Choosing an Operating System
Counting both systems and versions, you have many operating systems to
choose from. If youre planning to run Microsoft Windows, you have to choose
which version, a choice with signi?cant technical and performance implica-
tions. If youre planning to run Linux on your PC, you still have to choose
which distribution (essentially, which companys enhancements to and packag-
ing of the standard Linux) and which version of that distribution. Linux isnt
yet suitable for a beginner who doesnt have a captive expert nearby, but its
made great strides in the last few years, and the day when a beginner can suc-
ceed unaided with Linux isnt far off.
Windows
There are two technically distinct Windows architectures. One what well
call Win9X in this book originated with Windows 95, a successor to
Windows 3.1 and ultimately DOS, and inherited both compatibility bene?ts and
reliability problems from its parents. The other architecture originated with
Windows NT, and is available today as Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Windows
2000 and Windows XP are the most reliable versions of Windows, but are not
necessarily compatible with all the software and hardware built for Win9X.
Practically, however, there are only three useful versions of Windows: Windows
98 Second Edition (Win98 SE), Windows 2000, or Windows XP. No version of
Windows prior to Windows 98 Second Edition (Win98 SE) is more stable, and
SE includes Universal Serial Bus (USB) support without additional patching.
Windows Millennium Edition came after Win98 SE, but introduced many relia-
bility problems.
Our bias is to run Windows 2000. Windows XP is technically superior to
Windows 2000 and offers some very nice added features, but we prefer not to
deal with Microsofts Windows Product Activation (WPA). We properly license
every copy of all the software we run its the right thing to do, and intellec-
tual property is what keeps authors fed but there are enough documented
cases of WPA failing and shutting down properly licensed machines that we
choose not to deal with it. The machines we do work on run Windows 2000.
However, choosing between Windows XP and Windows 2000 is far less signi?-
cant than choosing one of them over Win9X. Win9X is far less secure, and its
fundamental design creates inherent stability problems. Windows XP and
Windows 2000 are more secure, more robust, and more stable than any version
of Win9X can ever be. Unless you must run software that operates only under
Windows 98, you should use Windows XP or Windows 2000. Most software that
runs under Windows 98 will run under Windows XP or Windows 2000, even if
not explicitly labeled and supported by the manufacturer. If you can, try the
software to see. The most common limitation preventing you from using soft-
ware on the newer operating systems is hardware the manufacturer supports
only for Windows 98, in which case you might be stuck.
Linux and UNIX
The many varieties of UNIX are mostly used to run servers, computers used to
perform tasks remotely for you across a network. Of the nonproprietary ver-
sions of UNIX, the two best known are Linux and FreeBSD. Both are available
from a variety of companies; we use the Linux versions from Red Hat or
Mandrake, and the FreeBSD version from FreeBSD Mall (formerly Walnut Creek
CD-ROM). Linux is the most widely used version, but all versions of UNIX are
less common than Windows on desktop computers because of these factors:
? Limited device support Device drivers are not as widely available
for UNIX as for Windows. Manufacturers usually write Windows driv-
ers for new hardware ?rst and may never write drivers for any ver-
sion of UNIX. Independent programmers are typically left to write
those drivers, often without support from the hardware developer.
? Relatively complex administration Installing and con?guring
UNIX is more of a manual process than that for Windows, requiring
more knowledge of the operating systems internal design. Users
without support from knowledgeable system administrators may not
be able to make the system do everything they want without invest-
ing a lot of time and effort. Linux developers in particular have
invested a great deal of effort in simplifying system administration in
recent years, but the task remains harder than it is for Windows.
? Limited training Windows has been the dominant operating sys-
tem for so long that nearly all computer users know something about
how to use it. Until recently, versions of UNIX although similar in
some ways to Windows were different enough that untrained users
would not be successful using the operating system. Realizing that
massive retraining is unlikely, Linux developers have attacked that
problem by leveraging Windows know-how, writing software to make
Linux system administration tools and application programs more
like their Windows equivalents.
The UNIX community is investing a lot of effort into improving the tools for
managing and con?guring systems, to the point where its possible that within
a few years a na?ve computer user will have the ability to successfully choose
UNIX instead of Windows or Macintosh.
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