Introduction to Linux

Unit objectives
 Outline the key features of the Linux
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operating system
 List the advantages of using Linux
 Describe the history of the Linux
operating system
 Explain the common uses of Linux in
the industry today
 Topic A
 Topic A: Linux as an operating system
 Topic B: Advantages of Linux
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 Topic C: History of Linux

 Topic D: Common uses of Linux
 Components of a computer
 Hardware
– Physical components inside a computer
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 Software
– Instructions that understand how to use
the hardware
 Role of the operating system
 The operating system carries out
tasks by interacting with users,
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applications, and computer hardware

 Operating system components
 Device driver
– Software containing instructions to
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control computer hardware

 User interface
– What the user sees and uses to interact
with OS and application programs
 Graphical user interface (GUI)
The default Red Hat 9 GUI
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Course ILT Exercise A-1

Discussing operating systems

 The Linux operating system
 Runs many applications on a variety
of different hardware
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 A multi-user and multitasking OS

 Versions of Linux OS
 Core component: Linux kernel
 Kernel version determines version of
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the OS
 New versions add capabilities or fix
bugs
 Identifying kernel versions
 Major number
 Minor number
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– If odd, developmental kernel

– If even, production kernel
 Revision number
Course ILT Exercise A-2

Understanding Linux
 Licensing Linux
 Open Source Software (OSS)
– The source code making up the program
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is freely available to anyone who wants

to examine, utilize, change, or improve
upon it
 Implications of OSS
 Developed rapidly through widespread
collaboration
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 Bugs are promptly noted and fixed

 Features evolve very quickly based on
users’ needs
 Value of the software increases,
because it is based on usefulness, not
price
 Types of open source licenses
 GNU Public License (GPL)
– Source code must be freely available
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 Free Software Foundation (FSF)

– Promotes and encourages collaboration
between developers
 Artistic license
– Allows free distribution, but changes
happen only at discretion of original
author
 Types of closed source licenses

 Freeware
– Distributed free of charge
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– Source code is not available

 Shareware
– Initially free but requires payment after a
period of time or usage
Course ILT Exercise A-3

Discussing Linux licenses

 Topic B
 Topic A: Linux as an operating system
 Topic B: Advantages of Linux
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 Topic C: History of Linux

 Topic D: Common uses of Linux
 Advantages of Linux
 Risk reduction
 Meeting business needs
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 Stability and security

 Hardware portability
 Ease of customization
 Ease of obtaining support
 Cost reduction
 Risk factors
 Software discontinued
 Modifications no longer run on existing
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hardware
 Upgrades force changes beyond the
customer’s actual need
 Maintenance provided through
expensive service contracts by limited
number of persons
 Discontinuation of support
 Failure and disappearance of the
vendor
 Meeting business needs
 Common software available for Linux
includes:
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– Scientific and engineering software

– Software emulators
– Web servers, Web browsers, and
e-commerce suites
– Desktop productivity software
– Graphics manipulation software
– Database software
– Security software
 Stability and security
 Closed source operating-system
customers must rely on the vendor to
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fix bugs
 Waiting for a hot fix may take weeks
or months
 Bugs in OSS programs can be
identified and fixed very quickly
 Security loopholes are quickly
identified and fixed
 Flexibility with hardware platforms
 Partial list of hardware platforms on which
Linux can run:
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– Intel
– Itanium
– Mainframe (S/390)
– Cirrus Logic ARM
– DEC Alpha
– MIPS
– M68K
– PA-RISC
– SPARC
– Ultra-SPARC
– PowerPC (Macintosh)
 Ease of customization
 The ability to control the inner
workings of an operating system
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 Compile the kernel to include only the

support needed for the job at hand
 Install only the software needed for
the task
 Ease of obtaining support
 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
 HOWTO documents
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 Linux User Group (LUG)

– An open forum of Linux users who
discuss problems and learn from each
other
Course ILT Cost reduction
Course ILT Exercise B-1

Discussing the advantages of Linux

 Topic C
 Topic A: Linux as an operating system
 Topic B: Advantages of Linux
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 Topic C: History of Linux

 Topic D: Uses of Linux
Course ILT History of Linux
 Roots of Linux
 Multiplexed Information and
Computing Service (MULTICS)
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– Prototype time-sharing OS developed in

the late 1960s
 UNIX
– The first true multitasking, multi-user OS
– The OS from which Linux originated
 The hacker culture
 Hacker
– Someone with the intent of expanding
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their knowledge of computing through

experimentation
 Cracker
– Someone who illegally uses computers
for personal benefit or to cause damage
 GNU Project
– Free operating system project started by
Richard Stallman
Course ILT Exercise C-1

Discussing Linux history

 Linux distributions
 Use the commonly developed Linux
kernel
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 Packaged with add-on software

 Provide convenience and integration
 GNU Object Model Environment
(GNOME)
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 Kommon Desktop Environment
(KDE)
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 Package managers and tarballs
 Package manager
– Software used to install, maintain, and
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remove other software programs by

storing information in a central database
 Tarball
– Compressed archive of files that contain
scripts that install software
Course ILT Linux distributions
Course ILT Exercise C-2

Discussing Linux distributions

 Topic D
 Topic A: Linux as an operating system
 Topic B: Advantages of Linux
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 Topic C: History of Linux

 Topic D: Common uses of Linux
 Common uses of Linux
 Internet servers
 File and print servers
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 Application servers
 Supercomputers
 Scientific/engineering computations
 Desktop operating systems
 Internet servers
 Mail services
 Routing
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 FTP services
 Firewalls and proxy services
 Web services
 News services
 DNS services
 Mail services
 Mail Transfer Agent (MTA)
– An e-mail server
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 Mail Delivery Agent (MDA)

– Service that downloads e-mail from an
MTA
 Mail User Agent (MUA)
– Program that allows e-mail to be read
and composed
 Routing
 Routing
– Core service that is necessary for
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Internet to function
– Linux provides support for routing and is
easily customizable
 Firewalls
 Firewalls protect companies from
outside intruders
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 Linux has firewall support directly built

into the kernel
 DNS services

 Computers communicating on a
network need to be uniquely identified
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– Each computer is assigned a number

called an Internet Protocol (IP) address
– IP addresses are matched to user-
friendly names
– Names are called Fully Qualified Domain
Names (FQDNs)
Course ILT Exercise D-1

Linux as an Internet server

 File servers
 File servers provide:
– Storage
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– Security
– Sharing
– Portability
Course ILT Exercise D-2

Linux as a file and print server

 Application servers
 Application server
 Database Management Systems
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– Collection of programs and tools

designed to allow for the creation,
modification, manipulation, maintenance,
and access of information from
databases
 Supercomputers
 Scalability
– Ability of computers to increase workload
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as the number of processors increases

 Clustering
– Several smaller computers acting as one
large supercomputer
– Beowulf clustering
 Scientific/engineering workstations

 There are many OSS programs

available in many different scientific
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and engineering fields, including:

– Physics, astrophysics, and biophysics
– Fluid dynamics and geophysics
– Bio-computation
– Materials and polymer chemistry
– General mathematics and optimization
– Data mining
– Number theory
Course ILT Exercise D-3

Linux in business and science

 Desktop operating system
 Text editors
 Word processors
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 Graphics editing software

 Desktop publishing software
 Financial software
 Office productivity suites
Course ILT Exercise D-4

Linux as an office workstation

 Unit summary
 Outlined the key features of the Linux
operating system
Course ILT

 Listed the advantages of using Linux

 Described the history of the Linux
operating system
 Explained the common uses of Linux
in the industry today