Which OS is better for chess? Windows or Linux.

[Leo]

I saw somewhere that on the new Ryzen 2 Threadripper Linux achieves a lot more nodes per second. I would be grateful for some comments to enlighten me. If I switch over to Linux can I run all my current programs? I really have no knowledge of Linux.

[Alexander Schmidt]

I think you can get everything to work in Linux, except Chessbase native engines. But If you like to run all kind of chess engines, maybe it is easier with windows. If you like to use comfortable and well looking user interfaces like Chessbase, Shredder or Arena you should use windows. If you need to run Microsoft Office, you have to use Windows.

Beside that Linux, in my case Ubuntu, is much better, faster and more stable. It will not slow down after a few month like windows, you can easily install software for all kind of purposes, it will not spy your data and it is as secure as an OS can be.

You don't have a huge variety of chess interfaces, but you will find something for all purposes.

[Colin-G]

I saw somewhere that on the new Ryzen 2 Threadripper Linux achieves a lot more nodes per second. I would be grateful for some comments to enlighten me. If I switch over to Linux can I run all my current programs? I really have no knowledge of Linux.

It depends on what programs you want to use.
There are a lot of native linux versions of engines but you have to compile some of them yourself.
Some engines do not have a native linux version but almost all of them will run using wine.
However not all engines run under wine. It might depend on the version of wine supplied with your linux version. A newer version of wine from winehq might work if installed.
Fritz GUI works ok with wine, Chessmaster GUI does not.
Arena GUI works ok with wine and there is also a native linux version.
DOS chess programs will work in native linux version of DOSbox, but run very slow.
Xboard is native linux version of Winboard.
Scid database has a native linux version.
Chessbase old versions worked with wine ok, I assume newer versions are also ok.
Engine speed can be the same for windows engines and native linux versions. It depends on how they are compiled.
I started using linux in 2001. It is a lot more user friendly now than it was then, but will require quite a bit of effort getting your chess stuff working if you have never used linux before.

[Dann Corbit]

I saw somewhere that on the new Ryzen 2 Threadripper Linux achieves a lot more nodes per second. I would be grateful for some comments to enlighten me. If I switch over to Linux can I run all my current programs? I really have no knowledge of Linux.

There are some programs and apps that are windows only (e.g. Houdini), but I am transitioning to Linux myself. Every new machine I buy will have a Posix OS.
Windows spies on you. I don't like it.

When Windows 10 "Free Upgrade" was installed on my machine, I lost about half of my applications, including an even higher percentage of the ones that I cared the most about.
Even the Microsoft compilers stopped working. I got dozens of "side by side" errors with dll files being put into the wrong places, I guess.
After a certain number of days, they deleted my ability to go back to the older version of the OS. They also deleted some of my applications along with it.

Windows will reboot your machine when you do not want it to.

I would not buy Linux over Windows based on a few NPS. I would do it for all the other reasons.

Now, there are some good things about windows products. I like the Visual Studio IDE. I like SQL Server. But the balance has been tipped for me.

[Leo]

Thanks everyone. If Dann doesn't think its worth it to switch to Linux for chess reasons then I wont switch. FYI I would be using Fritz.

[yurikvelo]

No one answered very specific question: does Ryzen 2 gives much more Mn/sec under Linux?

[yurikvelo]

Probably this is source for gossips:

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page= ... nlin&num=4

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevang ... use-linux/

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3298859 ... mance.html

[lucasart]

I saw somewhere that on the new Ryzen 2 Threadripper Linux achieves a lot more nodes per second. I would be grateful for some comments to enlighten me. If I switch over to Linux can I run all my current programs? I really have no knowledge of Linux.

Chess engines run ~10% faster on Linux compared to Windows, on equal hardware. This has been observed consistently on all engines. If you don't believe it, dual boot your PC, and try. Compile SF with the same gcc for Windows and Linux, you'll see. Same for Demolito, and every engine I've tried (to the extent that they can be compiled on both linux and Windows).

I wonder why TCEC, and the various rating lists use Windows…

[crem]

It's questionable whether engines run faster on windows vs linux (I guess there's no difference), but where windows is clearly better is chess GUI.
There is no mature enough chess GUI on Linux.

[Manattable]

Linux was know a few years ago as being great for programming, so if your developing it could be best, also Linux has lots of versions for free, Linux runs on old very old PCs. Linux has some really cool apps.

windows is compatable with most things, chessbase & fritz for example, so if your a player then windows may be best.

I have 2 PCs so I like having both windows and Linux, why choose atall