Windows treats files as a second class citizen versus a first class like Linux / BSD. Countless time wasted because the anti-virus or some other part of Windows locked a file.

Cmder; _clink update_ ... file locked forced to wait for Windows to release it and continue working.

git pull; file locked forced to wait for Windows to release it and continue working.

git checkout; file locked forced to wait for Windows to release it and continue working.

Run an application that iterates through files, sit and wait for anti-virus to scan those files before the application / script can even touch them adding seconds or minutes to the task.

Windows can easily add 10-30 minutes of wait time after a cold boot. This is from running anti-virus, telemetry service, auto updates, ... .NET optimization service.

Windows removed the whole root user concept too. "Sorry Dave, you cannot modify that permission to remove the temporary file / change the registry value."

Microsoft even forces their bloat-ware into the IoT / embedded OS and has started to remove the ability to create a local account vs a forced Microsoft account. Windows 7 Embedded allowed full customization with removing any bloat / unused feature.

Many of those points reveal lack of knowledge about Windows administration capabilities.

Others are completely irrelevant for desktop users buying laptops at the shopping mall.

> Linux on a fridge? A toaster? A toothbrush? Yes.

I’m glad, even overjoyed, that no desktop operating systems are running on my toothbrush.

As for the other benefits, a large chunk of them amount to “you can customize <Y>”. Which is great for the audience of Hacker News, but is just a headache for anyone who doesn’t know about <Y>.

The most important item for society at large is probably the ability to revitalize older hardware.

I love Linux but I’ve spent the last hour diagnosing and repairing a gpu driver error.

11. Works for you rather than for the OS manufacturer.

Name normal files on disk things like AUX or CON or PRN:

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20031022-00/?p=42...

- having sensible and very useful system files structure - centralized package management - instant full-disk snapshots and rollback - remote windows (Waypipe) - declarative configurations (NixOS) - FUSE - chroot

undefined

The most important thing that linux can do that windows still can't, is work for the user.

One that people don't seem to mention enough to me is that neither macOS nor Windows have ANY feature remotely close to the magic SysRq key.[1][2]

Not even Control-Alt-Delete is remotely the same.

ALT-SysRq-f, which will "call the oom killer to kill a memory hog process, but ... not panic if nothing can be killed," should truly be available on every modern operating system, but nope, only Linux has it.

[1]: https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/sysrq.html

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_SysRq_key