Why should I use a linux distro and not windows 7?

No reason.

Depends on your situation. I like the fact that my OS is more minimal and lightweight, partly because I have a shitty old laptop and Windows 7 takes about 5 minutes to boot and open a browser, whereas it happens in about a minute with GNU/Linux.

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I'm with the Japanese on this one

I've used Linux as my main OS for several years, in particular Gentoo.

Reasons I use Linux, or more specifically Gentoo:

- Security and privacy, I do not have backdoors in my OS that allows Microsoft or law enforcement to enter if they want to, I am not being spied on by Mircrosoft or proprietary software. Not even the NSA could enter my computer or break my disk encryption (dm-crypt/LUKS).

- If anything breaks it's either my fault, or if not I always have an idea of what broke and I know how to fix it. I can ALWAYS fix my system, it is not a giant proprietary blob where if something breaks I'm helpless.

- My system improves over time. Upgrades make my system better, unlike Windows which gets worse until you have to re-install.

- Since Gentoo is rolling release I never have to re-install my OS

- I like my OS being comprised of separate packages of free open-source software, it allows a level of modularity, customization, and choice. It is a sustainable development model. In some cases different packages could be used for one thing, e.g. ffmpeg or libav, I get to choose which I want, and I get to choose what packages my OS is comprised of.

- The majority of software I want only runs on Linux/Unix, or runs best on Linux and is developed primarily on/for Linux.

- I use the command line a lot, many things on a computer are much better done through the command line, my entire system is integrated with my Bash shell, my file manager too. Windows doesn't have a usable command line, and shit like Cygwin or the Ubuntu compatibility layer isn't the same thing as natively using a command line on a Linux system.

- I like having every piece of software I use compiled on my computer, this is Gentoo specific. This also allows for multiple different versions of 1 package to be installed, this again is Gentoo-specific. It allows a wide range of choice and customization.

- I like compiling my own kernel, in general I like using Linux, I enjoy it.

It is very difficult to explain to people who don't use Gentoo the reasons why to use Gentoo. Same could be said for Linux in general, but especially Gentoo where the a large portion of the Linux community doesn't understand the benefits of specifically Gentoo.

Many of the reasons people won't understand, it's like trying to explain the color blue to a person born blind.

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>>1474631
Because in a world without boundaries or walls, who needs windows?

>>1474658
the thing is. the jews fear the nips

You can use both

Is the meme that it's easier to program on linux or something?

>>1475817
It is, if you program on Windows you're pretty much stuck with locking yourself into Microsoft's tools or making your environment a poor imitation of Linux just to get stuff to work. Most projects on Github and so on are configured to build in a Unix-like environment, and you have to go through extra work to get them to build on Windows.