Technology And Computer|

Linux – the operating system for a GNU (pronounced Gnew) generation. It has been dubbed the alternative to Microsoft, the solution to all life’s problems and many other things that may or may not be true. But what is Linux, and should you care?

To answer the first question, it’s a free operating system that looks and acts very much like Unix. You can download it off the Net for free, or you can copy it legally from a friend – although this might take all the fun out of using that CD-Writer you’ve got and never use for anything, except to brag about it to your friends.

Alternatively, you can buy it nicely packaged from an Internet store and get it delivered with a book about Linux, (Linux Unleashed).

Distributors charge not for the operating system itself, but for their time in packaging and presenting it. Two popular flavors of Linux are Free BSD and Ubuntu. These offer the same basic systems with a few slight differences that can lead to long and entertaining godly wars between supporters of each.

If you’re getting into Linux for the first time, Ubuntu is a good bet. You can either go for Ubuntu Desktop which comes with a GUI, or you can opt for Ubuntu Server if you planning to host websites of your own. The server edition has no GUI, but you can install KDE or Gnome to make your life easier. Most of your configuration will be done via the Terminal and you will have to learn a lot of Linux commands.

Linux is more complicated, and it depends on the kind of person you are. If you’re the type of computer user who wants every application to run straight out of the box and your system to just do what it’s told and run your games, then stick with Windows. But if you’re a pioneering soul who wants to find out more about your system and tweak it to perform to the max, then Linux is definitely worth a try.

If you want rock-solid Internet access, if you want to support the development of free software and more efficient solutions, or if you’re just the type of person who needs control over every aspect of your life including how your machine performs, then you’re definitely a Linux candidate. Linux is perfectly suited to students, developers and just about anyone who wants to try something other than the norm. Newcomers will find support straight off the Internet from thousands of kindred spirits.

It’s worth a try – maybe you’ll discover a Whole New World of fun and adventure. Or maybe you’ll just take it straight off your machine and go back to Windows. However, if you planning to try it out, then load it on that old machine that’s just lying around in the basement. You don’t need powerful processors and hardware – the most important component is memory. If you have 512mb and a 20gig hard drive then you should be OK. You should be able to run all your applications including your websites with ease. Remember, you will need a permanent connection to the Internet if you going to host your own websites. The best part is that you don’t need any antivirus and antispyware software if you’re running Linux. Every would-be-virus-writer out there has only one target in mind – Microsoft Windows.

Whether you stick with Linux or not, you’ll have come out of your safety zone and taken a trip to the cutting edge of computer technology.

In the world of information technology, the words UNIX and Linux are famous and most common because of its wide usage across the world.  Both are operating systems and UNIX is the first operating system written in the C language.  It is also a freeware product with lot of extension and new ideas provided by universities and individuals in a variety of versions.  Also, UNIX is used in the workstation products from Silicon Graphics, IBM, Sun and other companies.  Unix environment and client/server program models were important element in the evolution of interent and changing the face of modern computing as centered in the networks rather than on personal computer solutions.

Unlike UNIX, Linux, which is a clone of UNIX, was designed for individual computer segment and available on free of cost or with a very less cost compared to UNIX operating system.  It has already gained popularity as a replacement operating system to proprietary operating systems like Windows and very efficient and very fast performing system.   Even though windows occupied the number one spot in terms of desktop operating system, Linux has evolved as an alternative to it.  It is also a publicly open and extendible by contributors such as students because it conforms to the Portable Operating System Interface standard user and programming interfaces, software developers can develop applications which can be ported to other OS.  There are many electronic equipment are now equipped with Linux such as Mobile Phones, video games, tablet computers, etc.

As a matter of fact, UNIX and Linux are somehow similar with their file structure, commands, etc.  Some minute differences between them might be how some things are implemented.  You can interchange between them and may not experience any difference at all, except for the drivers such as ATi or NVIDIA display drivers, which are not interchangeable.

Even though over the years many UNIX Kernels have been developed, Linux has emerged as the most successful and useful by far. Some it said that Linux is the Windows of Unix, means how Windows is DOS based and always has DOS in the background.

Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called “Linux”, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.

There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine’s resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called “Linux” distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.

Many users do not understand the difference between the kernel, which is Linux, and the whole system, which they also call “Linux”. The ambiguous use of the name doesn’t help people understand. These users often think that Linus Torvalds developed the whole operating system in 1991, with a bit of help.

Programmers generally know that Linux is a kernel. But since they have generally heard the whole system called “Linux” as well, they often envisage a history that would justify naming the whole system after the kernel. For example, many believe that once Linus Torvalds finished writing Linux, the kernel, its users looked around for other free software to go with it, and found that (for no particular reason) most everything necessary to make a Unix-like system was already available.

What they found was no accident—it was the not-quite-complete GNU system. The available free software added up to a complete system because the GNU Project had been working since 1984 to make one. In the The GNU Manifesto we set forth the goal of developing a free Unix-like system, called GNU. The Initial Announcement of the GNU Project also outlines some of the original plans for the GNU system. By the time Linux was started, GNU was almost finished.

Most free software projects have the goal of developing a particular program for a particular job. For example, Linus Torvalds set out to write a Unix-like kernel (Linux); Donald Knuth set out to write a text formatter (TeX); Bob Scheifler set out to develop a window system (the X Window System). It’s natural to measure the contribution of this kind of project by specific programs that came from the project.

If we tried to measure the GNU Project’s contribution in this way, what would we conclude? One CD-ROM vendor found that in their “Linux distribution”, GNU software was the largest single contingent, around 28% of the total source code, and this included some of the essential major components without which there could be no system. Linux itself was about 3%. (The proportions in 2008 are similar: in the “main” repository of gNewSense, Linux is 1.5% and GNU packages are 15%.) So if you were going to pick a name for the system based on who wrote the programs in the system, the most appropriate single choice would be “GNU”.

But that is not the deepest way to consider the question. The GNU Project was not, is not, a project to develop specific software packages. It was not a project to develop a C compiler, although we did that. It was not a project to develop a text editor, although we developed one. The GNU Project set out to develop a complete free Unix-like system: GNU.

Many people have made major contributions to the free software in the system, and they all deserve credit for their software. But the reason it is an integrated system—and not just a collection of useful programs—is because the GNU Project set out to make it one. We made a list of the programs needed to make a complete free system, and we systematically found, wrote, or found people to write everything on the list. We wrote essential but unexciting (1) components because you can’t have a system without them. Some of our system components, the programming tools, became popular on their own among programmers, but we wrote many components that are not tools (2). We even developed a chess game, GNU Chess, because a complete system needs games too.

By the early 90s we had put together the whole system aside from the kernel. We had also started a kernel, the GNU Hurd, which runs on top of Mach. Developing this kernel has been a lot harder than we expected; the GNU Hurd started working reliably in 2001, but it is a long way from being ready for people to use in general.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait for the Hurd, because of Linux. Once Torvalds wrote Linux, it fit into the last major gap in the GNU system. People could then combine Linux with the GNU system to make a complete free system: a Linux-based version of the GNU system; the GNU/Linux system, for short.

Making them work well together was not a trivial job. Some GNU components(3) needed substantial change to work with Linux. Integrating a complete system as a distribution that would work “out of the box” was a big job, too. It required addressing the issue of how to install and boot the system—a problem we had not tackled, because we hadn’t yet reached that point. Thus, the people who developed the various system distributions did a lot of essential work. But it was work that, in the nature of things, was surely going to be done by someone.

The GNU Project supports GNU/Linux systems as well as the GNU system. The FSF funded the rewriting of the Linux-related extensions to the GNU C library, so that now they are well integrated, and the newest GNU/Linux systems use the current library release with no changes. The FSF also funded an early stage of the development of Debian GNU/Linux.

Today there are many different variants of the GNU/Linux system (often called “distros”). Most of them include non-free software—their developers follow the philosophy associated with Linux rather than that of GNU. But there are also completely free GNU/Linux distros. The FSF supports computer facilities for two of these distributions, Ututo and gNewSense.

Making a free GNU/Linux distribution is not just a matter of eliminating various non-free programs. Nowadays, the usual version of Linux contains non-free programs too. These programs are intended to be loaded into I/O devices when the system starts, and they are included, as long series of numbers, in the “source code” of Linux. Thus, maintaining free GNU/Linux distributions now entails maintaining a free version of Linux too.

Whether you use GNU/Linux or not, please don’t confuse the public by using the name “Linux” ambiguously. Linux is the kernel, one of the essential major components of the system. The system as a whole is basically the GNU system, with Linux added. When you’re talking about this combination, please call it “GNU/Linux”.

GLUG NIT Jamshedpur

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Linux / Unix is a different type of system that provides reliable hosting for small businesses or even large companies that run Linux / Unix applications on personal computers and laptops. Linux / Unix-based platform is static platform in the web hosting industry.

Linux operating system developed by Linus Torvalds as an option to other operating systems. Most versions are open source. The most popular Linux software is Red Hat, CentOS, Debian, Fedora Core, Ubuntu, and Mandrake.

Linux / Unix is only for professionals until a couple of years ago but the situation has changed. Many online businesses have turn aside to Linux / Unix platform because of its open source nature, meaning that users can be in building the system to do what they want to do it.

Web host provides dedicated Linux / Unix servers and the demand for this type of interface has increased widely during the past couple of years. A Linux/ Unix-based platform is one of the most reliable operating system that you can ever have. It has a similar high availability like as Microsoft operating systems. Even web hosting programs in Linux / Unix are flexible as well. You will certainly get from fractional monetary unit server on Linux / Unix based.

Linux/Unix supports a wide variety of application languages, more than any other operating system. The most common applications of such kind include C, C++, Shell, Perl, Tcl, Python, Java and PHP. Databases available for Unix are mSQL and mySQL. The one you choose would depend on what you plan to do on the web and the host that you choose to park your web site.

Linux / Unix supports a variety of languages in the program, more than any other operating system. The most comm on applications such kind include C, C + +, Shell, Perl, Tcl, Python, Java and PHP. A good range of databases are available for Unix are SQL and MySQL. The one you choose depends on what you are doing on the web and the host you choose to park your web site.

Linux / Unix based system comes with its own web development module in some versions of Red Hat Linux that make web creation easy. FTP modules are built into the operating system to give you another way to download website on Linux / Unix machines.

Linux / Unix will be a major key factor in the upcoming future as more small, medium, and large sized businesses turn to host their Website on these platform.

Are you wishing to try the new Linux 101 version at your desktop or for your organization? Well, it could be a tough task if you do not know what exactly to do. Especially if you have no knowledge of the Linux operating system and are planning to covert from Windows, it could be mind-boggling. However, if you are one of such people then here is a guide for you. Keep in mind that you will have to spend a good amount of money and effort to understand how Linux 101 works. Here is a step-by-step information guide that you will need to decide if this is the operating system for you, to choose a Linux distribution, to install and configure and to get the software applications for it.

The first thing you need to know is what an operating system is. Then, find out the difference between UNIX and Windows. Until and unless you know what UNIX is all about, you will not be able to use Linux in the best possible way. Linux belongs to the UNIX family only and that is why it is important to know about it.

Once you start reading about all this information, you will get to know that Linux is the ultimate UNIX. UNIX does not refer to any single operating system but it contains a number of flavors. Linux was written with the UNIX architecture by Linus Torvalds in 1943. Since that very day, it has created a revolution for UNIX. Some people consider it a better operating system; better even than the Microsoft Windows. It makes use of open source and free software that is really relished by its users.

After you have gathered enough information about Linux, you will have to choose a Linux distribution. Again there are hundreds of choices. If you think you are not educated enough to choose the right distribution for yourself then it is better to take consult. You can consult your friends or colleagues who are already using Linux to know about the Linux 101. Once you get hold of the operating system, you will have to pick some useful software applications. They are needed for both – business and fun. You can easily find the various options available on the Internet.

You can find out all the above mentioned information through the Internet but you will need personal attention from an expert to learn how to use Linux 101. Therefore, the best way to follow these steps is to start with finding a Linux guru. Find an expert who has thorough knowledge of Linux and make him/her to teach and help operate Linux 101. However, keep in mind that having a certification to understand Linux is not a necessity.

Summary: To understand and start using the Linux 101 operating system, one needs to start from the scratch. From understanding the concept of an operating system, Linux, Windows to the special features of Linux – only an expert can help. Nevertheless, getting informed about certain things through the Internet can help one achieve the target soon!

When you’re thinking of buying a new computer system or upgrading your operating system you have to ensure you make the right choice. This is the most important factor of your computer as the operating system runs all of the other programs you have on your pc, so make sure it will be compatible with the software you want to use. You have four different operating systems to choose from which are Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and UNIX, they each have their advantages which will be described later on.

You need to think to yourself, “What do I need from my operating system?”, if you need it to run a business then you would want a secure stable operating system that can handle important details and have minimal faults and errors. If you’re buying one for your child then you would want it to be suitable for gaming and have the facilities to be able to do school/college work with ease. For completely new computer users you want it to be user friendly so you can operate and navigate with ease.

The most popular operating system in today’s market is Windows, this is mainly due to the fact that most software is only compatible with certain operating systems and the majority of products are compatible with Microsoft Windows. This means that if you were to have Windows as your operating system then you have more choice when it comes to software and peripherals.

No matter what you need your computer for you always need to have the best security available to avoid any conflict or leak of data. This plays a major factor when deciding your operating system and version, Mac has been known as the most secure as it can keep hackers out whereas Windows is said to be easily targeted. You can always upgrade your security with the necessary updates to keep hackers out so don’t just make your decision based on security.

Each operating system will have its advantages over the competition so you need to do thorough research in order to get the best, based on your needs. You can seek advice from the retailers who will be able to guide you in the right direction. Ask any friends and family in order to get reviews of how they found each operating system and you will be able to make an educated decision which is best for you.

Linux functionality is often found, albeit in a different form in Windows. Inodes, the subject of this article, are an exception to this rule. Because of their practicality, Windows now includes an imitation of this functionality. But if you want to take full advantage of this somewhat complicated concept, you’ll have to go to Linux or Unix.

So what are inodes and why would anyone want to use them? Inodes are the internal description of a file. As we will see below, the specific inode contents for a given file are different in memory and on disk. But the key to the inode is that a single file may have different names. Why would anybody want to do that? One very important reason is that a user may access a shared file by an intuitive name. Accounting department users could give a certain file an accounting-style name, while users from the marketing department could access this same file by a name that makes sense to them. This functionality alone makes inodes worth while.

Furthermore, let’s say that by accident the “accounting” file was deleted. Accounting users could still access that file if they knew the “marketing” name. Remember, we are talking about one single file that has different names. People don’t have to know about these complications to be able to access the file. The extra processing is carried out behind the scenes.

Now let’s examine inodes more closely. The inode on disk contains the following information: file owner identifier, file type, file access permissions, file access information, number of links, list of data addresses, and file size. The file owner identifier specifies the file owner and the group owner as discussed in our article on permissions and groups. The file type indicates whether we are talking about a regular file, a directory, or something else. The file access permissions denote the permissions, also discussed in a previous article. A given file may have different permissions for different users, for example accounting users may have permission to read and modify the file while marketing users only have permission to read it.

File access information specifies when the file was last accessed, last modified, and when the associated inode was last modified. The number of links indicates the number of names that the file has. In our example, the file has two links. If either accounting or marketing delete the file (assuming that they have such permission) the number of links is reduced to 1. But the file is still there and the number of links could be increased.

The inode on disk provides a list of data addresses; the single file may be scattered across the disk. The final value is the size of the file in bytes.

The inode in memory contains all of the above information plus additional information, for example, whether the file is available for processing (someone else may be using it) and whether someone is waiting to process the file. Remember, several people may be using Unix or Linux simultaneously. If there were no file usage control two different people in accounting could pay a bill at the same time. Windows doesn’t have this problem; it’s not a multi-user system.

The ln command is used to create a link to a given file. For example, ln acct1 mark1 links the mark1 file to the acct1 file; it makes the name mark1 available for the acct1 file. It’s the same file, but with a new name. The ls ‘i command provides information about the file including the number of links (the number of names for the file.)

The next article in this series discusses the Linux kernel and processes.