 56px;\">\n<td style=\"height: 13px; width: 51.9601%;\" width=\"301\"><strong>Can I use games, like Solitaire?<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"height: 13px; width: 73.5988%;\" width=\"301\">Yes but it depends on the type of game<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Linux compared with Windows Linux is an operating system known for its versatility and customization. <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/linux\/\">More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5107","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"campaignId":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5107"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5129,"href":"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5107\/revisions\/5129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.computerfriendlystalbans.org.uk\/computer-friendly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}