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View Full Version : How many of you switched to Linux because of the freedom appeal?



monsterstack
July 5th, 2009, 05:16 AM
Was GPL-style freedom a major factor when you made the switch? Or at least was it a major contributing factor that made you stay? I'm quite interested to know.

philcamlin
July 5th, 2009, 05:20 AM
freedom :)

no viruses :D peace of mind now having to virus check every 2 days :popcorn:

FuturePilot
July 5th, 2009, 05:29 AM
I didn't switch because of "free as in freedom", but it's why I stayed

When I first tried Linux, one of the things that caught my attention was the fact that it was free as in beer. I didn't really understand or care about the free as in freedom aspect. It wasn't until later that it meant something to me once I understood the whole philosophy behind the freedom part. And it's definitely part of the reason I'm still here. :)

jcwmoore
July 5th, 2009, 05:38 AM
Freedom is great, but for me it is simply better than the other choices out there.

lisati
July 5th, 2009, 05:46 AM
I initially tried Ubuntu/Linux out of curiosity, and stayed around because I like it.

buzzmandt
July 5th, 2009, 05:50 AM
Used linux for security and virus safety, fully switched cause I have 4 computers in the house and I didn't want to pay for 4 windows licenses. Stayed for the freedom and the fact that I simply LOVE linux now.

wojox
July 5th, 2009, 05:53 AM
I didn't switch because of "free as in freedom", but it's why I stayed
I switched to see what else was out there. linux is easier to tweak than the windows registry.

Technique13
July 5th, 2009, 07:02 AM
I initially tried Ubuntu/Linux out of curiosity, and stayed around because I like it.

yeah me to, but if i didnt have so much time it probably wouldnt have happened lol.. appreciation for the freedom aspect of the software came after.. i think its the natural way to come from a windows centric software environment, now i hate any software that has restricted extras or trial versions, yuck yuck yuck.. scum of the planet

pwnst*r
July 5th, 2009, 07:08 AM
just wanted to try it and love it, although it's not my main OS.

monsterstack
July 5th, 2009, 07:10 AM
yeah me to, but if i didnt have so much time it probably wouldnt have happened lol.. appreciation for the freedom aspect of the software came after.. i think its the natural way to come from a windows centric software environment, now i hate any software that has restricted extras or trial versions, yuck yuck yuck.. scum of the planet

Yeah, when searching the net for Linux software, it's nice not to have to include the word "free" in your search.

ibutho
July 5th, 2009, 07:34 AM
I switched out of curiosity. It helps that Linux is "free as in freedom" and can be "free as in beer", but thats not all that matters to me because what I am after when I look at an OS is that it does what I want and helps me be productive regardless of licensing and price.

ctrlmd
July 5th, 2009, 07:40 AM
i use linux because i like it not because its free

eragon100
July 5th, 2009, 09:24 AM
I switched and stayed because Linux is better than the alternatives, nothing more

rotwang888
July 5th, 2009, 09:57 AM
Not sure how to answer the poll. Freedom was probably the biggest reason I tried Linux. I liked the idea of it and wanted options, but never thought it would be my main OS. Stayed because I loved it. It's hard to say what's more important now, but I can't see ever going back.

Bigtime_Scrub
July 5th, 2009, 10:05 AM
I can honestly say that I switched to linux for all the wrong reasons. Multimedia and wireless support were very serious issues for me early on. I have since learned my way around a terminal. Ive stayed this long for the stability, security, and customization options.

Slowly, the free as in speech has grown on me and Ive found myself strongly believing in it. I find it amazing how a bunch of unpaid developers and forum volunteers thrive and stand up to a multibillion dollar corporation. The balls of some people. ;) Linux is a testament to what people can do when they work together and to the idea of true freedom. I will never switch back to Windows ever. Apple fan boys also have tried to lure me away and I just cant do it. I like being able to tweak everything and have full control over my computer. Now, I wouldnt have it any other way.

stwschool
July 5th, 2009, 11:33 AM
I use Linux simply because for what I do with my computer it's the best available system. The more I use it the more I appreciate the freedom, and while I think RS is a little odd, I understand that he is essential to the push towards truly open computing. I also understand that from an idealistic perspective, like him, we SHOULD be using free software even if it's not better software, to promote the idea of freedom, but ultimately I'm not as selfless a person, and I simply choose what works, which for me is Linux. If it didn't work so well, I'd not be on it.

CaseSensative
July 5th, 2009, 12:47 PM
I kind of switched in a different way. I built a computer using the money i saved up. New everything...including a hard-drive. Since my old computer had an illegal copy of windows XP i needed something, but i didn't feel like paying 200dollars so i went to barns and nobles and got a copy of ubuntu 7.06..and the rest is history.

Dai Bando
July 5th, 2009, 12:55 PM
I switched for the free as in beer aspect. I am not realy interested in games; I just like reading these forums and news groups. I gave up windows 5/6 years ago and have not missed it at all. As an Octogenarian I find Ubuntu very easy to use.:guitar:

LinuxFox
July 5th, 2009, 08:59 PM
What made me use Linux was simply because I was interested. After using it I learned more about Free Software and the "free as in freedom" idea. I like the freedom of looking at the source code, though I don't know programming.

I'm not into the whole politics of free software. The whole free vs. proprietary thing. I just use it because I like computers in general, and Linux made it more interesting.

doorknob60
July 5th, 2009, 09:18 PM
I switched because I was tired of reinstalling Windows every few months, and I wanted to try something different. I still use it because I can have the OS the way I want it, not the way the people in Redmond want it. And there's loads of freely available software, unlike Windows where most things are trialware (very, very annoying). My top reasons for using Linux:

1. Package Management/Available Software
2. Customization
3. Stability

mkendall
July 5th, 2009, 09:27 PM
I voted "Free as in freedom" was the reason I switched but that's not quite accurate. It was a major contributing, but not the only, factor for the switch.

cmay
July 5th, 2009, 09:30 PM
"Free as in freedom" was the reason I switched
i needed a perfect platform to use for making music and learn to program. linux is that as far as the learn to program part. but still usable for making music i think.

i have an audio set up based more on hardware and i use many things i got second hand. its a hobby so i do not need the prof sound studio as i could buy setup and go for mac or win platform.

still if i did that i would run into all the problems of the studio based on win could end up costing a fortune for every upgrade and i dont want that.

i want freedom and low cost.

(and i like poenguins)

Ubu2009
July 5th, 2009, 09:52 PM
I switched not only because it's free, but because it's better than Windows for me.

Old_Grey_Wolf
July 5th, 2009, 10:22 PM
It was "Windows Genuine Advantage" in XP and the not yet released DRM in Vista that caused me to switch. I really don't have to worry about either; because, I don't pirate. However, it pissed me off. I voted for FREEDOM! Both in the poll, and with my wallet.

SoftwareExplorer
July 6th, 2009, 01:07 AM
How it all started...

I was on sun's website and saw that they had solaris for free download. Before this I had just messed with MS office and in the process learned it and had fun. So I thought, hey, look i found a place to get a different OS to mess with. Downloaded the five huge files and then tried to run solaris commands from sun's website to piece them together, on windows. Re-download the 5 different CD images this time instead of the DVD image. Burned them with a fair share of trouble. tried to install it and it locked up. Tried to install it in a VM and go a plain X server w/ no DE and a terminal (not sure if the install actually suceeded.) I had barely heard of Linux in a forum post that made it sound like it was CLI only, but powerful, and that there was to much choice. So I headed over to linux.org and ended up with knoppix and Debian. Once I got it working, I heard about compiz/ beryl and switched to Ubuntu because compiz was already installed on it. Over time, free software developers became my heroes, and I stuck with Linux because of freedom (both kinds), and because it is so amazingly awesome.


</end-of-too-long-post>

credobyte
July 6th, 2009, 02:00 AM
Freedom and community are the main two things you'll not find in any other OS ( at least I haven't ) :)

newagelink
July 17th, 2009, 07:56 PM
I voted in the poll, but I'm not sure I understand the topic ... Freedom = freedom to configure and customize the OS is how I understood the poll.

... although I don't really know how to customize things well at all.

mamamia88
July 17th, 2009, 08:17 PM
i switched to linux because i was tired of how slow vista had gotten to the point it was almost unusable and i didn't have a factory cd to reinstall

lykwydchykyn
July 17th, 2009, 08:29 PM
I started using it because it intrigued me, and I only slowly figured out that a lot of the things I liked about it had a lot to do with the freedom of the code and the lack of a commercial agenda behind it. I think of using Linux kind of like watching public television -- it's not always as exciting or accessible, but you don't come away from it feeling like someone is trying to push a product on you (well, except during pledge month ;-)).

Then again, I'm the kind of guy who'd rather hear a CD my friends did in their basement than the latest single from $POP_STAR.

Swarms
July 17th, 2009, 08:36 PM
I needed something to tinker with so I took a dive into Linux. Now I am very interested in Ubuntu improving because I see it's potential and where it could go if it just threw off its brown appearance.

Jimleko211
July 17th, 2009, 08:51 PM
I switched because I was interested in what Linux was, and Ubuntu was the first distribution that I'd actually have heard of. Glad it was, because some of the other distro's I've tried didn't work with my hardware.

Viva
July 18th, 2009, 01:16 AM
I've tried linux because of the freedom, but stayed because it is awesome. It is only recently that I've found out that both are related in some way.

ArtF10
July 18th, 2009, 01:21 AM
Free baby, free!!! That's all it was that led me to sticch!

.Maleficus.
July 18th, 2009, 01:30 AM
I "switched" because I had just spent all of my meager 13-year-old savings on computer parts and had forgotten to include Windows in the price. Freedom is not what keeps me and doesn't matter to me at all. I use what works, and if that means Linux, cool.

L815
July 18th, 2009, 01:38 AM
I came to linux because I've had a great experience with her. Being free is just an extra topping to make it all much better. It's a great feeling skimming through Add/Remove and Synaptic and realizing that all is free :D

I haven't gotten used to the 6-month release cycle yet, though; used to downloading-installing the latest and greatest on the [-]dows

Superkoop
July 18th, 2009, 02:22 AM
I switched for a few reasons:

Vista was too slow
I wanted something more customizable
I was already using a lot of Open Source software, so I figured 'why not?'
I was interested in learning more about Operating Systems
I didn't like being restricted by Windows' EULA, and I wanted something something that I could call 'mine'
I wanted more eye candy than Windows Offered

So I guess it was a part of why I switched, but it wasn't the only reason. Because if Linux was only Free, but it couldn't do the things I need it to do, I would not have switched; so the main reason I switched was that it does what I need it to do when Windows could not.

KinKiac
July 18th, 2009, 03:36 AM
I just recently switched to ubuntu(hopefully for good) and did so for the freedom, both free as in $$$ and free as in I can customize everything without having to hack the OS and force it to do so. The fact that you had to patch Windows just to get some decent themes always bothered me. Not to mention having to get spyware tools, virus tools, firewall, photo editors, etc etc etc, all at 50 - 300$ a pop, and then buy them AGAIN when you get a new PC or after a year when they expire, again really annoyed me. My only other option was to deal with cracks, keygens, etc and open my system up to whole load of security risks in doing so. Basically, enough was enough. (yes Im a bit of an MS hater, but really do you blame me?)