LINUX CLASSES - INTRODUCTION

Can Linux Replace Windows?

Until recently, running Unix meant investing in a powerful workstation that cost megabucks. Linux changes all that, because it's a complete version of the Unix operating system (software that controls the basic functions of the personal computer) that runs on ordinary personal computers. The added fact that it's freely available and "open source" makes it all the more attractive.

Linux is perfect for people who want to operate their own low-cost Internet servers, and it's robust enough to satisfy the needs of many Internet service providers. Linux is a multiuser and multitasking environment, and it can access huge amounts of me mory (gigabytes) and huge amounts of disk storage space (terabytes). Linux offers virtually everything that Windows has been promising for years and may not deliver in a truly stable form for some time to come.

Don't make the mistake of assuming that Linux is some kind of watered-down or underpowered Unix for the masses. Linux is Unix. POSIX certification (compliance with the industry standards for Unix) makes it official that Linux can do everything that a Unix system is supposed to do. The only difference is that Linux works on a personal computer, whereas other versions of Unix run on larger workstations or mainframes.

Linux is also being taken very seriously by the computer industry, with new Linux-compatible versions of popular software packages being announced every month. The Apache Web server software running on Linux platforms powers about half of all Web sites today. Even more telling, Microsoft considers Linux a major threat to its Windows empire.

What Is Linux?

In the early 90s, a geek named Linus Torvalds at the University of Helsinki in Finland thought it would be fun to write a Unix kernel from scratch. He called it Linux, and it was cool but pretty much useless without all the utility programs needed to make it a complete operating system. At the same time, Richard Stallman and his pals at the Free Software Foundation were writing a bunch of freeware Unix utilities collectively known as the GNU Project. It was cool but pretty much useless without a kernel to make it a complete operating system.

News of Linux spread quickly over the Internet, and many other Unix programmers joined the effort to enhance it. What we now know as Linux is a combination of Torvald's Linux kernel, the GNU Project software, and some other nifty software bit and pieces developed by programmers from all around the world.

Today Linux is a complete and reliable implementation of the Unix operating system, with the following notable features:

32-bit or 64-bit operation (it uses all the speed and power of your CPU)
Virtual memory (it can use all of your system's RAM)
Full support for X Windows (Unix's standard graphical user interface)
TCP/IP networking support (allowing connection to the Internet)
GNU software support (including a huge amount of free Unix software from the GNU Project)

Note: GNU is one of those recursive acronyms that computer scientists love; it stands for GNU's Not Unix. The GNU Project is an effort sponsored by the Free Software Foundation to provide freely available Unix software. See http://www.gnu.org for related information.

Linux was written totally from scratch without using any of the original AT&T UNIX code. (Throughout this site, UNIX refers to the original trademarked UNIX project invented by AT&T. The term Unix is used here as a generic term for other variants of the operating system.)

Because of that (and because the author is a nice guy), Linux is free. You can obtain the source code, modify, sell or give away the software so long as you provide full source code and don't impose any restrictions on what others do with it.

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Comments (most recent first)

falvepns (01 Sep 2010, 06:33)

Прелагаем ручное и атоматическое размещение рекламы в интернете:
E-mail: sar359@yandex.ua
-на 3тыс. бесплатных интернет-досок объявлений 100 $ .Это ручное
размещение в соответствующие разделы и выбором на какой срок, после
размещения получите отчет в виде базы ссылок.Где нужно делается
активация по e-mail
-Автоматическая рассылка на 20тыс. интернет-досок,в Яндексе
получается примерно 12тыс.ссылок 100 $
-автоматическое размещение на 180 тыс. форумов 70 $
-ручное размещение На любые сайты 100 $ за 1000 сайтов, сбор сайтов
входит в стоимость, собраную базу отдаем Вам
-разместить на 20тыс. досок бесплатных объявлений вручную 500$ после
размещения высылается отчет в виде базы ссылок куда разместили рекламу.
-Сборать базу потенциальных клиентов (url, e-mail, телефоны и др.) 100$ за 1000

lekan (27 Jul 2010, 17:34)

thank you 4 a job well done, pls as a newbie I would need linux installation guide.

Browlin (16 Jun 2010, 06:02)

Hi, ITs really good for those who want to learn Linux in the beginning

Bob Rankin (18 Mar 2010, 20:51)

I'm pretty sure the web is digital.

Daniel (18 Mar 2010, 01:53)

How can i get digital form of Linux tutorial?
i need it, because im a newbie for learn UNIX :]

bebobeck (17 Mar 2010, 00:47)

LOL !!!

Matt (18 Feb 2010, 18:30)

Re obtaining a hard copy:

I was able to obtain a selenium-stabilised styrene acrylate copolymer version encoded onto a multi-threaded cellulose matrix.

I did this by hitting the "print" button.

Bob Rankin (02 Feb 2010, 05:25)

The hardcopy book from which this website was derived is out of print. I only have it in this online digital form, sorry.

Shiva (01 Feb 2010, 23:30)

Can i get the hard copy of this Linux tutorial ?


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