Linux vs Windows

Most of you will have used Microsoft's Windows operating system, so it may be useful to illustrate some of the differences.

• Folders and Directories
  In Windows and MacOS the places where files are stored are often called folders. In the UNIX world these are called Directories, but they are exactly the same.
• Forward and Backward slashes
  In Windows the backslash ('$\backslash$') character is used as a separator, whereas in Linux we use the forward slash '/' (as we do when quoting URLs).
• Graphics vs Terminal
  In Windows most applications are run by clicking on the Start Menu or a shortcut. In Linux we usually launch a ``terminal'' window, and start programs by typing their name into the terminal.
• Drives vs Root Filesystem
  In Windows each storage device (hard drive, CDROM drive, USB key etc.) is given a letter (e.g. 'C' is usually the primary drive). In Linux this is not the case, and the different storage devices just appear as different directories in the main filesystem.