The document compares the history, features, and differences between Linux and Windows operating systems. It details the origins of both operating systems, their kernel architectures, memory management, and usability, highlighting that Linux is open source and more secure, while Windows is user-friendly but costly. Key points include the types of applications available for each OS, their respective strengths and weaknesses, and the general user experience.

1. Comparison of
Windows & Linux OS

2. History of Linux
• Linux was originally built by Linus Torvalds
• At the University of Helsinki in 1991.
• Linux was built based on UNIX.
• It is an Open Source Operating System.
• Free Software.
• Source Code Available to all.
• It runs on a wide range of hardware from PCs, servers to even
Raspberry pi.

3. Why Penguin?
• Tux is a penguin character and the official brand character of
the Linux.
• Originally created as an entry to a Linux logo competition by, Larry
Ewing in 1996.
• Who said that it stood for "(T)orvalds (U)ni(X)”
• Fun fact : Linus Torvalds was really bitten by a little penguin on a visit
to the National Zoo in Australia during his childhood.
• Also, Torvalds was looking for something fun and sympathetic to
associate with Linux ; hence he chose TUX as official logo.

4. History of Windows
• First commercial version, Windows 3.0 was released in 1992 by
Microsoft.
• Windows is a GUI based operating system.
• It has powerful networking capabilities, multitasking, and it is
extremely user friendly.
• It is the most popular Operating system in PCs.

5. Versions of windows
• Windows 95
• Windows 98
• Windows Me
• Windows 2000
• Windows 2003
• Windows XP
• Windows vista
• WINDOWS 7
• WINDOWS 8
• WINDOWS 10

6. Distros of Linux
• Suse
• Fedora
• Redhat
• Debian
• Ubuntu
• CentOS
• Linux Mint
• Elementary OS

7. DIFFERENCES

8. KERNEL LEVEL DIFFERENCES
• Kernel is the core of the operating system.
• It is the first program of operating system that is loaded into the
main memory to start the working of the system.
• Kernel acts as a bridge between application software and hardware
of the system.
• Kernel is classified as Monolithic kernel and Microkernel.

9. • In a Monolithic kernel, all the services of the operating system run
along the main thread of the kernel that resides in the same area of
memory where the kernel is placed. Monolithic kernel provides rich
access to the hardware of the system.
• Microkernel is an abstraction over the hardware that uses the
primitives or system calls to implement the services of operating
system.
• Windows has a microkernel
• Linux has a monolithic kernel

11. MICROKERNEL MONOLITHIC KERNEL
In microkernel user services and
kernel services are kept in separate
address space.
In monolithic kernel, both user
services and kernel services are kept
in the same address space.
Size Microkernel are smaller in size. Monolithic kernel is larger than
microkernel.
Execution Slow execution. Fast execution.
Extendible The microkernel is easily extendible. The monolithic kernel is hard to
extend.
Security If a service crashes, it does affect the
working of microkernel.
If a service crashes, the whole system
crashes in monolithic kernel.
Code To write a microkernel, more code is
required.
To write a monolithic kernel, less
code is required.
Example Microsoft Windows, Symbian, Mac OS
X, Minix, etc.
Linux, BSDs (FreeBSD, OpenBSD,
NetBSD), Microsoft Windows
(95,98,Me), Solaris, DOS, OpenVMS
etc.

12. Differences in MEMORY MANAGEMENT
• Windows manages their virtual memory in a tree data structure.
• Linux uses a linked-list data structure.
• But, if the number of entries becomes greater than 32, Linux will convert
linked-list into tree data structure.
• Paging is done almost similar in both the OS.
• Both can access up to 4GB of physical memory.
• The difference is, in Windows, 2GB of upper & lower parts of physical
memory are allocated for kernel-mode & user-mode respectively.
• But in Linux, only 1GB of upper & lower parts of physical memory is allocated
for kernel-mode & user-mode respectively.

13. When it comes to page replacement,
• Windows uses cluster demand paging. Where, all the pages will be
brought into the memory simultaneously.
• Linux uses demand paging. Where, the pages which are not needed
will not be swapped into the memory.
• Windows uses First In First Out (FIFO) page replacement algorithm.
• Linux uses Least Recently Used (LRU) page replacement algorithm.

14. Basic differences
LINUX WINDOWS
Cost Free of cost Expensive
Open source Yes No
Customizable Yes No
Security More secure Vulnerable to viruses and malware
attacks.
Booting Either primary or logical partition. Only primary partition.

15. Separation of the directories using Back slash Forward slash
File names Case sensitive Case insensitive
File system EXT2, EXT3, EXT4, Reisers FS, XFS and
JFS
FAT, FAT32, NTFS and ReFS
Type of kernel used Monolithic kernel Microkernel
Efficiency Effective running efficiency Lower than Linux
LINUX WINDOWS

16. Company / developer Linus Torvalds and the Linux
community.
Microsoft
Update method Many ways Windows Update
Preceded by Basic Terminal (CLI) MS-DOS
License GNU General Public License Proprietary License
Available language(s) Multilingual Multilingual
Default user interface Gnome, KDE or many other desktops Graphical (GUI)
Source model Free Software / Open Source Closed source
LINUX WINDOWS

17. Supported platforms All PowerPC: versions 1.0 - NT 4.0; DEC
Alpha: versions 1.0 - NT 4.0; MIPS
R4000: versions 1.0 - NT 4.0; IA-32:
versions 1.0 - 8; IA-64: version XP;
x86-64: versions XP - 8; ARM:
version RT;
OS family GNU DOS
Programmed in C Assembly, C, C++
Marketing target Server, Personal Personal, business
Compatibility New version of linux support many
kinds of hardware
Can coexist on local networks with
Windows, BSD, Macs, and other
Unix-like systems. Sometimes file
compatibility issues may arise.
LINUX WINDOWS

18. GUI DIFFERENCES

25. Multimedia and Productivity Applications
availability
• The main advantage of Linux is that most of the multimedia
applications are freely available.
• while in the case of Windows, users may have to pay a hefty amount
to get the software although many Open Source/Free versions are
sometimes available.
• Linux typically comes with a lot of free application software, such as
Libre Office, a complete free Office suite.
• A new computer with Windows pre-installed may have additional
application software but that is totally up to the PC vendor.

26. Gaming Applications
• Major attraction of Windows is the library of games available for
purchase.
• A majority of games support Windows and are released first for the
Windows platform.
• Some of these games can be run on Linux with a compatibility layer
like Wine, although Wine is difficult to set up and require different
versions of it for various games.

27. Threats and Problems
• Since Windows is the most widely used OS, hackers, spammers target
Windows frequently.
• On the other hand, Linux is very stable and more secure than
Windows.
• As Linux is community driven, developed through people
collaboration and monitored constantly by the developers from every
corner of the earth, any new problem raised can be solved within few
hours and the necessary patch can be ready at the same time.

28. Conclusion
• Linux and Windows both Operating systems have their advantages
and disadvantages.
• Windows is simple to use but is not a free.
• Whereas Linux is free, open source, customizable but kind of complex
for the users having no programming background.
• Windows has the support for most of the ‘popular Applications’.
• Linux is more secure than windows.
• But for a “normal” user, Windows is the most user-friendly Operating
System.

29. References
• https://www.diffen.com/difference/Linux_vs_Windows#Threats_and
_Problems
• https://techdifferences.com/difference-between-linux-and-windows-
operating-system.html
• https://studymoose.com/differences-in-memory-management-
between-windows-and-linux-essay
• https://home.ubalt.edu/abento/454/winlinmemory/sld018.htm