Computing
Is
computing a green issue ? Yes.
Computers run on operating systems, which
make the
machine do useful work. Microsoft Windows© is an O.S. Apple Mac
runs its own incompatible O.S. These are closed operating systems. They
belong to powerful commercial corporations. Their inner workings are
completely secret; the user can do nothing to change them. You pay for
the O.S. and the programs which run on it . You take it or leave it.
These corporations protect their secrets and will do anything to attack
the opposition.
But there is an alternative O.S. which is completely
free; you don't pay anything for it. And you don't pay for the
programs. It is also free in the sense that you can change anything
inside the O.S. to suit your needs. It has no viruses. It is the result
of co-operation,
not competition. It works just like the commercial O.S.'s; you can send
e-mail, check websites, buy goods safely on-line, write and print
letters, produce images - everything which Windows© and the
Mac© can do. The Internet runs on this free O.S., not on
Windows©.
It's called Linux.
How can a modern operating system possibly be
maintained and distributed at no cost ? There are two reasons :
1. Thousands of unpaid volunteers work on developing Linux and
the programs it uses; and
2. A few corporations support Linux through donations and lending
their employees, partly out of generosity and partly for clever
self-interest.
So why isn't
Linux more widely used ?
1.
Microsoft© and Apple© spend enormous amounts on advertising.
You bear the cost of this advertising every time you buy one of their
products. Linux spends nothing.
2. Almost
every computer on sale has Windows or the Mac O.S. already installed.
Even though Linux is free, most buyers don't want the extra task of
installing a new operating system.
3. Linux
used to be complicated to install and use. This is no longer true. It's
a simple job to install Linux and its programs are just as easy to use
as programs on Windows© or the Mac©.
4. People are scared to use an O.S. which is not accepted as the
standard.
Fortunately
things
are changing. It's now possible, with a bit of searching, to find a
computer with Linux already installed. So you don't pay the 'Windows
tax'. Or you can easily learn the basics and install Linux yourself or
find a friend who can do it for you.
Worldwide, more and more governments, commercial
organisations, schools and universities are switching to Linux and
saving vast amounts of money. The London Stock Exchange has just
switched from Microsoft© Windows© to Linux. India will soon
produce a laptop computer for 200 million children using the Linux O.S.
Are there any snags ?
One problem is that there isn't just one version of
Linux - there are dozens of variations with different names and
different mixes of software. Underneath they are all the same but they
look a bit different and may be more or less easy to use.
There are some absolutely safe recommendations,
however. You can't go wrong with these 'distributions' (or 'distros')
of Linux :
Ubuntu (an African
word which means 'for all human beings')
PCLinuxOS
Fedora
Mint
Mandriva
Simply
MEPIS
You can get the installation disks from websites
like Linux Emporium at a
very low cost or you can buy a monthly magazine like Linux Format which includes
Linux distros on a DVD-ROM. Another route is to download the distro
direct from the website on the Internet. Desktop computers with Linux
already installed are available from Linux Emporium and the Linux Shop.
You can find tons of advice about Linux at
this website Linux
help
If you don't like a particular distro of Linux, just
try another one - free !
So why is computing a green issue ?
# Free and Open Source Software (F.O.S.S.) removes
computing from the powerful centralised corporations and brings it down
to grass-roots level where ordinary people can control an important
part of their lives in the 21st Century.
# Linux runs well on low-power and old computers;
commercial operating systems need more and more powerful machines every
year. This means that more older machines are thrown into the tip.
# Linux computing is cheaper, which means that it is
more available to poor people and countries. This could help them to
improve
their lifestyles and access information on health, education, economic
activities and ideas.
One Laptop Per Child is a programme which is enabling young people in
the Third World to use computing in a more sustainable way; these
laptops need no mains electricity supply.
# Linux connects computing with the needs of the
individual, the small town,
the African village or the smallest enterprise.
Why Linux is Better
History of Linux
Free Linux book
P.S. The Internet is now worth £100 billion a year to the U.K.
economy, almost as much as the financial sector.