Is there any practical reason to dual-boot Linux alongside Windows? [closed]

Solution 1:

• More complicated to switch OSes.

Not hugely. Pick one at boot time via a menu.

• I can already run Unix programs on Windows via Cygwin.

Running natively is always better. As any who plays games on Wine will tell you.

• I have to store data on FAT32 instead of NTFS

Wrong (depending on your distro). All distros I have used have had no problems reading NTFS.

Reasons to have Linux

• Programming apps. Might not apply before you, but apart from Visual Studio, all the best tools are Linux first, Windows second.
• Virtual Desktops. You can have multiple (usually 4, but you can change it) screens of apps at once. It's like having 4 monitors without the expense and space problems of having 4 screens.
• Money. Most Linux programs are free. A lot of the best free server and programming software doesn't even have Windows versions. Linux itself is also free, which is an obvious plus.

Reasons not to have Linux

• As you can see, most of the reasons people like Linux (apart from being free) are for advanced users, and nerds. If you feel Windows does all you need, and you've already paid for it, and you're not interested in broadening your skills, there isn't a huge need to install Linux.
• Learning. Some people (myself for one) are good at picking up new things, and get the basics of Linux in a day or so. Others have more difficulty.
• Command Line. The Linux command line isn't the object of abject horror some Windows fanboys make it out to be (mainly because cmd.exe (Windows command line) is an object of horror). Neither is it nessecary for day to day use. But you will find loads of Linux users/tutorials will assume you are able to use the command line.

Solution 2:

When you want to try out Linux but aren't really sure, just consider using a Virtual Machine, such as VirtualBox. You can install Linux in that VM without having to bother about partitioning, dual booting and all the other stuff.

Using a VM is easy and can't really mess up your existing configuration. When you're done with it you can just delete it. Also, one other great advantage of VMs is the ability to easily switch between the 2 operating systems, including dragging and dropping of files from one OS to the other.

Solution 3:

There are hundreds of practical reasons to use Linux and hundreds of practical reasons not to run it.

Your real question, I think, is "Do I have any particular reason to install Linux?" Based on what you wrote above, the answer seems to be "No."

It's hard to say much more unless you give more information. What sorts of things do you use your computer for? Why did your previous experiment with Linux end?

Ultimately, nobody else can tell you what's good for you. I suppose they can try (and often do) but it rarely does either side any good.

Solution 4:

The only real benefit in dual booting (as opposed to running a virtual machine) is that you have full access to the host machines hardware instead of "virtual" hardware.

Solution 5:

The situation is not so XOR as the OP frames the discussion.

Because Linux can read and write to NTFS perfectly well, Linux can just live on a small partition on your new disk, say 20 GB for Linux, and that will hold all you'll ever need if data is stored on the NTFS partitions.

I did this a year ago but quickly found Linux so convenient that I rarely ever boot into Windows, even when I'm developing apps for Windows. I develop them with cross-platform tools, and boot into Windows every week or so to tweak any OS related problems.

I strongly disagree with the VM crowd of answers here. Before I dual booted I ran Linux in VMs, and it was always just a bit of a hassle. Things were just slightly off enough (a bit slower, USB drives weren't discovered when I wanted or were when I didn't want, etc) that it wasn't a pleasure to use.

And if you don't end up liking Linux, then your costs are very small 20GB and a boot screen that lasts for a few seconds.

While installing a new drive is the perfect time to dedicate a little slice to making a dual boot with Linux.