Huh. Opinions from 14 year old furry gamers.

 

https://www.hcamag.com/us/specializ...r-alleged-unpaid-computer-boot-up-time/554302
Bank of America faces lawsuit over alleged unpaid computer boot-up time

Here's how it worked: Workers turned on their computers, waited for Windows to load, grabbed their cell phones to request a security token for the company's VPN, waited for that token to arrive, logged into the network, opened required web applications with separate passwords, and downloaded the Excel files they needed for the day. Only then could they start taking calls from business customers about regulatory reporting requirements.

Tava Martin, who worked both remotely and at the company's Jacksonville facility, says the financial institution required her and fellow hourly workers to log into multiple security systems, download spreadsheets, and connect to virtual private networks—all before the clock started ticking on their workday.
The process wasn't quick. According to the filing in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, employees needed 15 to 30 minutes each morning just to get their systems running. When technical problems occurred, it took even longer.

 

https://www.hcamag.com/us/specializ...r-alleged-unpaid-computer-boot-up-time/554302
Bank of America faces lawsuit over alleged unpaid computer boot-up time

Wow, thank God they didn't use Linux, they'd need another hour to run the bank standard Bourne shell, login as root, chmod the downloaded files, rebuild the kernel then reset their network card because it locked up.

 

Here's a tiny example of Tinux's lack of design and innovation. Unix cursed the world with the / for pathnames and the appalling .. for going "up". What did Torvalds do? copied it.

But it didn't have to be this way (Windows is no better in this regard, but they had to maintain DOS compatibility) instead Linux could have innovated (as Multics did) and use > and < no need for silly ..

Example: display D:>logs>tuesday>overnight.log

Example: display <<docs>api>network>tcp.doc

But nope, lets copy all the bad crap and pretend were innovating.

 

If Windows were so geat with its intended design and simplicity we wouldn't have other options like Linux, BSD, and the like to begin with.

 

Just for fun...

"Hey, Grok, what is the most technologically superior general-purpose operating system of all time?"

You’re now asking for the most technically superior general-purpose operating system — meaning one designed for everyday computing (desktops, servers, workstations) with broad hardware support, rich ecosystems, and usability by non-experts — not just embedded, safety-critical, or research systems like seL4.


This shifts the criteria from provable correctness to a balanced blend of:

• Architecture quality
• Performance & scalability
• Security model
• Modularity & maintainability
• Real-world robustness
• Influence & innovation

Winner: Linux (with the NT kernel as a close #2)

Linux is the most technically superior general-purpose OS of all time.

But let’s be precise: Linux kernel + GNU/userland + modern design patterns form the complete system.


Why Linux Wins (Technically)

Criterion	Linux Advantage
1. Kernel Design	Monolithic but highly modular (loadable modules, namespaces, cgroups). Best of both worlds: performance + flexibility.
2. Scalability	Runs on smartwatches to supercomputers (99% of Top 500). Horizontal (containers) and vertical (512+ cores) scaling unmatched.
3. Security Evolution	SELinux, AppArmor, Landlock, eBPF sandboxing, KASLR, stack canaries, IOMMU, seccomp — layered, practical security.
4. Filesystem Excellence	Btrfs, ZFS (via OpenZFS), ext4, XFS — snapshots, CoW, checksums, RAID-like resilience. No other GPOS matches this natively.
5. Real-Time & Determinism	PREEMPT_RT patch → hard real-time on standard hardware. Used in spacecraft, robots, finance HFT.
6. Open Development	15,000+ contributors. Bugs fixed in hours. No vendor lock-in. Auditable.
7. Hardware Support	Billions of devices. From 30-year-old 486s to Apple Silicon (Asahi Linux), RISC-V, IBM Z.
8. Containerization Native	cgroups, namespaces, seccomp, capabilities → Docker, Kubernetes, LXC born here. Cloud runs on Linux.

Head-to-Head: Linux vs. Windows NT vs. macOS

Feature	Linux	Windows NT	macOS
Kernel Type	Modular monolithic	Hybrid	Hybrid (XNU)
Open Source	Yes	No	Partially (Darwin)
Max CPU Cores	8192+	~256 (practical)	128
Filesystem Features	ZFS, Btrfs (snapshots, RAID)	ReFS (limited)	APFS (good, but less flexible)
Security Model	SELinux (MAC), eBPF	Integrity levels, AppContainer	SIP, Gatekeeper
Real-Time	PREEMPT_RT (hard)	Limited	No
Supercomputer Share	99%	<1%	0%
Customizability	Infinite	Limited	Very limited
Driver Model	In-tree + out-of-tree	Certified only	Closed

Why Not Windows NT?

• NT is a masterpiece: Hybrid kernel, ACLs, registry (flawed but powerful), amazing backward compatibility.
• But: closed source, bloated attack surface, vendor-controlled updates, less scalable at extremes.
• Still: #2 — technically excellent, especially in enterprise AD, GUI, and driver stability.

Why Not macOS?

• Beautifully integrated, great UX, APFS is solid.
• But: locked to Apple hardware, no real-time, limited server use, not open.
• More of a premium appliance OS than a general-purpose powerhouse.

Honorable Mentions (GPOS Category)

OS	Why It Mattered
UNIX System V / BSD	The foundation. Pipes, forks, /proc — still in Linux.
Plan 9 from Bell Labs	Distributed by default, per-process namespaces, 9P protocol — 20 years ahead.
BeOS	64-bit journaling FS, pervasive multithreading, BFS with attributes — genius, but dead.
Haiku	BeOS reborn, open source — niche but brilliant.

Final Verdict:

Linux is the most technically superior general-purpose operating system ever built.

It’s not just “good enough” — it’s the substrate of modern computing:

• Powers Android, ChromeOS, cloud, edge, space, AI clusters
• Absorbed the best ideas from UNIX, Plan 9, BSD, and research
• Continuously evolves with eBPF, io_uring, Rust drivers, sched-ext
• Runs your phone, your bank, your car, and the Mars rover

 

no operating system is perfect and windows variants are certainly no exception. there is always something to bicker about anything. for example of Linux is so great why are there so many distros... if someone is looking for "the best", why there not only one? why one needs one distro to thing A, and another distro to do thing B? and if it is so good, why do you need to spend time customizing it and recompiling it yourself? i never needed to recompile any of my favourite Windows tools. it is simply install it and run it...

like the next guy, i too like free things. and while free things are nice, there are limits what one can get for free. personally, i don't care what is under the hood - unless i am the one that has to deal with it.... i just want computer to work so i can run software (applications) that is needed to get job done. and the way i look at things, everything i use to make money runs on Windows... and ONLY on Windows.... not on Linux, Not on Mac (any flavor, including things before adoption of Linux), not on FreeBSD, not on AmigaOS...

could i choose different line of work that permits me to use different tools? sure but after decades of commitment and experience, why would i bother to do that? i am very comfortable doing what i do.

is the open source powerful? hell yeah... you can actually look inside and see what makes it tick. and it is gotten way more powerful over the years with many apps that one can do actual work with. other than hacking and programming for the sake of programming but ... ACTUAL work, even for people who may not be system developers or gurus of hackathon. i just want to get some work done so i can move away from it and do fun things...

the first time i tried Linux was in 1992, it came on a stack of 3.5" floppies. spent a week on it before removing it. and a WEEK is way more of a chance i gave to ANY other product. of course those were the days of Linux infancy. i kept an eye on it and like many hoped for "breaking point"... point worth switching permanently. that never came. even after things got significantly better. i saw governments spending massive amount of resources (time and cash) to do a switch - only to spend again and switch back.

i just spent a while developing something on linux and i must say - Linux is awesome if it does not need interacting with it. let it sit in some closet and do some chore, whatever that may be - file server, email server, number crunching server farm etc. but 30+ years later it is still not a universal work platform. i was trying programming on it - way too slow to get to a usable stage. on Windows one picks programming language, installs something and it is ready to use. no need to tell it where the debugger is, not needed to tell it what switches to use, or how to follow thread - it already does it. type and go.... and that is programming and debugging in C, something that every Linux should have NAILED by now.

but try programming something else... or god forbid - using something that manufacturing industry runs on... riiiight... back to VMs and compatibility fallbacks and performance that sucks... make you feel that your $5000 workstation is a $200 walmart laptop. but Linux diehards will be happy show some benchmarks as 'evidence' of performance. neglecting that it took weeks to setup, recompile, disable or just compile out everything else.... just to get one score.

 

• Powers Android, ChromeOS, cloud, edge, space, AI clusters
• ...
• Runs your phone, your bank, your car, and the Mars rover

aaaaand completely misses the point.

the Topic is "Linux at Home", not linux on Mars, or Linux in your wristwatch, or Linux in your Bank ATM or Linux at Amazon.com server...

 

for example of Linux is so great why are there so many distros?

Because Linux is so great.

if someone is looking for "the best", why there not only one?

Because different people define "best"differently.

if it is so good, why do you need to spend time customizing it and recompiling it yourself?

You need not do either of these. But you can if you want to. Another reason why it's best!

i just want computer to work so i can run software (applications) that is needed to get job done.

Precisely why I use Linux.

Etc.

If you are comfortable reporting all of your minute-by-minute daily activities to Redmond and their "third-party partners", feel free to continue to do what your do!

I'm not willing. I value my privacy.

This is the most important reason why Linux is best.

 

aaaaand completely misses the point.

the Topic is "Linux at Home", not linux on Mars, or Linux in your wristwatch, or Linux in your Bank ATM or Linux at Amazon.com server...

It's my thread, I'll decide what is on point.

Whether you realize it or not, you likely interact with Linux on a daily basis far more than Windows. Literally, "Linux at Home".

 

"Android, ChromeOS, cloud, edge, space, AI clusters

pretty sure that the moment you connect to internet everyone is collecting all they want regardless what you run on.
that includes ISP, any website you visit, any email you send. so thinking that you are "secure" because 1 out of 99 things are not calling home is absurd

 

"Android, ChromeOS, cloud, edge, space, AI clusters

pretty sure that the moment you connect to internet everyone is collecting all they want regardless what you run on.
that includes ISP, any website you visit, any email you send. so thinking that you are "secure" because 1 out of 99 things are not calling home is absurd

There are ways around that, as well. Just not on Windows.

 

yes, i check time on the appliance while warming up my drink. that qualifies as an interaction. it does not qualify as home computing.

 

yes, i check time on the appliance while warming up my drink. that qualifies as an interaction. it does not qualify as home computing.

Is the timer computing? At home?

Home computing!

 

yes, most devices nowdays do use MCU in one way or another. simply because they are so cheap that it makes no sense to continue making dedicated ICs. that includes remote controls, clocks, dimmers, menu navigation in monitors etc. some of them may even employ Linux. but it looks like you are grasping for straws... how about arguments that support home or small office computing? you know, when people buy computer like laptop or desktop (if they are still around)? i don't think anyone is going to brag to their peers that they got new computer, when in fact they got bathroom scale.

 

yes, most devices nowdays do use MCU in one way or another. simply because they are so cheap that it makes no sense to continue making dedicated ICs. that includes remote controls, clocks, dimmers, menu navigation in monitors etc. some of them may even employ Linux. but it looks like you are grasping for straws... how about arguments that support home or small office computing? you know, when people buy computer like laptop or desktop (if they are still around)? i don't think anyone is going to brag to their peers that they got new computer, when in fact they got bathroom scale.

Go back and read the very first post in this thread.

Edit: and when I say "My [whatever] is Linux", I actually mean there is physical hardware, controlled, maintained, and managed by me (and no one else) that does those things.

I don't purchase services.

 

My "server stack" at home. It includes a router, local file server, VPN with my office, my "offsite" backup for my business systems, an ERP business system, and other various services.

This is real world stuff with great value and zero cost.

 

Funny thing: with all the (otherwise) landfill-destined PCs available (on account of Windows 11) I don't even need to pay for hardware anymore.

Thank you, Windows users!

 

you must pay for services. that starts with your ISP and reverse DNS.

 

you must pay for services. that starts with your ISP and reverse DNS.

I pay my ISP for data. Nothing else.