Another benefit of Linux vs Windows: with linux - you don't have to worry about viruses, worms and exploits, they pretty much don't exist for linux, and you don't have to buy antivirus and run it constantly while it's consuming at least 1/4 of your computer's resources. But to use Linux - you have to know what you are doing, and if you have to use any Windows-specific software - you'll have to run it on a separate Windows computer or via a virtual machine.
If you're not already familiar with linux based operating systems and/or can't think of a good reason to use one, not sure if it's a good idea. That being said, there are also specific use cases for a linux IMO. So with the fund I'm currently with our trading, research, and data infrastructure is all linux based and we run two workstations 1 windows and 1 linux. The linux machine is primarily for prototyping software before being put into production and the windows machines mostly for excel and bloomberg. If you do want to go down the linux route, I like ubuntu 12.04 server LTS or CentOS.
I enjoy using the Fedora Linux distribution. I have used Ubuntu in the past, but the quality was not good enough so I ditched it for Fedora. Fedora is quick on updates with the latest versions of OS kernel, tools and software which is important for software development, regardless of what language you prefer working with Fedora got it. Getting accustomed to UNIX may take some learning as it is a different world and OS design philosophy than Windows is. If you are using Apple MacOS X, you are already using UNIX (it's a FreeBSD/Mach hybrid).
I do not follow, Why would linux be a better OS to program? Which IDE runs on Linux that would, for example, even get remotely close to the capabilities of Visual Studio? Maybe just commenting on how debugging, performance profiling, thread monitoring/debugging is supposedly easier in Linux would suffice. How is it tougher to configure Windows Server and Windows 7 than Linux? I fail to see it but maybe I am missing something. For too long I follow similar comments as yours in various finance related forums and hardly ever is any supporting evidence cited. I am curious, if the Linux world is so fantastic I may actually consider switching. I just need to hear some plausible arguments.
How so? I have 64gb memory on my 64bit Windows 7 machine and unless I load up on heavy data my memory utilization hardly ever goes above 6gb. Also my hexa core CPU with 12 hyperthreads in aggregate is hardly ever utilized more than 3% while it idles. And that despite hundreds of background tasks and services running. All new Windows OSs nowadays require root access to perform certain system manipulations. Depending on the severity of the system adjustment elevated user access is required. Also, Windows has gotten very good at segregating different users' profiles and local data repositories. What is missing? Most people do not understand that the best line of defense is to not let an intruding software algorithm into your system. People seems to be surprised that they get malware and spybots onto their system when they surf porn, click on all kinds of email attachments,...A solid firewall (hardware and software) on my system has in the past 10 years not once caused a virus to wreck havoc on my machine. Not one time. The worst that happened was that my SSD completely died (could not even be detected by the bios) but that is hardly at all related to Windows. I guess the worst of the Linux world is the limited software that is offered. Unless you run a very targeted set of applications you are severely limited by the software in circulation. I would love to read about a true advantage that Linux offers TODAY over Windows 7. Oh, did I forget to mention that my computer never ever crashed or froze a single time since I run Windows 7?
On my previous comment I was talking more about the winXP crowd, which usually doesn't even run on 64bit... and how linux is the best alternative to running on the same hardware that ran XP... But if we want to look to the higher end of the spectrum at the servers and to the high performance machines running the likes of CERN, nuclear subs, or the exchanges like CME, XETRA and NYSE... what you find is mostly UNIX based systems (LINUX, UNIX, AIX) ---this is because of limitations that you run into when you try to code directly to the Windows kernel... it gets pretty messy... so on windows you usually must work a couple of layers above the kernel using the OS' API's... you don't have that limitation on the UNIX world... so you're able to optimize the system much further. On security front... windows has been catching up with basic UNIX security features like user based access... but they're still a pretty long way from functionalities like the context based access found on SELinux... (where a program can't touch files outside of its context, even if it is run by root) ... On the applications side, that used to be a headache, specially in the drivers side (first time that I moved to linux on Mandrake circa 2000, it was a HUGE headache, and I ended going back to Win for a long time) but now a days, between cloud based applications and open source alternatives (plus a healthy supply of drivers) there is no lack in apps to choose from. You got a pretty solid hardware setup, and it sounds like it gives you plenty of overhead for your current use. You could push the hardware further using a linux stack, but it doesn't sound like that's something you need. But, when you need to optimize a system, either to spend the least possible on hardware or to tackle a problem that is large even for todays top notch hardware... then the UNIX family os systems lets you go much further than windows does.
Maybe 15 years ago but that's so untrue nowadays. Aside of gaming, anything you do on Windows you can do on Linux. But even gaming is catching up. NYSE, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Frankfurt Stock Exchange all run on Linux. London Stock Exchange ditched Windows & .NET in favor of Linux. Large Hadron Collider, also Linux. Top 500 super computers all run Linux or Unix. All these guys trust Linux more than Windows, that's pretty much made my choice. However, if you can make money on Windows then use Windows.
Why do you want to start on another operating system besides Windows? Just out of curiosity? Development? Server? Depends on what you want to do. If it's just for trading, I'd say stick with Windows, or better yet get a Mac with OS X. If you're on Windows, you can try Virtualbox or VMware, as they allow you to virtually run the systems and mess around. It will take a decent amount of time to get familiar with Unix systems. If you're going for plug and play ready to go all GUI linux systems like Mint or Ubuntu, you will never understand Unix. They have come a long way, though to me that's not where the power of Unix is. OS X far superior as a desktop OS, IMHO. I have read exchanges running highly configurable source-based systems like gentoo linux, and also solaris on servers. Lots of large internet companies use BSD as well... very clean system, good choice for a server. OS X took the BSD network stack if I'm not mistaken. Plan 9 was a pretty crazy idea. The modern rework of the Unix system, started by bell labs. Some of those guys working for google now.
why do you linux guys either cite examples where a poor XP user's life will be saved if he jumps ship to Linux or some CERN scientists who run on unix boxes? ;-) I wrote a longer article in a related thread (regarding Mac and limited software) which tangents why scientists and people are research labs sometimes use Unix/Linux (gist is that they do not know better, they were exclusively exposed to Unix/Linux during their phD programs and thus have hardly ever seen anything else. I also contradicted with FACTS that quite a number of exchanges run on Windows servers and hence software, among others, Nasdaq, so your claim is not even factually true. ) Please allude to what limitations I run into if I want to program on a Windows based OS. You can use CS lingo, I have programmed long enough to follow along. What can I not do that you can do easier and more conveniently on Linux (given you even have drivers provided to run the hardware on a linux OS). Context wise, exactly the same with Windows 7. No program can interfere with system files. They are protected and unless you upload a worm, virus or trojan, your system files are save. Windows gives its users the power to decide. If you are a casual user you elevate user control, if you are an admin and know what you are doing you override user control at times. Actually the ability to access the registry and other parts of the system by installed software is a huge advantage, otherwise you would have a hard time to manage the many different profile types Windows offers and which Linux does not offer. (but I admit the whole concept of Registry is an erroneous one, I am sure Microsoft would never build again on top of a registry if they could write the OS again from the ground up, but that itself does not render Windows any less potent than Linux). When you talk lack of apps, you mean there is not more lack of drivers correct? Because obviously there is a lack of apps and support for Linux .Otherwise why do you see tons of threads where users plead with the community to reveal ways to run more broker applications and other financial software on linux boxes? You are limited to Java apps and web apps and that is pretty much it. Would you not agree? How many Linux specific apps are there, really not many beyond the basic stack. Maybe Unix/Linux will let you go a "little" further than Windows just because of the lower overhead but MUCH FURTHER? Sorry I question that and I still do not follow where the MUCH FURTHER shall be coming from.