Comparison of operating systems

[AliceWonderMiscreations]

I think of non-Linux options as a joke. I would not even consider using BTC on a winxx or mac.

Plus Plus

I know too many people who are really smart who get some kind of malware at least once a year.

It's those damn browser plugins, they execute untrusted code on the local machine.

It's those damn advertising networks, the deliver malware in advertisements they don't check carefully enough.

It's those damn wordpress blogs, many of them have very poorly written plugins - and wordpress itself encourages the web server having write permission to files it executes.

Even though I have never had my Linux boxes infected with malware, I don't even use my main workstations for bitcoin.

I keep a small amount of my bitcoin in a web wallet - not more than I am willing to lose if the web wallet company goes all Mt. Gox on me.

The rest is either cold address or in Bitcoin-Qt running on a NUC with CentOS 7 that I just use to manage bitcoin.

I do use a browser on that machine to do things like pay bills with bitcoin, or log in to coinbase after making a purchase so I can paste an address to send the coins to. But I don't use that computer for anything else, so it has very little chance of malware getting on it.

But Windows? No way in hell would I trust it for bitcoin. As far as Mac OS X, I just don't like it.

Even if Windows is your preferred OS, I would suggest people get something like a NUC and stick a stable Linux distro on it for your wallet. Don't use the same computer you use for general Internet for Bitcoin, well, maybe a small amount is okay but not more than you are willing to lose for the convenience.

[kateryana81]

I love windows XP.

[barbara44]

I like linux

[gudongud]

I love windows 7.

[HeroCat]

Windows have many viruses, trojans etc now, so it can be also smart to use Debian, which is best Linux OS 

[jackg]

I think most have forgotton, every operating system has viruses!

It is just as easy to install a virus on linux as it is Windows.

It is just the fact that we can detect it on Windows and it is more widely used.

[AliceWonderMiscreations]

I think most have forgotton, every operating system has viruses!

It is just as easy to install a virus on linux as it is Windows.

It is just the fact that we can detect it on Windows and it is more widely used.

Uh, no.

The difference has to do with package management. On Linux, the vast majority of software is installed through apt or yum using select package repositories.

The package manager checks the crytographic signature of the package before it installs it.

For example -

Code:

[alice@localhost ~]$ rpm -qi bitcoin
Name        : bitcoin
Version     : 0.11.2
Release     : 2.el7.awel.libre
Architecture: x86_64
Install Date: Tue 12 Jan 2016 06:59:45 PM PST
Group       : Applications/System
Size        : 10125882
License     : MIT
Signature   : RSA/SHA1, Tue 12 Jan 2016 06:51:56 PM PST, Key ID ad3b591d147abf59
Source RPM  : bitcoin-0.11.2-2.el7.awel.libre.src.rpm
Build Date  : Tue 12 Jan 2016 06:44:03 PM PST
Build Host  : localhost
Relocations : (not relocatable)
URL         : http://bitcoin.org/
Summary     : Peer-to-peer digital currency
Description :
Bitcoin is an experimental new digital currency that enables instant
payments to anyone, anywhere in the world. Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer
technology to operate with no central authority: managing transactions
and issuing money are carried out collectively by the network.

Bitcoin is also the name of the open source software which enables the
use of this currency.

This package provides Bitcoin-QT, a user-friendly wallet manager for
personal use.
[alice@localhost ~]$

On Windows, software is typically installed by downloading it from who knows where without any kind of signature verification process involved. That results in trojans and malware.

Also, on Linux you are far less likely to find Adobe Flash installed. Adobe Flash is a huge vector for malware on Windows, but even when Adobe was producing Flash for Linux, Linux users just never really embraced it. We didn't want it.

Also, Linux has mechanisms for verifying the integrity of installed packages. With packages installed from who knows where on Windows systems, that really just isn't possible.

So yes - there can be viruses for Linux and there frequently are worms that impact Linux but the reality is the advanced package management we have had for over 15 years now just makes it a lot easier for us to keep the entire system up to date, verify packages are properly signed by a repository we trust, and verify the integrity of a package.

That makes Linux a lot easier to keep safe from the type of malware that plagues Windows.

[pureclckr]

I like linux and windows both.

[michnelli6]

I think windows 8 is good and windows 7 is the best if you want to use your PC easily.

[barbara44]

Using windows XP is the best experience I have ever had.

[AliceWonderMiscreations]

Oh and another thing that makes Linus less prone to viruses and malware is the shared library ecosystem which is only really possible because of the superior package management.

If a library has an exploitable bug, every single piece of software that uses that library is potentially vulnerable.

With the shared library system that Linux uses and manages through the the package management system, all you have to do is update the shared library and then every application is no longer vulnerable.

The package management system makes this easier because it keeps track of shared library dependencies.

You can use shared libraries on Windows but then you often encounter what is known as "DLL hell" so what a lot of software vendors on Windows do is static link. That way they don't need the right DLL.

The problem however is that when a vulnerability exists in a DLL, when it is static linked you have to update the entire application itself to fix it. You can't just have the shared library updated.

Windows does not have a good package management system for keeping all the shared libraries updated, so even the shared libraries you do have often are vulnerable even after the bug is discovered and fixed.

-=-

The same issue btw exists on Android because Google designed Android with crappy package management. A bug in an Android library can be found and fixed but years later there will still be dozens of vulnerable apps ON THE ANDROID PLAY STORE because the apps static link the libraries, and the author of the app never bothered to rebuild it against the fixed version.

That's why I never use my Android system for bitcoin or anything that needs to be secure, Even though it has a linux kernel, the design of Android itself is one that results in an insecure software ecosystem built around it.

[coolcoinz]

I think windows 8 is good and windows 7 is the best if you want to use your PC easily.

Win 8 is bad. The newer the version is the less it allows the user to do.
Also win 8 tends to force win 10 upgrade on its users, don't fall for it.

[AliceWonderMiscreations]

I think windows 8 is good and windows 7 is the best if you want to use your PC easily.

Win 8 is bad. The newer the version is the less it allows the user to do.
Also win 8 tends to force win 10 upgrade on its users, don't fall for it.

Win 7 tries to force an upgrade too.

[gregyoung14]

If only Windows can get their act together. Windows 7 I have to say is the better OS. Just a couple more hassle with Windows and you will see me shift to other Linux OS. What do you guys think about Ubuntu.