I learned about the safety and usability of Linux after disaster struck my PC. Without Linux, I probably would’ve had to reinstall my OS or replace my computer.
My experimentation with several Linux Distributions began in a local coffee shop. I visited a site that unexpectedly started to do a fake virus scan on my laptop. Even though I closed my browser and turned off my computer, it got infected. I couldn’t launch my anti-virus program or get online. It was the second time in a month that I’d gotten a Trojan. I was using the most popular operating system, which will be unnamed, but I’m sure everyone knows which one I mean.
Before the Trojan struck, I’d visited a site that had a program to put Linux Distributions onto a flash drive. I installed one of the most user-friendly Linux Distributions on a spare flash drive, tossed it into my computer bag, and forgot about it. Desperate to fix my laptop, I put the flash drive in a usb port and booted into Linux. I was able to get online to learn how to remove the Trojan. I also learned that Linux was easy to use, and that the Trojan that infected my computer twice wouldn’t have been able to do so if I’d been using one of the many Linux Distributions instead of the popular operating system.
Ever since, I’ve been using flash drives with various Linux Distributions whenever I’m online. I’ve also started using some of the free programs, such as OpenOffice or LibreOffice, included with many Linux Distributions. I even installed OpenOffice on my mother’s new computer with the popular operating system, but no productivity programs. She’s had no problems using OpenOffice; she’s happy she didn’t have to spend additional money to have a full-featured word processor. I like several of the Linux Distributions so much that if I wasn’t required to have the popular operating system for some of my work, I would use Linux exclusively.