Prospective Linux users often ask, “How does Linux differ from Microsoft Windows?” Depending on the background and interests of the person inquiring, there are a variety of answers to this question. However, the questioner is seldom prepared to understand what is probably the best answer to this question.
Figure One: In a filter chain, the output of one filter is the input of the next.
Prospective Linux users often ask, “How does Linux differ from Microsoft Windows?” Depending on the background and interests of the person inquiring, there are a variety of answers to this question. However, the questioner is seldom prepared to understand what is probably the best answer to this question.
Linux: A World Built of Text
The most significant difference between Linux (and other Unix-like systems) and Microsoft Windows is that under Linux, everything is a file. Moreover, wherever practical, Linux uses text files rather than binary files. How can the humble text file distinguish Linux from Microsoft Windows? Many programs and facilities under both Linux and Windows require configuration information. Under Windows, this information is generally stored in a special binary file known as the registry; under Linux, this information is stored in text files.
Although it is possible to edit the Windows registry by using the regedit program that mimics the functions of a simple text editor, most users do not do so. Windows registry entries are generally terse and cryptic. A casual approach to editing the Windows registry can easily result in a dead system. Instead, Windows users rely on dialog boxes. To access…
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