Is Linux the better choice for Java developers?
Last week I had a discussion with some colleges from work, if it would be better when we used Linux instead of Windows. I don’t want to start a flame war with my blog. I personally use Linux because when I was a student I couldn’t effort the licenses cost :-) and since then I pretty happy with my choice. But I must say that I don’t’ have a problem to work with Windows, but sometimes I think it would be easier for me to work with Linux. But thats my personal opinion. I really miss a package manager (apt-get, emerge, etc.) under Windows and the shell (bash, etc).
I started to think about this topic when they did a update of the antivirus software last week. Suddenly the build of our Java application took longer, because the antivirus software scanned during the build all jar’s, war’s, ear’s and class files. It took about a day and the problem was fixed from the IT support! Now the problem is solved but there are still some points which could be improved, like to exclude XML files from the scan.
A big company mostly have a Java development crew and they have to customize the workstations for them. For example when you are lucky you have local administration rights and you can install a JDK. So would it be better to give them Linux workstations (or a MacBook Air…;-) with a Windows Terminal Server client to access the MS applications?
A interesting post is from Cay Horstmann about why Java developers should switch to Linux.
http://weblogs.java.net/blog/cayhorstmann/archive/2006/06/why_java_develo.html
And naturally a blog from Eitan Suez about Mac and Java.
http://weblogs.java.net/blog/eitan/archive/2004/11/java_developmen_1.html
Yes.
> I really dont want to go back working on Windows.
I do not know many guys working on Linux, but I do not know any person who tried Linux for real (not just playing around a little) and switched back to Windows.
Although I have experienced several drawbacks working on Linux, the basic architecture is better – no doubt.
Hi Matt,
As Zagniotov, I’ve the same opinion about linux environment be more stable and useful that windows.
Unfortunately now I’m working in a windows workstation but my personal work and studies
at home is under a notebok with ubuntu. Is faster and don’t have system’s crash when all tools are running.
At my current job i started developing on Linux, and now after 10 months I understood one thing – I really dont want to go back working on Windows. I found Linux to be so much stable and you have so much more control over your system. Also, it very easy to download some software when I need it. I use Ubuntu, and with simple apt-get i get what I want. Whether in Windows, first I would need to search on the Internet where I can download the software first.