Today in Open Source: Is Linux the best operating system? Plus: GOG.com won't support Linux, and a screenshot tour of Ubuntu Studio 13.10 Beta Is Linux the Best Operating System? UVU Review has an article touting Linux as the best operating system. The article covers the following categories: Price Availability Maintenance and Repair Software and Updates With all due respect, my colleagues are wrong. Linux is hand-down the best option for computing. It isn’t even a competition. Neal Stephenson said: “Macs are hermetically-sealed sedans that look great and have a lot of advertsing. Windows machines are big SUVs that break often, but they’re everywhere and everyone knows how to use them. Linux computers are free tanks that go 90 mph in swamps, get 100 mpg and never break down.” I’ve been using Linux for years now and don’t ever plan on switching. We can’t explore all the reasons for its superiority, but here are my main points. I’m assuming you know what an operating system is and that Macintosh, Windows and Linux are all different options. More at UVU Review He makes a strong case for Linux, and while I mostly agree with the article’s take, I’m still very hesitant to declare a “best” operating system. Why? The choice of an operating system depends so much on the individual user’s needs. This can vary quite a bit depending on the person. Linux may very well meet all of those needs and then some. Then again, maybe not. It’s so hard to generalize about this sort of thing without delving into who the individual is and what his or her computing needs might be on a daily basis. In some cases, a user might not even need a full-blown desktop computer in the first place. Mobile devices have taken over quite a bit, so a user could get by with a mobile solution for email, web browsing, and the various other functions that used to be performed solely by desktop computers. This of course means that they could be using Linux (Android, Firefox OS, Ubuntu), but they might also opt for iOS or some other mobile operating system. There’s a range of non-linux choices available in mobile devices, so it’s quite possible that Linux wouldn’t be used or missed by a user. Getting back to the desktop, Linux clearly has a tremendous amount to offer, and I always recommend that people give it a shot in a virtual machine to get their feet wet. But I’m also realistic enough to understand that it might not work for everybody. OS X or Windows might fit the bill better, depending on the user’s needs. When you get right down to it, it’s very hard to even define what the “best” operating system is for computers. Whatever definition you choose may not work for other people. But Linux is certainly well worth trying, if you do you may just find yourself becoming a Linux convert. No Linux Game Support from Good Old Games Some slightly bad news for Linux gamers. GOG.com has said they won’t support Linux for the foreseeable future. The digital distributor spoke with LinuxOnGaming about its specific reasons for sticking with Windows and Mac for the time being. In the words of Trevor Longino, the head of PR and marketing: “For every game we release we provide a money-back guarantee: if we can’t get the game working on the customer’s computer with the help of our support team, we return the money. The architecture of Linux with many common distros, each of them updating fairly often, makes it incredibly challenging for any digital distribution company to be able to properly test the game in question, and then provide support for the release — all of which our users are accustomed to.” More at Destructoid I temper my reaction to this news by reminding myself that Valve is still supporting Linux in a big way. So while this news is unfortunate, it’s not really the end of the world for Linux gamers or anything close to that. But it would be nice to see GOG.com eventually support Linux. The company isn’t ruling out Linux support forever though, but right now they can’t make the economics of it work. This is an understandable though regrettable situation. I hope they are able to find a way at some point to support Linux gaming. Ubuntu Studio 13.10 Beta Screenshot Tour The Coding Studio has a screenshot tour of Ubuntu Studio 13.10 Beta 1. It’s worth taking a look at if you’re curious to see what the next version of Ubuntu Studio will be like. If you aren’t familiar with Ubuntu Studio, here’s the official description from the Ubuntu Studio site: “Ubuntu Studio is a free and open source operative system, and an official flavor of Ubuntu. Ubuntu Studio is the most widely used multimedia orientated GNU/Linux distribution in the world. It comes preinstalled with a selection of the most common free multimedia applications available, and is configured for best performance for the Ubuntu Studio defined workflows: Audio, Graphics, Video, Photography and Publishing.” More at the Coding Studio Software DevelopmentOpen Source