People aren't going to be throwing out any of their current systems and replacing them with Linux. The big pluses For those who do consider Linux, cost, reliability and flexibility are favorites on the plus side. Because Linux is licensed under the General Public License, it has no restrictions on the number of users attached to a server or the number of servers on which a single copy of Linux can be installed. Open source and Linux advocates such as IBM's Frye claim that the peer review involved in Linux developments makes the code more bug-proof and reliable than proprietary software. Plus, as an open source operating system, Linux is easily changeable.
Developers can manipulate the code to make the software fit a specific function.
Linux vendors vs. Microsoft, Novell and Unix companies. Being able to change server code is important to Maurice Smiley, a senior systems administrator with Gulf State Engineering, a Houston firm that designs equipment for the oil and gas industries. For two years, Smiley has run Red Hat Linux on the company's file, print, Web and database servers. Almost none of the systems we run use stock Red Hat kernels. But openness does have its downside, Smiley adds.