5 Reasons Why Your Business Should Use Linux (and one very good one why it shouldn't)

Having just bought myself an Acer Aspire One I've been introduced to Linux with all the ease and gentleness that a flying brick might be introduced to a man's face; and like that man, I've emerged from the ordeal with a very different outlook.  Unlike that man, however, my experience has, on the whole, been positive, and has left me with a lot to think about.

There's a secret joy to Linux, and - like many things in life - it lies in your interpretation of its little nuances and eccentricities.  It does its job as an operating system brilliantly and efficiently, more so than anything I've ever used, but it comes with so many things that people would consider "downsides" that the lay-person rarely even gets the chance to consider using it, but its all a matter of perspective.  Often, things that may be a "downside" in a particular situation have benefits in another.

With this in mind, I present 10 reasons why your business should use Linux:

1. Its Free

There's no argument here (or, at least, no sensible ones).  Linux does its job, and it does it for free.  No licensing costs, no costs for updates.  Linux is free like roadkill for dinner.

2. It Works

I know, the idea that (relatively) anonymous strangers on the Internet can collaborate to produce anything other than fake celebrity pornography and crudely drawn penises amazes me too, but there is just no denying that Linux works, and it works solidly.  From my own personal experience, I have yet to have any kind of performance issue or crash with Linux, and my Acer Aspire is running a particular brand (Linpus Lite Fedora with a customised XFCE desktop) that can boot in UNDER A MINUTE.  Take that Windows XP.

3. Its Tailored

Being Open Source means anyone can tinker with Linux all they want, and produce a new version.  While this may sound scary and unstable, so long as you stick to the major, trusted brands of Linux (Fedora, Red Hat, etc - all tried and tested by millions) you can get a version that does what you want, and ONLY what you want.  In a business environment, this means no more training people to "click start and look under Programs -> Office -> Accesories ...".  You can easily set Linux up so that your users can just click the big button marked "DO OFFICE STUFF".

4. Theres A Wealth Of Support Available

I'm just going to come out and say it.  Lets be honest, 75% of IT problems are solved by looking up the Microsoft Knowledge Database and finding the answer.  Well, if you squint a bit and tilt your head to once side, you can see that Linux has an EVEN BIGGER knowledge database.  Its called google.

With thousands of people already using Linux and offering support and tutorials for others, the only difference between Linux and Windows in this way is the centralization of the knowledge on Microsoft's site.

5. Its Really, Really, Really Complicated

Wait.  I know what you're thinking, but this really is a very good thing.

By trying to make itself as easy-to-use and accessible as possible, Windows opens the floodgates to your untrained excel monkeys to start messing with settings and playing with things.  Linux, on the other hand, is very, very difficult to play with, to the point that almost every alteration to the system needs to be done through linux's terminal command-line-interface.  Linking back to what I said about Linux's customisation, remove access to the terminal and suddenly it becomes very, very hard to mess with the system - to the point I could let my nephew loose on it and, short of drooling on the keyboard, he wouldn't be able to damage it.

All these reasons aside, however, there's a very good reason why you shouldn't use Linux - a reason which, as someone with managerial experience myself, would make me doubt the possibilities of using Linux.

There's No-One To Blame When It Goes Wrong

The anonymity behind which Linux is developed might promote its portability and customisation, but it also means that, when things go wrong, there's no-one to blame.

Perhaps this is the reason IT technicians often prefer to train in Microsoft certification - if they come up against a problem they can't solve, their training absolves them from responsibility.  They can simply blame Microsoft, and Microsoft is a big enough company to carry it.  If a problem arises with Linux, responsibility stops with the IT technician.

Now, personally, I would say that this is the mark of a good IT technician.  If I might romanticize a moment, an IT technician that takes responsibility for his work and doesn't just rely on the Microsoft knowledge base is one who takes a commendable risk, and puts their keister on the line for his or her work.

In my opinion, an IT technician who takes that risk and uses a Linux system is saving himself a lot of work in fixing and optimizing a system not perfectly designed for their needs.  Using Linux could save a company time, money and effort, and it all hinges on one person taking a risk and taking pride in their work.

So consider this a challenge to the world of IT - do you have what it takes to work with Linux?