Routers: Cisco vs. Linux?

[Michael Hipp]

Matthew Carpenter wrote:
> Basically anything a Cisco Router can do can be done on a Linux system.
> Cisco gear has the following advantages:
> * IOS and CatOS are easy to clear the config and start over
> * Gear can be bounced frequently and often without losing the FS (whereas most Linux distributions require some major tweaking for something similar)
> * IOS and CatOS are a single image file.
> 
> Flexibility is lost and Linux has immense advantages over the Cisco counterparts.  It boils down to taste.  Many big companies tend to choose Cisco... whether for the "HA" mentality or the fact that it must be better because it costs more...

Thanks.

I didn't understand this: "Gear can be bounced frequently and often 
without losing the FS (whereas most Linux distributions require some 
major tweaking for something similar)"

Could you explain?

Michael