Linux speeds up tired computers

Linux is considered by many to be the operating system for geeks. Linux can be very easy to use. It’s free, secure, and sustainable anyway: It works on computers that Windows abandoned long ago.

Cologne – Linux. What was that again? Exactly: OS with a penguin as an icon animal. Linux rarely runs on private computers.

For a simple reason: “The average computer user usually buys their computer with a pre-installed operating system like Windows and usually has no incentive to do the work and install Linux,” explains Keywan Tonekaboni of the specialist magazine “c’t”.

The focus is mostly. Because there are four good reasons to get a penguin on your computer:

The first reason: freedom and flexibility

“With Linux, the focus is on the freedom of the user,” says Matthias Willendorf of the portal “Inside-digital.de”. In principle, anyone can reprogram the system or develop it according to his own ideas. “Free also means that it is free. The operating system can be downloaded for free and installed on any number of computers.”

There are also working interfaces that differ only slightly from Windows in terms of appearance and operation. “Linux is basically made up of a number of individual parts. The basis is the kernel, the core of the operating system, which is combined with other components such as the graphical user interface. This combination is then referred to as the distribution,” Willendorf explains.

The good thing: Linux distributions for everyone have been around for years. “Ubuntu, Mint, and Manjaro are beginner-friendly distros,” says Wellendorf. “It’s easy to use, has great hardware support, and features a wide range of software.” Distrowatch.com provides an overview of the available Linux distributions.

For example, the easy-to-use Manjaro software comes with an Office package, mail program, browser, video player, image processing, and much more. What is missing can easily be installed afterwards. “There is a software solution to every problem,” Matthias Willendorf says with certainty.

The second reason: security and privacy

Important Security Feature of Linux: Keywan Tonekaboni explains that an installed Office package such as Libre Office is not as closely integrated with the operating system as Microsoft Office is with Windows. For example, the infamous viruses in Office documents cannot harm Linux.

And as a Linux user, you are also well protected from other malware. “Because the number of users is small, there is practically no malware for Linux,” says Hubert Popiolek of Computer Bild. That’s why you can do without antivirus programs completely with Linux. This saves computing power. Popiolek says privacy is also better protected under Linux. There is no data collection there.

What many do not know: Linux is not a regular guest on private computers, but it is more prevalent in everyday life than you think. “The Android smartphone operating system, for example, is based on Linux, just as many Internet services run on Linux servers or smart home devices that use Linux under the hood,” says Tonekaboni.

Reason three: testing and parallel operation without risk

Linux is easy to try out without changing one to the computer. Here’s how it works: Load the operating system as an image (ISO file) from the project page for the required distribution, such as Manjaro. This is then converted to a USB memory stick that is at least four gigabytes (GB) in size using what is called a flash tool, such as imprinted. Instructions can also be found on YouTube.

The computer can then be restarted from the USB drive into Linux in what’s called live mode, Tonekaboni explains. The computer hard drive is not written in live mode.

For whom Linux appeals to, it can also install as a permanent operating system from live mode – either as a Windows alternative or parallel to Windows. In the second case, the computer always asks after startup if you want to restart Windows or Linux. Warning: Back up data necessarily before installation.

Reason 4: Works fine on old computers

For example, while Windows 11 places very high demands on hardware, simplicity is the main advantage of Linux. “Linux gives old computers a second lease of life, so to speak,” says Keywan Tonekaboni. Linux components are also supported for a lot longer: Old computers or laptops that are on strike, turbulent or lame under Windows can often continue to be used under Linux.

When in doubt, make the adjustments down: A Linux distribution can also be compiled without performance-hungry parts, explains Matthias Willendorf. Example: Ubuntu has a size of 2.9 GB, while the light version of Lubuntu has only 0.7 GB. dpa