About Linux
From ITCH
Original text.. This is a general page about Linux which will include links to further pages or sites about different aspects of LINUX.
Linux logo-penguin reading
Tux ( permission to use kindly given by Larry Ewing )
Contents |
What is Linux?
Linux was created by Linus Torvalds (http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/torvalds/) as an alternative to commercial versions of Unix and has been further developed by the open source community who have contributed freely to its development and have now replicated most of the features of commercial versions, in some cases by 'reverse engineering' existing packages and utilities. It was originally developed for Intel 386 microprocessors (PCs) but now runs on other platforms.
Linux is written and distributed under the GNU General Public Licence which means that its source code is free and available to the general public, although most users will download, or buy, or be given, a pre-built 'distribution' developed by companies or groups (the best known of which include RedHat, SUSE and Debian). There is no restriction on the number of times you install a Linux distribution, or on sharing it with others: in fact you are positively encouraged to do so.
Linux distributions come bundled with different software applications and utilities. Some of these are designed to run on the 'command line' (rather like the MS-DOS interface in Windows); some run in the X-Windows graphical user interface (which is found on all Unix systems); and others are designed to run on newer graphical user interfaces or 'desktop environments' designed specially for Linux. KDE and Gnome are the most widely used of these environments, and provide the kind of windows, icons, menus and pointers familiar to Windows or Macintosh users. Neither X-Windows, KDE nor Gnome are needed to run Linux as they are separate from the underlying non-graphical environment.
Alongside the Linux 'Kernel' and the desktop environments are a range of important tools developed as part of the long-established GNU project (GNU stands for 'Gnu's Not Unix') http://www.gnu.org
When people talk about 'running Linux' they probably mean they are running a particular distribution which is based on the Linux Kernel, a range of GNU tools, X-Windows and maybe a desktop environment as well. Another important element of many users' Linux-based systems is the Open Office suite (http://www.openoffice.org) which provides a replacement for Microsoft Office, and includes Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation and Drawing tools. Open Office can convert documents to and from other formats, including those used in Microsoft products.
If you would like to know more about the man behind Linux and the early history of Linux then go to a nearly first hand account at http://liw.iki.fi/liw/texts/linux-anecdotes.html
Distributions
There are quite a number of different Linux distributions, the following link is to the Penguin Distribution Guide.
http://library.thinkquest.org/C003740/distributions.html#linux
Major distributions include: Red Hat, Fedora Core, Suse, Debian, Slackware and Mandriva (formally Mandrake). Popular free distributions at present inlcude: Fedora Core, Ubuntu and Ark Linux.
- Mandriva http://www.mandriva.com/
- Fedora Core http://fedora.redhat.com/ has been developed and sponsored by Red Hat Linux and is entirely comprised of open source software. Although it is not supported as a product by Red Hat, their engineers are continuing to work on it with the assistance of the open source community with the intention of developing a completely free operating system (+ useful tools for Red Hat).
- Ubuntu http://www.ubuntulinux.org/ Ubuntu won 3 awards at the ARS Linux Technica Awards and is well supported. It uses the Gnome desktop by default and prioritises accessibility, the community has pledged to keep it free and maintain it with new releases every 6 months or so. It has been described as being like Debian. Ubuntu includes more than 1,000 pieces of software, starting with the Linux kernel version 2.6 and Gnome 2.10, and covering every standard desktop application from word processing and spreadsheet applications to internet access applications, web server software, email software, programming languages and tools and of course several games.
- Ark Linux http://www.arklinux.org/ has been created with the purpose of giving users from Windows the easiest to use Linux distribution It was designed primarily for desktop use and to be easy to use with lots of tools and applications.
Command Line Interface CLI
The command line interface enables commands to be taken from the keyboard, these are read by the 'shell' processed and given to the operating system. If you are ina GUI you will most probably run a programme called bash (which stands for Bourne Again SHell, written by Steve Bourne)that acts as the shell program. There are several additional shell programs available on a typical Linux system. These include: ksh, tcsh and zsh.' If you are in a GUI and wish oto use the command line you can run a terminal or virtual emulator. This looks like a text editor and your commands will involve text and punctuation marks.
Graphical User Interface GUI
The Graphical User Interface in Linux is a more recent development and there are two major Desktops KDE and Gnome. KDE is an acronym for K Desktop Environment. Gnome is an acronym for GNU Network Object Model Environment. Both Desktops offer a range of tools and applications as well as access to the system and its maintenance.
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