Exploring Linux Ubuntu: Looking at the Differences between Windows and macOS, and the evolution of OSs

An operating system, or OS, is the central part of your computer. It is responsible for managing your computer hardware and providing ways to interact with them, run applications, and perform various tasks. Generally, most users opt for one of only three commercial OSs: Windows, macOS, or one of the huge number of choices offered within the Linux distributions-one of which is the very popular Ubuntu. But what makes the Linux Ubuntu so special against its proprietary competitors? Why have developers and tech enthusiasts preferred it in recent years? How can everything be related to the larger history of operating systems, starting with Unix?
In this long blog post, let's discuss:

What is Linux Ubuntu? How is it different from Windows and macOS?

Some historical perspective about Unix and its impact on modern OS.
Everything from evolution in the OS from Unix to the OS landscape that has developed up to today will be addressed.
Personal thoughts on why Ubuntu could just be the best solution for you.
1. What is Linux Ubuntu?
Ubuntu is a free, open-source, Linux-based operating system developed by Canonical. It was first released in 2004 with the intention to bring the powerful nature and flexibility of Linux into a more user-friendly environment. The design philosophy of Ubuntu is around ease of use, security, and collaboration.
Open-source: The source code for Ubuntu is free to use and modify it when compared to Windows and macOS. Anyone can download and reuse its source code to make it highly customizable.

Security: Since security is a part and parcel feature of the Linux system, Ubuntu creates a safer environment. Linux has a much smaller attack surface than Windows, due to permissions and user roles. Most operations in Ubuntu are done in user-level privilege, while administrative tasks require explicit consent from the user before execution through "sudo" commands.
Community Support: Ubuntu has an extremely active global community that continues to contribute to its development and provides support for new users.
2. How Ubuntu Differ from Windows and macOS
There are several core areas where Ubuntu, Windows, and macOS differ when piecing together different operating systems. These differences include user interface, philosophy, and usage. Let us break down the main differences:
a. Ubuntu vs. Windows:

Cost: Ubuntu is absolutely free, while Windows licenses command a fee.
Customization: Ubuntu is free-source. This means that unlike Windows, users can customize nearly every aspect of the OS-from the graphical interface to core system functionalities.
File System: Ubuntu makes use of the Ext4 file system, whereas Windows dominates using NTFS. This goes on to impact the way it handles files, recovery options, and even disk fragmentation.
Command-Line Interface (CLI): Users of Windows do their conversations over a Graphical User Interface (GUI), while on the other hand, Linux users depend more on the CLI (Terminal in Ubuntu) for their work. Although it makes lots of things faster and more efficient for an advanced user,.
Software Availability: Windows provides broader marketplace availability of mainstream software, particularly games and proprietary apps such as Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office. Ubuntu, on the other hand, has a very open availability of free, open-source alternatives, some of which include GIMP (image editor) and LibreOffice (office suite).
b. Ubuntu vs. macOS:
Closed vs. Open Source: macOS, like Windows, is proprietary. Therefore, users cannot modify or distribute it freely, whereas Ubuntu adheres to the beliefs of the open-source doctrine.
Hardware dependency: Ubuntu would run on much wider equipment than just MacBooks or iMacs, from personal computers to servers, while macOS was designed to operate strictly on Apple hardware, so in that respect, it is less pliable.
Package Management: Ubuntu makes use of APT, short for Advanced Package Tool, in the installation of software and management. The App Store and Homebrew for the power users are what macOS uses; it's less flexible and less powerful than Ubuntu's.
3. History of Unix: The Base of Modern Operating Systems
Unix is the predecessor of both Linux and macOS, so this will not be told without a background story of modern operating systems.
Development Of Unix: In 1960, Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, and many other developers of Unix started developing this operating system for the Bell Labs at AT&T in the 1960s. Initially, this was created as a flexible, multi-user mainframe system, but through portability, simplicity, and through multitasking support, Unix became famous and was one of the pioneering portable OSs.

Key Innovation: One of the greatest contributions of Unix was that of a hierarchical file system, which later became a template for subsequent designs in OS.
C Language: Unix was later re-coded in C by 1973. This made it transportable, and it could now run on any hardware. This was the flexibility multiplier, and this scalability was the killer aspect. Unix spread light-years beyond the original intentions. 4. Evolution of Operating Systems: From Unix to Ubuntu and Beyond
The main ideas of Unix—portability, modularity, and capabilities in multi-user systems —provided a strong platform for the next generation of operating systems. Here's the progression:

a. Origin of Linux:

In 1991, Linus Torvalds, a Finnish student of computer science, developed Linux: a free, open-source kernel for any other kernel that mimics Unix. He wanted a system that would make a Unix-based system work on personal computers, as he perceived such personal computers to be in full swing.
Open-source, community-driven: What started as a personal project of Linus Torvalds and his friend at university became now an international, open-source project with thousands of developers from all over the world adding to the code. Throughout the years, there are many distros - that's, Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, and CentOS.

Why Ubuntu? Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distribution today because it focuses on usability and accessibility. It was designed to be accessible and still serious enough for a developer while making Linux accessible to the average user.
b. Unix Influence on macOS and Windows
macOS: macOS is a Unix-based OS from the company Apple, developed from NeXTSTEP by Steve Jobs in the 1980s following his expulsion from Apple; it inherited many Unix features and contains a Unix-like CLI called Terminal.
Windows: In addition to the Unix line, Microsoft's Windows totally took off in a tangent. Although it is not a direct descendant of Unix, some of the current releases of Windows-like Windows 10-do have features more aligned with Unix, primarily through the Windows Subsystem for Linux, or WSL, which places an entire Linux environment on top of Windows.
5. Why Ubuntu? Advantages and Applications
Therefore, so far we have distinguished between what is different, but now that we know the story behind, let's talk about why Ubuntu is selected today :

a. Security and Stability:

Minimal Vulnerabilities: Ubuntu, like all Linux operating systems, has fewer chances of being vulnerable to malware and viruses because it's designed that way and its user base is much smaller compared to Windows.
Scheduled Updates:Ubuntu has an option where they can release LTS versions, and they are guaranteed support for five years, which means it will be stable even in mission-critical environments.
b. For Developers:
Development Environment: Ubuntu is a dream for developers as it natively provides support for programming languages such as Python, Java, and C++. Also, compatibility with Git, Docker, and AWS-based cloud platforms makes it a best friend for developers for development and deployment.
c. Lightweight and Efficient:
Performance: Ubuntu is capable of running very efficiently even on older or lower-end hardware, making it perfect for getting older machines revived or running virtual environments.

6. Conclusion: A World of Possibilities with Ubuntu
Flexibility, security, and also an open-source ethos make Ubuntu appealing. It is definitely not for the average user; however, for the developers, tech enthusiasts, or any individual who really considers a totally customizable, community-driven software, Ubuntu is the way.
So, if you have to choose between Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu, the answer comes down to your needs, of course. If you're talking about open-source freedom and even increased security with a super-customizable environment, then by all means, Ubuntu is the way to go.

Because of this evolution, most operating systems that we use today carry marks of Unix influence. This heritage Ubuntu preserves by offering to everybody a robust, free-to-use platform for learning from and improving upon.