Republic of the Philippines

DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY

STO. TOMAS CAMPUS
Moras dela Paz, Sto. Tomas, Pampanga

Difference of Windows and Linux Operating

System

Prepared by:

Aguas, Andrei Phillipe G.

Gatdula, Jemark R.
Go, Cathrina Jane B.
Mallari, James Anthony N.
Pineda, Jashmin S.

Submitted to:

Mr. John Daryl J. Soliman

Instructor
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Introduction

What is Operating System?

An Operating System is the most important program that is first loaded on a computer when you first

switch on the system. The communication between a user and a system takes place with the help of an operating

system. It translates the instructions given by the user in a high-level language to machine language, which a

computer can understand. It acts as an intermediary between a user and computer hardware and provides an

environment required to execute different programs efficiently. An operating system is the most important software

that runs on a computer. It manages the computer's memory and processes, as well as all of its software and

hardware. It also allows you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer's

language. Without an operating system, a computer is useless.

What is operating system's job?

Your computer's operating system (OS) manages all of the software and hardware on the computer. Most of

the time, there are several different computer programs running at the same time, and they all need to access your

computer's central processing unit (CPU), memory, and storage. The operating system coordinates all of this to

make sure each program gets what it needs. The OS helps you to communicate with the computer without knowing

how to speak the computer’s language. It is not possible for the user to use any computer or mobile device without

having an operating system.

Types of operating systems

Operating systems usually come pre-loaded on any computer you buy. Most people use the operating

system that comes with their computer, but it's possible to upgrade or even change operating systems. The three

most common operating systems for personal computers are Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux.

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The dispute over which operating system is the best is almost as old as computers themselves. One thing

which should be clear before we get started: there’s not just one answer to that question. Furthermore, the old

“Windows is for normal users, but pros use Linux” saying is no longer quite as justified. Each operating system

has its advantages and disadvantages. Our aim is to compare the most significant aspects, so that each user can

decide for themselves whether or not to switch or stick.

Windows is a series of operating systems, computer operating system (OS) developed by Microsoft for

personal desktops/devices or computer (PC). Each operating system comes with a graphical user interface (GUI)

with a desktop that allows a user to view all files, videos, etc. It is designed to run on x86 hardware such as AMD,

Intel processors. So windows OS comes with almost all company that made PC’s or laptops.

Linux is an open-source operating system based on UNIX, created in 1991. It is software which sites

underneath of all other software on a computer. Users can modify the existing code and create distributions from it as

it is an open-source operating system. Linux is mostly used as a server – as most of the web pages over the internet

are generated from Linux servers.

What is Windows Operating System?

Microsoft Windows has been top dog in the world of operating

systems for decades, only really suffering losses in recent years. In the

mobile sector, Android has gained in popularity, and given the incredible

speed at which the smartphone market is developing, Windows is no

longer able to keep pace. But if you own a desktop PC or laptop, the chances are that you probably have Windows

installed – unless of course you’re an Apple user. But that’s an entirely different, and even older, argument.

Windows has been around since 1985, and ever since its first release it has had a decisive influence on the

functions and design of graphical operating systems. Indeed, one of the reasons for its popularity is that most people

are familiar with using it. And at the same time, it is the user-oriented design of Windows which has made it so

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successful. However, Microsoft has also always been subject to a lot of criticism. Windows users all know, for

example, that the system crashes from time to time, and the blue screen of death has become legendary.

On the other hand, the fact that Windows has been the market leader for so many years is what gives it one

of its biggest advantages as far as users are concerned: the range of software available for Windows is unmatchable.

Practically every program released today is compatible with Windows, whereas with other operating systems, it’s not

uncommon for there to be no compatible version, because the development effort involved would be too great for too

small a target audience. In addition, there are also Microsoft’s own products, primarily the Office Suite, which very

few users are willing to do without. But market leadership also has its disadvantages: Computers running Windows

are more frequently subject to cyber-attacks. On Windows systems, the favored method of attack is the introduction

of viruses and malware. This is due to several factors, including the system’s widespread distribution, the type of

users (in that the latter, unlike Linux users, tend to have little in-depth IT knowledge), and the complexity of the

program structure, which makes it difficult to understand. Moreover, Microsoft is still somewhat reluctant about

adopting the open-source mindset, even though the very fact of making source code visible means it can be more

thoroughly checked for security flaws, because it is scrutinized by more people. The first version of Windows OS is

released in 1985, which is a simple GUI, an extension of the existing disk operating system (MS-DOS) and major

release. From my perspective, the 1995 consumer release has integrated windows and DOS with built-in internet

support. Most of the PC is currently running on the Windows operating system only. The latest Windows OS version

is Windows 11, which is currently ruling the market.

Other than that, Windows is a licensed operating system in which source code is inaccessible. It is

designed for the individuals with the perspective of having no computer programming knowledge and for business

and other commercial users. It is very simple and straightforward to use. Windows is extensible, portable and assists

multiple operating environments, symmetric multiprocessing and client-server computing. It offers integrated caching,

virtual memory, and preemptive scheduling. Its default user interface is Windows shell (Graphical). It uses hybrid

kernel in older versions micro kernel is mostly used.

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Advantages Disadvantages

✔ Beginner-friendly ✘ Overly complex

✔ Large range of software ✘ More frequently targeted by malware

✔ Pre-installed on many devices ✘ Not open source

✔ Comprehensive driver support ✘ Cost of licenses

What is a Linux Operating System?

To be precise, “Linux” as such does not actually exist. Its historical background

lies in the 1960s, with the development of Unix. However, Unix is a proprietary operating

system, which is why computer scientist Linus Torvalds developed an open-source

alternative in the early 1990s: the Linux kernel. During the course of the following

decades, various distributions were then developed based on this, for example Ubuntu. The kernel itself is only really

operational when combined with one of these distributions. Given that the various Linux distributions are mainly the

result of community-driven projects, commercial interests are rarely the focus of further development and distribution.

This means that none of the distributions can even hope to equal the marketing power behind Microsoft. It also

explains why many end users are only vaguely aware of Linux.

Today, most of the distributions have an understandable graphical user interface (GUI). Nonetheless,

newcomers to Linux are still faced with a number of hurdles. Whereas many Windows users never even come into

contact with the system console, in many Linux distributions, some applications can only be installed via the terminal.

Using console commands is therefore unavoidable in Linux. Since none of the Linux distributions are as widely used

as Windows, many software developers do not consider it worthwhile adapting their products for Linux.

Consequently, in terms of compatible software, the choice is far more limited for Linux than for the Microsoft

operating system. In the professional sector the difference is not quite so marked (for example, there are now Linux

compatible alternatives to the Office applications), but in the entertainment sector it’s a very different story computer

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games for Linux are few and far between for instance. But while it may be lacking in qualities as far as the

entertainment sector goes, Linux has gained fans because it is considered to be particularly stable and adaptable.

Whereas Windows attempts to hide as many system settings as possible, with Linux everything is accessible. Users

with the right knowledge have much more freedom.

Moreover, Linux is an open-source operating system based on UNIX, created in 1991. Linux operating

system also comes with a graphical user interface (GUI) with some necessary software that are used daily. It is also

used in desktop computers, mobile devices, gaming consoles, digital storing devices, eBook readers, cameras, and

video recorders with Linux running. It provides programming interface as well as user interface compatible with Unix

based systems and provides large variety applications. A Linux system also contains many separately developed

elements, resulting in Unix system which is fully compatible and free from proprietary code.

The traditional monolithic kernel is employed in Linux kernel for performance purpose, but its modular

feature allows most drivers to dynamically loaded and unloaded at runtime. Linux protects processes and is a

multiuser system. Inter-process communication is supported by both of mechanisms such as message queue,

shared memory and semaphore. An abstract layer is used in Linux to govern the different file systems, but to users,

the file system looks like a hierarchical directory tree. It also supports networked, device-oriented and virtual file

systems. Disk storage is accessed through a page cache which is unified with the virtual memory systems. To

minimize the duplication of shared data among different processes the memory management system uses page

sharing and copy-on-write. The default user interface of the given version is GNOME, Ubuntu Unity (in older

versions).

Advantages Disadvantages

✔ Mostly free ✘ Limited range of software

✔ Mostly open source ✘ Significant barriers to entry for those with little IT knowledge

✔ Very stable

✔ Extensive configuration possibilities

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The Difference of Windows and Linux Operating System

Basis for Linux Windows

Comparison

Access In Linux, the user has access to the source code of In windows, every user won’t have access to the
the kernel and alter the code according to his need. It source code; only members of the selected
has its own advantages, like bugs in OS will fix at a group will have access to it.
rapid pace and disadvantages like developers may
take advantage of any weakness in OS if they found.

Flavors or Variety Linux has various distributions which are highly Windows has very few customization options
customizable based on user needs. available.

Licensing In Linux with GPL- Licensed operating system, users In windows, with a Microsoft license, users won’t
are free to modify the software, can re-use in any have access to source code (can’t modify the
number of systems and even they can sell the software) and based on a number of licenses –
modified version. we can install only on those number of
computers.

Command-line In Linux, the command line is a very useful tool for In windows, we have a command line but can’t
administration and daily tasks but for end-users, it use a Linux command line. We need to go
doesn’t make much difference. running and enter cmd then the command line
will open.

Run level Linux has an inbuilt ability to stop at different run In windows, if we encounter any problem in order
levels; with this, we can work using a command line to fix it, we need to reboot at run level 3 as an
and GUI if anyone has an issue. administrator/ root to find and fix the problem.

Usability Linux is complicated to install but has the ability to Windows gives user’s a simple system to
complete complex tasks easier. operate, but it will take a longer time to install.

Support Linux has support via a huge community of user Windows has support that is easily accessible,
forums/websites and online search. online forums/ websites, and it has paid support
also.

Updates In Linux, users have full control of updates; we can In windows, updates will come at inconvenient
install whenever we needed, and it will take less time times, such as you are giving a print to the printer
without any reboot. but suddenly update pop up will come, which
makes users frustrate and took more time to
install.

Security Linux is more secure than windows, where hackers or Windows is the major target for developers of
developers of viruses will find it difficult to break viruses and malware, and it is most vulnerable
through Linux. without anti-virus software.

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Following is the Differences between Linux and Windows:

 Linux is an open-source operating system, whereas Windows OS is commercial.

 Linux has access to source code and alters the code as per user need, whereas Windows does not have

access to source code.

 Linux will run faster than windows latest editions, even with a modern desktop environment and features of

the operating system, whereas windows are slow on older hardware.

 Linux distributions don’t collect user data, whereas Windows collects all the user details, which leads to

privacy concern.

 Linux is more reliable then windows as in Linux, we can kill application if they hung through the x kill

command, whereas, in windows, we need to try multiple times to kill it.

 Linux supports a wide variety of free software’s than windows, but windows have a large collection of video

game software.

 In Linux software, the cost is almost free as all programs, utilities, complex applications such as open office

are free, but windows also have many free programs and utilities, but most of the programs are commercial.

 Linux is highly secure because it’s easy to identify bugs and fix, whereas Windows has a large user base

and becomes a target for developers of viruses and malware.

 Corporate organizations use Linux as servers and operating system for security purpose at Google,

Facebook, Twitter etc., whereas gamers and business users mostly use windows.

 Linux and windows have the same priority over hardware and driver support in the present situation.

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Comparison Chart

BASIS FOR COMPARISON LINUX WINDOWS

Cost Free of cost Expensive

Open source Yes No

Customizable Yes No

Security More secure Vulnerable to viruses and malware

attacks.

Booting Either primary or logical partition. Only primary partition.

Separation of the directories using Forward slash Back slash

File names Case sensitive Case insensitive

File system EXT2, EXT3, EXT4, Reisers FS, XFS FAT, FAT32, NTFS and ReFS
and JFS

Type of kernel used Monolithic kernel Microkernel

Efficiency Effective running efficiency Lower than Linux

Key Differences between Linux and Windows Operating System

 Linux is free and open source operating system whereas Windows is a commercial operating system whose
source code is inaccessible.
 Windows is not customizable as against Linux is customizable and a user can modify the code and can change
it’s the look and feel.
 Linux provides high security than windows because Linux is open source.
 Windows must boot from the primary partition. In contrast, there is no such constraint in Linux it can be booted
from either primary or logical partition.
 The separation of the directories is done using a backslash in windows. On the contrary, in Linux, these are
separated by using forward slash.
 In Linux, file names are case sensitive while windows file name are case-insensitive.
 Linux uses the monolithic kernel which consumes more running space whereas Windows uses the micro kernel
which takes less space but system running efficiency is lower than Linux.

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Windows vs. Linux

We prepare a bumper comparison table to help us to decide which operating system is suited for your

businesses, we have compiled the following table to compare the key points.

Windows Linux

Cost The latest Windows operating system has many different Most Linux distributions are free of charge (at
versions and pricing options. least for private users).

Licensing model Proprietary software. The Linux kernel and most of the distributions
are open source and (often) available under a
GNU General Public License (GPU).

User-friendliness From the outset, Windows was designed to be as simple While it’s true that Ubuntu in particular is
to use as possible, even for users with no IT knowledge. relatively easy for Windows users to grasp, with
most of the other Linux distributions, there are
significant barriers to entry for newcomers.

Graphical user Microsoft set standards with its Windows GUI. Users of Linux distributions have many
interface freedoms in designing the GUI and can even do
away with it altogether.

Support Windows offers a large range of support services, both Linux support comes from the extensive user
within the system and online. There is also community. You can find an answer to almost
comprehensive specialist literature available aimed at every problem in the online forums and Wikis.
users with various levels of knowledge.

Software Most software released is compatible with Windows. There are far fewer applications designed
specifically for Linux, although some Windows
programs can run on Linux.

Installing programs Programs are installed by downloading them from In Linux, the majority of programs, drivers and
websites or from physical storage media. packages are supplied via fixed repositories.

Uninstalling programs When programs are uninstalled, some components In Linux, programs are always completely
remain on the system. removed.

Hardware Windows drivers are available for almost any hardware. Hardware support is more limited. Some drivers
are not available immediately.

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Windows Linux

Reliability Although the stability of Windows has improved in recent Linux and its distributions are known for being
years, most Linux distributions are still far superior in this very stable to run.
respect.

Security Windows systems are regularly threatened by viruses Linux systems are only attacked very rarely.
and other malware.

Speed Windows is known for slowing down the longer it is used. Linux generally runs very quickly.

Updates Users are sometimes forced to install updates. Most Each user decides which updates they want to
updates are stable. install. These are sometimes experimental and
therefore not recommended for all users.

Trial version You can download and install a trial version of Windows Since most of the distributions are free of
without paying for a license. charge, you can easily try them out. Many of
them can even run off a USB flash drive, so you
don’t even need to install them.

Types of user Windows is targeted at all types of user, from occasional Using Linux requires a minimum level of
to expert. Due to the wide range of Windows-compatible specialist knowledge. Furthermore, since many
software, the operating system is suitable for professional computer games are only available in limited
use as well as for entertainment purposes. versions, Linux distributions tend to be more
suited to professional IT users.

Following are the important differences between Linux and Windows.

Key Linux Windows

Open Source Linux is Open Source and is free to use. Windows is not open source and is not free to use.

Case sensitivity Linux file system is case sensitive. Windows file system is case insensitive.

kernel type Linux uses monolithic kernel. Windows uses micro kernel.

Efficiency Linux is more efficient in operations as compared to Windows is less efficient in operations.
Windows.

Path Seperator Linux uses forward slash as path seperator Windows uses backward slash as a path seperator.
between directorioes.

Security Linux is highly secure as compared to Windows. Windows provides less security as compared to Linux.

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Conclusion: Which operating system is right for you?

In many ways, Linux beats its competitor, Microsoft. The open-source solutions are known for their stability,

security and speed. However, to benefit from these advantages, you have to take a closer look at the operating

system. Getting started is not particularly easy with any of the current Linux distributions. To get the system set up

perfectly, you will need to acquire quite a bit of knowledge and really get to grips with its subtleties. Without this, you

won’t have much luck with Linux.

In contrast, Windows is designed to operate out of the box, and it achieves this somewhat better than its

reputation might lead you to believe. In recent years, Microsoft has made significant improvements to its operating

system. Users looking for a functional system, which does not require extensive configuration, are especially likely to

be satisfied with Windows. Its ease of use combined with extensive compatibility makes Windows a good choice

for most users. However, to get a better idea of which operating system would suit you best, why not simply give

Linux a try? Most of the distributions are available online free of charge, and you can even run the second operating

system on a virtual machine without making changes to your current system. Another option is to use a bootable

USB drive and take advantage of the fact that many Linux distributions do not need to be installed on a hard drive

and can run directly off a USB stick. This way you can try out several Linux distributions, which is worth doing,

because they can vary quite significantly from one another.

Finally, We’ve done our part to elaborate to you the comparison or the differences of the Linux and a

Windows operating system and these are two examples of operating systems and there are many operating systems

which will be tackled on the next chapter or group reporters that they are presenting to you , and I hope that you will

be interested to know more about these operating system internals after we discussing these differences between

Linux and Windows , Users looking to change operating system from windows to Linux or vice-versa will have a

good idea of the advantages and disadvantages of both Linux and Windows operating systems and decide based on

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their requirement and have more advantages. These are the differences between Linux and Windows operating

systems, and as in my opinion, I feel that Linux has more advantages than a Windows operating system.

The prior difference between Linux and Windows operating system is that Linux is totally free of cost

whereas windows is marketable operating system and is costly. An operating system is a program intended to control

the computer hardware and behave as an intermediary between user and hardware. Linux is an open source

operating system where users can access the source code and can improve the code using the system. On the other

hand, in windows, users can not access source code, and it is a licensed OS.

Lastly, Linux and Windows both Operating systems have their advantages and disadvantages. Windows is

simple to use but is not a free and open source OS, whereas Linux is free, open source, customizable and secure but

kind of complex for the users having no programming background. Linux is more reliable than windows. Linux and

Windows both are operating systems. Linux is open source and is free to use whereas Windows is a proprietary.

References:

Linux vs Windows | Find Out The 9 Most Amazing Differences (educba.com)

Difference between Linux and Windows (tutorialspoint.com)

Difference Between Linux and Windows Operating System (with Comparison Chart) - Tech Differences

Linux vs. Windows | Comparison of the two operating systems - IONOS

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