Security, Security And Usability Of Windows And Linux

An operating system (OS) is the main component of computer software and acts as the intermediary between the hardware of the computer and the software programs. Windows is an operating system used by many personal computers and businesses and is familiar to most computer users. Linux is not often found on a store-bought PC and is mainly used as a server’s OS or to host online services. Both are marketed toward two very diverse groups of computer users, but can give their users a similar feeling of freedom and accessibility. Security, compatibility, and usability of Windows and Linux share various components from one another, but are unique between each operating system. Security is a principle component of any OS, and although both Windows …show more content…
Windows has great stability and is widely used around the world, but due to its extensive range of software capabilities, it is often more prone to viruses than Linux. In comparison, both offer a similar degree of protection, but Linux is not targeted as harshly as Windows because of their popularity difference. When the Windows OS is initially installed onto the preferred hardware, it automatically gives the user administrator controls and full access to all software programs. This ease of access provides a way for viruses and other forms of malicious software to use the administrator permissions and manipulate the operating system. Unlike Windows, Linux does not give the initial user any administrator permissions, or root access, after installation to avoid any complications with malware from the start of the system. Since Linux is open source and the code is accessible to anyone, any code flaws are usually found and resolved quickly by a member of the OS distribution community. Windows is privatized and does not leave their system openly sourced, so any …show more content…
Most popular programs are compatible with Windows, due to its high popularity with most personal computers. Linux is not a usual OS found on PCs, but it has a large variety of downloadable programs in its own repositories of application files. Linux users usually do not have the luxury of accessing as many programs as Windows users, but many program developers build their projects for multiple operating systems. Although Linux lacks the variety of downloadable programs that Windows has, it is easily compatible with various kinds of hardware. Windows is only limited to computers, servers, and some phones, while Linux can be installed on computers, servers, phones, consoles, mainframes, and supercomputers. Both operating systems share some software and hardware compatibility, but due to how diversely the systems work, there are some