Author: Samuel Msiska 

It is always a struggle for new developers when it comes to choosing the right platform for web, software development.  Should I use Windows, macOS, or Linux? That's often the most difficult decision to make. Some because of not doing proper research to find out which platform is better, resort to either running each operating system on a different system or dual booting. However, switching between two or three systems can be a hectic task. Of course, for experienced developers, it goes without saying that Linux is the best operating system. There are many reasons why 

Linux gets an edge over other operating systems and why as a developer you should go for it. Here are some of them.

1. Open source 

One of the reasons developers choose Linux is that it is open source. Every developer is curious to know what happens behind the curtain.; the code behind the software that is running. Unless if are a senior software engineer at Microsoft or Apple, you will never have access to the source code behind the operating system. This is because the code is private. Linux on the other hand is open-source, meaning the source code is entirely available to the public and that gives you the privilege to modify, enhance or re-engineer it. If you are not happy using a readymade Linux operating system you can make your own from the available source code. 

2. Perfect for development 

Linux ships in with major programming tools like Python, Ruby, Perl, C# so you don`t waste time installing them.  Moreover, there are plenty of libraries that can run natively on Linux without executing errors. The Windows command line is limited and you can only write a small part of what you could do in Linux. Bash scripts, however, are powerful and contain a series of commands that can do complex tasks which cannot be performed using the Windows command line. For instance, you can use the grep command to display the number of times a string of characters appears in a specific file. 

3. Community support 

The online Linux community is very active and supportive. No need to hire an expert to solve a problem you are facing on your Linux system. Just search your problem on the internet and you will find similar threads on a Linux forum with the solution. Even if a similar thread is not there, Linux forums have very active users. You rest assured there will be someone with a solution when you post a problem. 

4. Fewer hardware requirements 

The windows operating systems use more computing power and resources for it to run smoothly. If don`t want to spend time waiting for your Windows 10 computer to respond then you will need a system that has a good amount of  RAM (at least 4 GB), enough storage space, a good graphics chip, and enough processing power otherwise, it won’t go down well with you. In other words, Windows isn’t` meant for low-end systems. Such is not the case with Linux. Linux 

runs smoothly even on a computer having hardware specifications that are below the minimum system requirements for the Windows operating system. 

5. Free 

It doesn`t cost you anything to get your hands on Linux but that is not the case with Windows. A genuine copy of  Windows comes with a price tag of around $150 to $300. Getting a Mac is even way priceless. Why spend money when you know you can get something similar to do the same job—even better—at no cost? Furthermore, most Linux desktop applications are available for free. The money you could`ve spent purchasing a Windows operating system and applications can be used to upgrade your system or given a donation to the Linux Foundation, just saying.

6. Secure 

Even a computer novice knows that Windows is prone to threats. Spyware, Trojan Horses, and phishing attacks all target the Windows platform. Security on windows comes with a cost; you have to purchase an antimalware program. This is not the case with Linux because it has fewer potential threats. You can still install an antimalware program on a Linux system however, having one or not does not make any difference. However, if a user posts a threat in any Linux Forum, several developers from around the world start working on it.