Legacy RS3 client Linux?

Android uses a Linux kernel Aloooooot of embedded systems use Linux because it is reliable. Like @Blupig mentioned, threading performance is just straight out better. Windows is a commercial product so inherently there are going to be more built in applications that need to be managed in ready/running state queues. Every process in the system is abstracted as a PCB (process control block) which contain stuff like state (registers, etc.). These extra processes (and the threads / TCBs they contain) cause a hit in performance because they cause many more context switches that would not be there in Linux. Context switches are pure overhead. And the problem with built-in Windows applications are that most of them probably require more kernel level work, and trapping to the kernel takes much longer.

With that being said, I wouldn't use Linux as an OS either. I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of performance for features, which is why Windows is so popular. Its always a tradeoff (Performance/Functionality)

@Blupig did you ever have to build the Nachos OS in one of your classes? I had to this year for operating systems class and since you are from Canada shool also you would probably have to?

Nope, we studied Unix in general then moved more specifically toward Linux. If there were any major differences between kernels we looked at those too.

@kmjt I've been thinking about it - what sort of advantage do you see in learning OS with Nachos rather than a "real" distro? Keep in mind I've never used Nachos and hadn't heard about it until you mentioned it