Is Linux faster than Windows ?

Why Is Linux Faster Than Windows?

One question that comes up a lot in discussion is whether Linux is genuinely a faster OS when compared to Windows. Most of the questions direct us to the time it takes for the OSes to boot up and in that parameter, yes, Linux is noticeable faster than Windows. Why then, does it fail the speed test when compared along other parameters ?


Kernel
One big reason why Linux can boot up faster than Windows is the difference in the way their kernels are designed. The nucleus of an OS is very different in these 2 products. Linux has a monolithic kernel – meaning it holds every core functionality needed by the OS such as drivers ,memory management, task scheduler and the file system. Windows on the other hand contains a micro kernel which contains only the basic necessities and the remaining aspects are loaded separately thus making it a little bit slower when compared to Linux.


Backward Compatibility
This is one aspect wherein Windows suffers owing to the decades of software support it provides it’s users. While it may slow down the loading process, there’s no denying that a majority of the world’s computing needs require this compatibility. Linux on the other hand, being a minority shareholder in the computing world can afford to forgo backward compatibility.
         
              
While discussing this, we also need to note that Microsoft can afford for Windows to be slower for the simple reason that a potential user will not be dissuaded from purchasing a Windows license just because it works a little bit slower. Windows being a propriety OS has a limited number of developers and thus a finite number of man hours they can commit. Therefore, the development activities need to be market driven for Microsoft. Optimization is not as high a priority for Windows compared to other requirements.
Linux on the other hand outperforms Windows in many areas because it is essential for its existence.



Explanation From Tech-savvy Reddit user logicalkitten 

• One of the more hidden benefits to linux is that applications share files better than windows. So instead of DLLs like in windows, linux uses .so files, or “shared objects”. There are also .ko files, which are kernel objects, somewhat like drivers in windows.
• A Windows application might depend on a very specific version of a DLL. The person who writes the application doesn’t know what version of windows you will be installing it on and if that particular DLL will be present in your system. So the easiest solution is to just include the correct DLL with the application. Effect: installers are much larger, C drive is fuller, and more ram is used.
• Linux does it differently. When you ask to install Midori web browser for instance, apt-get (or the software center front end) checks the package for a list of dependencies. Instead of including all the files, Midori just says what it depends on.
• So apt-get checks the system and sees that fileX.so.1 is already installed, which is one of the dependencies, so it doesn’t need to fetch it from the central software repository. It then notices that Midori needs another file, which is not installed yet, so it checks the software repository for a version that matches, or one that is newer. It installs that. And so on. Once the dependencies are satisfied, it installs the application itself. Result: Software can be installed very quickly and doesn’t take up as much space or ram.
• The apt-get system also keeps track of how many applications need fileX.so.1, so that if you remove Midori, it doesn’t remove fileX.so.1, unless nobody else is using it. So Linux has pretty good house keeping skills.

How many of the ardent Linux supporters would stick around if the OS starts having problems ?

Read More

Google to offer $200,000 for reporting bugs in Android

Google will pay hackers $200000 for finding bug in Android

The company has since a long time, had a bounty program wherein every individual that reports a zero day bug ( bug not previously known ) would get a monetary reward for their efforts. After the recent Judy & Fireball malware however, Google has upped the reward many times over.


Better safe than sorry
The upgrade in the bounty program should not come as a surprise to those aware of the recent malware attacks. Its been days since news of the Judy malware attack broke. For those unfamiliar with it, the attack consisted of a number of apps that existed on the Play Store which would install adware onto their user’s devices. There were reports that over 40 apps were infected with this malware – one that managed to get past Google’s malware filters and although Google did remove these apps from their Play Store, it is being reported that those 40 apps were cumulatively downloaded over 40 million times. With this in mind, it makes sense that Google would want to know and plug such loopholes quickly.

                    Google has been running the bounty program for around 2 years and is reported to have paid around $ 1.5 million in rewards. The monetary reward act as an incentive for researchers to find and report these bugs before cyber criminals can make use of them. While the amount can seem high, the potential financial loss if these bugs were used in attacks are incalculable and Google can certainly can’t afford them. Google apparently has now decided to utilize their deep pockets in making Android more secure by upping the bounty rewards.

Upgrades
The bounty system obviously has levels based on the seriousness of the bugs. The first level of reward for finding bugs that could allow an attacker to gain remote access to a device and use it to steal a user’s personal data was around $ 30,000 which will now be increased to $150,000 a 5X increase. The second level includes Verified Boot and Trust Zone bugs. Verified boot ensures that the phone’s software isn’t affected while Trust Zone covers security software, fingerprint scans, biometric data, system settings and more alike. The reward for these bugs was $50,000 which has now been upped to $200,000. A blog post was made in regards to these changes by the Android Security team,


Recent attacks that might have inspired the upgrade
There were reports coming in recently that claimed in addition to the Judy malware we spoke about earlier, there was also another malware doing the rounds named Fireball. This malware also spread through apps and had amassed between 4.5 to 18 million downloads before they could be taken down. Some of these apps were reportedly around for years on the Play Store before attacking their users. Its a chilling reminder of the number of ways we are vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Read More

AMD unveils 16-core Ryzen 9 1998X ‘Threadripper’ at Computex 2017

Is it Intel’s Core i9 vs. AMD’s new 16-core Ryzen 9 CPUs?

Looks like the competition between AMD and Intel is heating up! Recently, Intel had unveiled its newest range of extremely powerful ‘Core X-series’ desktop processors, a Core i9 family and an 18-core desktop chip at the Computex 2017 in Taipei.
Not to be left behind, AMD, who is trailing between Intel and Nvidia, unveiled its new 16-core Ryzen 9 CPU, the Ryzen 9 1998X, at the Computex 2017 press event on Wednesday. This new CPU is all set to take on Intel’s 18-core iCore i9 in high-end desktops.
The new Ryzen 9 CPU will form part of AMD’s high-end desktop X399 platform and will feature up to 16 cores and 32 threads, 64 PCIe 3.0 lanes, and quad channel DDR4 memory. The new Ryzen 9 CPUs, codenamed “Threadripper,” are based on the company’s Zen-core architecture, with the base model sporting 10 cores on the CPU. This chip is easily more powerful than the high-end Ryzen 7 CPUs AMD that was launched 3 months ago.


“We really believe we’re bringing a new class of performance to the eco-system,” said AMD CEO Lisa Su during the Ryzen Threadripper’s launch at Computex.
No details regarding the 1998X’s base and turbo clock speeds, nor the price was disclosed by AMD. However, the buzz is that the Ryzen Threadripper will be priced very competitively against Intel. The company said the new CPUs would be shipping in summer 2017.

  

• Intel’s ‘Core X’- Core i9 and 18-core Core i9 Extreme Processors are finally here!!!

Further, AMD also unveiled a teaser of its new Radeon RX Vega, an upcoming flagship gaming GPU that’s based on the company’s new Vega architecture, at the press event that looks to take on Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and Titan Xp GPUs. The company said more information on the Radeon RX Vega range will be revealed at the Siggraph conference, which runs from July 30 to August 3, without revealing the price.
Also, two RX Vega GPUs running the demanding video game Prey on ‘ultra’ settings at 4K resolution on a 1998X-powered system were showcased at the event.
“Our message is that for the true enthusiast-class performance capability this combination will be an incredible combination,” said Su.

Read More

Read More

Why Python Is Favorite Programming Language Of Hackers ?

Python is the language of choice for hackers

Programming knowledge is a must for anyone wanting to be a hacker – this is a no brainer. However, what is so special about Python that is has become the programming language of choice for so many hackers ?

Reasons
Hacking,in the terms we use it means searching for and exploiting system vulnerabilities. System hacking requires a deep technical knowledge, knowledge of methodical testing and a creative application of said knowledge. These work significantly in Python’s favor. Python being a high level language, ignores matters that lower level languages will deal with, allowing one to streamline his attention.

Python has a very simple structure and is a strong scripting language. A simple example of this can be seen when you write the most basic of all programs – a hello world program. Below is a comparison between that program written in Java and Python.
This is how it looks in Java:

public class HelloWorld {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println(“Hello, World”);
}
}
This is how it look in Python :

print “Hello World!”

Java is the language preferred by the masses because literally anything can be developed with it – from desktop applications to websites. Python too, doubles up as a scripting and a general purpose programming language. Add to that the simplicity that we’re just seen, is it any wonder that Python gets favored so much ?

Another aspect that tilts the scales in Python’s favor, is the amount of libraries. When considered specifically towards hacking, Python has such a vast number of libraries that you probably get your work done just by using them. In the off chance that you hit a wall, Python also has a huge developer community for you to help from. Granted, one would be advised not to spread the word of your hacking intentions, but the benefit of a dedicated community cannot be emphasized enough.
All in all,

 if you are a person with the ambitions of being a hacker one day, start learning Python.

Read More

Why do hackers prefer Linux over Mac, Windows, and other operating systems?

Today we look at the reason why hackers always prefer Linux over Mac, Windows, and other operating systems. You may have your own reasons for choosing Linux but what do hackers really look forward to while working with Linux.

Reason #1: Command line interface vs graphical user interface

Linux was designed around a strong and highly integrated command line interface. Windows and Mac don’t have that. This grants hackers and Linux far greater access and control over their system and awesome customization. This is the reason that most hacking and pentesting tools are built into Linux have greater functionality above and beyond their windows counterparts. In contrast, Windows was built around the graphic user interface (GUI). This restrict user interaction to point-and-click navigation (slower) and application/system menu options for configuration.

                      Windows has a command line structure, such as command prompt  and Power Shell, however, these don’t give hackers/developers the complete functionality and integration compared with Linux.  This hampers their work as hacking is usually going beyond the well-defined command lines. This is the reason that though hacking tools like Metasploit or nmap are ported for Windows, they don’t have capabilities like Linux.

Compared to Windows, Linux is more granular. That means Linux gives users infinite amount of control over the system. In Windows, you only can control what Microsoft allows you to control. In Linux, everything can be controlled by the terminal in the most miniscule to the most macro level. In addition, Linux makes scripting in any of the scripting languages simple and effective.

Reason #2: Linux is lighter and more portable

This is arguably the best reason for choosing Linux over Mac and Windows. Hackers can easily create customized live boot disks and drives from any Linux distribution that they want. The installation is quick and its light on resources. To memory, I can only think of one program that lets you create Windows live disks and it wasn’t nearly as light or as quick to install. Linux is made even lighter as many distros are specifically customised as light-weight distros. You can read about the top lightweight Linux distros here.

Reason #3: Linux is typically more secure

Ask a pro hacker or security researcher which operating system is the most secure of them all, and perhaps 101 out 100 will unflinchingly swear by Linux. Windows is popular because of its reach among average users and popularity amongst programmers because it is more profitable to write a program for Windows. In more recent years, popularity has grown for UNIX based operating systems such as Mac OS, Android, and Linux. As a result, these platforms have become more profitable targets for attackers. Still, Linux is a great deal more secure than Windows and Mac out of the box.

Reason #4: Linux is pretty much universal

Just about everything runs some form of UNIX (Internet of Things, routers, web-servers, etc.). Doesn’t it make sense that you would target those systems from a device running the same platform? After all, the goal is to make things easier on yourself. You don’t want to worry about compatibility problems.

Reson #5: Linux Is Open Source

Unlike Windows or Mac, Linux is open source. What that means for us is that the source code of the operating system is available to us. As such, we can change and manipulate it as we please. If you are trying to make a system operate in ways it was not intended, being able to manipulate the source code is essential.

Think of it this way. Could you imagine Microsoft giving us a plug-in/MMC or whatever to manipulate or change the kernel of Windows for hacking? Of course NOT!

Reason #6: Linux Is Transparent

To hack effectively, you must know and understand your operating system and to a large extent, the operating system you are attacking. Linux is totally transparent, meaning we can see and manipulate all its working parts.
Not so with Windows. Actually, the opposite is true. Microsoft engineers work hard to make it impossible for users or hackers to find the inner workings of their operating system. On Windows, you are actually working with what Microsoft has given you rather that what you want. Here Linux differs philosophically from Microsoft. Linux was developed as an operating system to give users more control over it rather than make them do what the developers want.

Summary : Linux vs Windows and Mac

You have to understand that hackers and security researcher are here to make money. Hackers hack platforms that are profitable. Windows has been the preferred choice within enterprise environments and with the average consumer. It’s the preferred choice for developers (apple licensing costs and restrictions), which is why Windows is so compatible. Apple has been too expensive for consumers and Linux is frankly not that user-friendly (buggy, lack of GUI, etc.). You don’t have an average Joe just switching on a Linux PC/laptop and doing what he wants.
However, this is changing. With the arrival of Android smartphones, there has been a paradigm shift in user’s preferences.  As more users switch to Mac/iOS and Android/Linux, attackers will shift to targeting these platforms. With Internet of Things predicted to the next game-changer in tech, Linux will emerge as a formidable challenger to Microsoft’s Windows or Apple’s Mac. As of today, most Internet of Things connected devices are powered by Linux and given the transparency and control available in Linux, it will remain so.
Hacking isn’t for the uninitiated. Hacking is an elite profession among the IT field. As such, it requires an extensive and detailed understanding of IT concepts and technologies. At the most fundamental level, Linux is a requirement for hackers and security researchers.

Read More