<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <head> <title>A Linux Primer</title> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="style1.css" /> </head> <body> <div id="newmenu"> </div> <div id="secondarynav"> <ul> <li id="primetop"><a href="index.html">home</a></li> <li><a href="whatis.html">What is Linux?</a></li> <li><a href="history.html">History of Linux</a></li> <li><a href="why.html">Why use Linux?</a></li>

Linux in Education

<li><a href="where.html">Get Linux</a></li> <li><a href="clip.html">Command Line Primer</a></li> <li><a href="faq.html">FAQ</a></li> <li><a href="lresources.html">Linux Resources</a></li> <li><a href="about.html">About this Website</a></li> </ul> <p> <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=referer"><img src="http://www.w3.org/Icons/valid-xhtml10" alt="Valid XHTML 1.0!" height="31" width="88" /></a> </p> </div> <div id="primarycontent"> <div id="bravefourhundred"> <h2>What is Linux?</h2> <p>If you have used a computer before, you have used an operating system (OS). You most likely have used one of the many OSs that exist today. Windows, DOS, and the Mac OS are all operating systems. Linux is yet another. Linux is, however, different both in terms of its capabilities and its heritage. Linux was not created by a corporation or by a corporate wanna-be out to make a buck. Instead, it was created by a computer ethusiast who wanted a Unix like OS for his home computer. This enthusiast released his creation to the world and other compu-geeks expanded and improved upon the system. This method is now more widely known as open source development.</p> <p>Linux has gained followers world wide. Some users praise Linux for its many features, as well as for its being robust, reliable, free, and open. Even with these positive chharacteristics, Linux is still a text based system. With just Linux installed on your computer, you will interact with you computer through the command prompt. There is no pretty desktop, and there are no little icons or trash cans to make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. However, this is not a bad thing. Most distributions (you will learn what this is below) include other powerful open source programs, like GNOME and KDE, that provide you with all the GUI goodness you require and then some. Remember, Linux is just a kernel. And a powerful one at that.</p> <p>Having said that, I will now confuse you a bit. When referring to a computer running Linux, even if it has a lot of other software on it, most people say it is running Linux. Some prefer to call it a GNU/Linux system in light of the fact there are many GNU programs in a common Linux environment. Most people don't care that much about this point though and if you were to ask them what OS they are running, they would respond, "Linux." Keep this in mind as you get further into the Linux world.</p> <h3>What is a Distribution?</h3> <p>If Linux is just a kernel, we need other software to round out a complete modern operating system. An operating system consists of a lot of files that do a lot of different things. Since there is no "Linux Corp." to package and distribute all of these files into a working Linux system, certain groups have stepped up to the plate to accomplish this task. The final product of taking the Linux kernel and other software and bundling them together is a Linux distribution or distro. There are many groups making Linux distributions. Companies, universities, user groups, and even private individuals are doing the hard work to get a system up and going.</p> <p>You may be curious why there isn't just one company making a single Linux distribution. If you are only familiar with traditional software, you may think this is a hindrance. Upon further investigation you will discover this is why Linux is so cool. Many distros means an operating system customized to a particular need. This is exactly what happens. The military may build a Linux distribution for missle guidance systems. They would have little need for the extra stuff a home user may need. A corporation may build a Linux distribution for use on home computers and bundle software that may be helpful to those end users. The great thing about Linux is the variety, and isn't that the spice of life?</p> </div> </div> </body> </html>