Table of Contents

The Essential Checklist for Choosing an Operating System

What is Operating System:

An operating system is a type of software that deals with the computer’s hardware so that the user can use the computer system. Without the operating system, your computer is just useless.

The operating system manages important computer resources such as Central processing unit (CPU), Memory Unit, I/O devices, Connection devices etc.

The operating system is usually divided into two important types:

Open-Source Operating System:

Those operating systems which are openly accessed able to their users, usually its audience belong to those types of users who want to use this system for a specific purpose, and they want proper efficiency in that task according to their desire.

There are some advantages that open-source operating systems will provide you like:

These are free of cost and free to modify.
Due to modification, these are highly customizable.
It has a lower cost than the close source operating system.
It is more secure as the code can be accessible to anyone.
Since it is accessible, therefore you can also access support as there is a large number of sources where you can get support.

Likewise, there are some disadvantages too in open source, like:

These types of operating systems are not easy to learn easily since they require training properly and they require huge effort to learn them.
Lack of documentation, because usually, they are incomplete or absent.
There are many developments done day by day, so it is hard to identify which is the current latest version usually.
Sometimes in an open-source operating system, it is hard to get technical support since it is an open source and when you modify it, then it’s hard to track the issue, so at that time you would rely on the community of users as support.

Examples of Open-Source Operating systems:

There is a wide variety of open sources but some of them are:

Linux
Unix
Ubuntu
Linux Kernel
Fedora
CentOs
Arch Linux

Close-Source Operating System:

In those types of operating systems, in which code is not accessible to its users, only its developers can access this code for further modifications. Generally, these systems are paid software.

Some of the advantages of close-source operating systems are:

Sometimes these operating systems are usually more secure, since their code is not accessible, it takes time to crack it.
Full support is available from the vendor if you are stuck on some problem.
Usually, the bugs in that software will be corrected through software updates.
You can run this software on multiple platforms.
These systems are reliable since you have proper support and fewer bugs occur.

Likewise, there are some disadvantages too in open source, like:

You cannot make custom modifications since it is a close source.
It costs a great amount of money for these operating systems and their addons too since these are usually paid software
It requires an authorized license
Since it does not provide source code therefore might be a privacy risk for users.
There might be some problems that occur, and fixing or repairing of code will never come.

Examples of Open-Source Operating systems:

There is a wide variety of open sources but some of them are:

Microsoft Windows
Mac OS
Chrome OS
Copland

Ubuntu Operating System:

I have chosen the Ubuntu Operating system since it has a very vast user community which can help me to solve the Ubuntu problems I will face in the future. Another important reason to choose Ubuntu is its updates because every update of Ubuntu makes your operating system more polished than the previous one.
Some of its important features are: