Is Windows XP a multi-user operating system?

[Dave Ihnat]

On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 11:17:13AM -0500, m.roth at 5-cent.us wrote:
> Yes, we do. This was an incredibly silly question, and I wasn't sure it
> wasn't intended as a joke. If not, then it indicates that the poster
> doesn't begin to know what the phrase multi-user o/s means, and also, if
> serious, this is *NOT* the right mailing list to ask that.

Well, kinda yes, kinda no.  It's OK to laugh and make a joke, but it's
also a good idea to provide an answer--a quick one, in this case, since
it's off-topic for this group.  But unless the poster was trolling, it's
a good idea to give a fair answer when someone may be trying to
understand why they should use Linux over a competing OS.

As a practical matter, Windows is "kind of" multi-user.  You can:

  o Run a remote desktop session on a Windows machine at the same
    time someone is logged in and have two concurrent, different desktops.

  o You can also install something like CygWin and ssh in, having a
    separate CLI session while someone is using the system.

  o If configured to do so, you can suspend user sessions to allow the
    desktop to switch between concurrent logins.

  o Servers support Terminal Services for multiple concurrent user access
    with different environments.

But in general, it isn't reasonable to expect to use concurrent user
sessions as a production model.

Windows is multi-user in the sense that, over time, they've grafted
the concept of separate users and permissions onto the OS.  The big
difference between Unix/Linux and Windows is that the former started
out expecting multiple concurrent users; the security and management of
users is integral to the design of the OS.

Windows started out purely a single-user OS, and even after NT, modeled
on a multi-user OS, was released, there were--and are--still far too
many operations that require the user to have administrative access
to accomplish even the simplest of tasks (e.g., install a program.
On Unix/Linux, I can install a program for my own use in my own user
environment--in Windows, I have to have Administrative rights, and
it's visible to all users.  Printer setup, networking--a whole raft of
day-to-day operations require elevated permissions.)

So you should consider Windows an OS that supports multiple user
environments, but *generally* only one is active at a time.

Cheers,
--
	Dave Ihnat
	dihnat at dminet.com