Why Linux is better for Programming?

Zain Ul Abedin
3 min readJan 6, 2022

In today’s technological era, there are many types of operating systems available such as Windows, Linux, etc.

If you are a programmer then you may come across this question: which operating system is better for programming?

In this article, I will be discussing several reasons why Linux is better for programming, and the benefits it offers to programmers.

Linux is a great operating system that has many advantages over other operating systems.

For instance, It is a free and open-source operating system, which means that anyone can use it for no cost.

It is better for programming because it can be updated to meet the demand of the programmer.

It also allows you to see the code that programs are made from.

Programmers can even look at Linux’s code for inspiration for creating their own programs by just looking at Linux’s code written by Linux developers.

Linux is more secure than Windows and Mac OSX which makes it safer for programmers because Linux protects them from malware like viruses, trojans, etc…

Since Linux is open-source, there are many different distributions available with various degrees of difficulty or ease of use.

List of different Linux distributions
List of different Linux distributions

Another reason why Linux is better for programming than Windows is the security implications involved in using one over the other.

Linux has fewer viruses as compared to windows because most hackers target Windows operating systems due to their popularity. The fact that Viruses aren’t targeting Linux/Unix systems makes them safer!

One big advantage of using Linux instead of Windows when it comes down to programming software itself lies in its text editing capabilities such as Vim. This powerful text editor is great for writing code and for making any code changes.

In my opinion, Linux is a superior operating system for programming. As a Linux System Administrator and a programmer, I have come to love the power of Linux and all that it has to offer.

Features of Linux Operating System
Linux Operating System Features

Now let’s look at different Linux benefits that allow programmers to develop better applications.

1) It benefits programmers by having stability which helps them debug their programs without worrying about the system crashing or corrupting data.

2) It benefits programmers by offering many scripting languages with large communities behind each one (Python, Perl, Ruby..).

3) It benefits programmers because it has been around for longer than other operating systems so there are more flavors for each script or tool available (bash is present in most *nix distros).

4) It benefits programmers because it has strong open source roots which allow more people to contribute code that benefits everyone.

5) It benefits programmers because it allows them to get their job done easily and efficiently without any long-term consequences for having used Linux as opposed to another operating system.

6) It benefits programmers because all of the benefits listed above have a positive impact on the programmer during the development process.

7) It benefits programmers by allowing them to choose the distribution they will use, whether it be a community release or one from a commercial vendor.

8) It benefits programmers because programming is just one aspect of being a developer who can reap rewards from Linux throughout their career (Linux distributions).

9) Finally, it benefits developers by allowing them to use the same tools on their local machines that they would use on production servers making bugs easier to find and fix.

Conclusion

The features provided by Linux make it more suitable for programming especially when we compare it with Windows. Furthermore, it benefits programmers with several benefits such as efficiency, robustness, security, ease of use, and stability, etc.

By the way, what is your viewpoint about Linux? Is it better for programmers? Have I missed anything? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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Zain Ul Abedin

Founder of linuxnscripting.com | Linux System Administrator | Python Developer | Command-line Enthusiast | Freelancer | Blogger | Follow me @linuxnscripting