Linux Operating System is everywhere! From smartphones to supercomputers, home appliances, cars and it’s been around for years (since the mid-90s) and has hit a user-base that sweeps companies, industries, and continents.
Introduction to the Linux Operating System
LINUX is an operating system or a kernel distributed under an open-source license. Its functionality list is quite like UNIX. The kernel is a program at the heart of the Linux operating system that takes care of fundamental stuff, like letting hardware communicate with software.
Most of the supercomputer making gargantuan scientific success and the internet have Linux as the sky behind their stars. It always stands to be the most dependable, efficacious and secure operating system to improve user experience with their personal computers both at home and work.
Just in case you are done up with windows lag and macOS is shallower, maybe is the high time you turn side to a savior called LINUX. It is quite just the crowning when talking about open source software.
Which flavor is to be opted for is certainly a pertinent question, rather repaying on some enterprise edition which requires a certain level of dexterity, it’s better to rely on Ubuntu which is a hugely appreciated and most famous part of the Linux distributions over the years.
Why do you need an OS?
Every time you switch on your computer, you see a screen where you can perform different activities like write, browse the internet or watch a video. What is it that makes the computer hardware work like that? How does the processor on your computer know that you are asking it to run a mp3 file?
Well, it is the operating system or the kernel which does this work. So, to work on your computer, you need an Operating System(OS). In fact, you are using one as you read this on your computer. Now, you may have used popular OS’s like Windows, Apple OS X, but here we will learn what Linux is and what benefits it offers over other OS choices.
Who created Linux?
Linux is an operating system or a kernel which germinated as an idea in the mind of young and bright Linus Torvalds when he was a computer science student. He used to work on the UNIX OS (proprietary software) and thought that it needed improvements.
However, when his suggestions were rejected by the designers of UNIX, he thought of launching an OS which will be receptive to changes, modifications suggested by its users.
The Lone Kernel & the early days
So Linus devised a Kernel named Linux in 1991. Though he would need programs like File Manager, Document Editors, Audio -Video programs to run on it. Something as you have a cone but no ice-cream on top.
As time passed by, he collaborated with other programmers in places like MIT and applications for Linux started to appear. So around 1991, a working Linux operating system with some applications was officially launched, and this was the start of one of the most loved and open-source OS options available today.
The earlier versions of Linux were not so user-friendly as they were in use by computer programmers and Linus Torvalds never had it in mind to commercialize his product.
This definitely curbed the Linux’s popularity as other commercially oriented Operating System Windows got famous. Nonetheless, the open-source aspect of the Linux operating system made it more robust.
Linux Operating System: Product’s Review:
| Technical Details |
|---|
| . Nomenclature: Ubuntu Desktop Edition. |
| . Genre: Operating Systems. |
| . Updated On: 25th Of January, 2018. |
| . Official: Ubuntu.Com. |
| . Version: Ubuntu 17.10 (Artful Aardvark). |
| . Compatibility: 32 & 64 Bit. |
  |
| . Operating System: ……… |
| . License: Freeware. |
| . Setup Size: 883 MB &1.47 GB (64-Bit). |
The Core components of Linux Operating System?
Applications: Linux surpasses other OS being a home for thousands of handy software that can be easily installed depending on the type of task you want to execute.
Bootloader: This the magic wand behind the boot process of your computer.
Daemons: This is the big guy behind the background services that kick off during boot or after you dive into your desktop.
Graphical Server: The powerful sub-system which shows the graphics on your screen and it is either called the “X” or X server.
Kernel: This seems to be the powerhouse of the system as it handles the memory, CPU, and other devices.
Desktop Environment: The piece of the riddle that the users interact with is the desktop environment, and the available ones include GNOME 3, Unity, KDE Plasma 5, Cinnamon, etc.
The Shell: This is a command process that enables the user to control the computer through commands put into a text field.
PROS
- Open-Source.
- Pre-Installed Applications.
- Better Performance.
- More Secured.
- Smart OS Based Search.
CONS
- No Default Support For MP3s.
- No Lifetime Support For 17.10.
Take a minute to know Linux OS Distributions:
- Debian
This is also referred to as Debian Linux/GNU because most of the primary OS tools come from the GNU Project. Even some other popular distributions are grounded on Debian, including Knoppix, distro Ubuntu, Linspire, etc.
- Fedora
Red Hat backs fedora and just in case you are interested in testing with the prominent technologies, Fedora is the perfect pick because the release cycle is very short and it has the habit of including the latest technology packages/software in its distribution.
- CentOS
To optimize the little resources your organization/company has and at the same time still relish all the benefit of the red-hat distribution, CentOS is the way out because is wholly grounded in Red-Hat enterprise Linux.
- Red-Hat
This is apparently for an organization that is buoyant enough to spend some dollars on getting the red-hat support and is a perfect choice for a team that runs mission-critical software.
- Ubuntu
For a vast number of the user, Ubuntu is there ducky Linus operating system distribution because it can be used both at home and work. Well, this is actually cushy to use, and it’s geared toward newbies and not the experienced users. The following three editions are available on Ubuntu; Server Edition, Desktop Edition and Notebook Remix
- Others are Arc Linux, SUSE, Deepin and Linux Mint.
Each of this Linux distribution has a different take on the desktop, some cop out for very contemporary user interfaces (such as Ubuntu’s Unity, Fedora, Debian and Deepin’s Desktop), and whereas others wedge with a more old-fashioned desktop environment, i.e., SUSE which utilizes KDE
Let’s take a glimpse of the essential contours of this dandy OS:
- Live USB/CD
Nearly all the distribution of Linux operating system has Live USB/CD feature to help user test the OS before opting for it.
- Graphical user interface (X Window System)
It is true that Linus is a command line operating system but not a complete truth because Linux has suites which user can install to give the OS a graphical look like Windows.
- National keyboards Support
The keyboard can be tailor-made to suit your language alphabet; it is used worldwide, so it is available in multiple languages.
- Software Support
Linux has its own application storehouse where users have entrée to thousands of application that they can easily download and install just by putting in command in Linux Shell or Terminal and interestingly, it can run Windows applications too (so you can still relish your ducky apps if you are dropping Windows for Linux).
- Portability
This is one of the main lineaments that put Linux on the front page, not in the form of smaller in file size or being able to be placed on a flash drive, memory cards or CDs. Portability here implies that Linux and its application can run on different types of hardware.
The benefits of using Linux
Linux now enjoys popularity at its prime, and it’s famous among programmers as well as regular computer users around the world. Its main benefits are –
It offers a free operating system. You do not have to shell hundreds of dollars to get the OS like Windows!
- Being open-source, anyone with programming knowledge can modify it.
- The Linux operating systems now offer millions of programs/applications to choose from, most of them free!
- Once you have Linux installed you no longer need an antivirus! Linux is a highly secure system. More so, there is a global development community constantly looking at ways to enhance its security. With each upgrade, the OS becomes more secure and robust
- Linux is the OS of choice for Server environments due to its stability and reliability (Mega-companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Google use Linux for their Servers). A Linux based server could run non-stop without a reboot for years on end.
Is it for me?
Users, who are new to Linux, usually shun it by falsely considering it as a difficult and technical OS to operate but, to state the truth, in the last few years Linux operating systems have become a lot more user-friendly than their counterparts like Windows, so trying them is the best way to know whether Linux suits you or not.
There are thousands of Linux based operating systems; most of them offer state-of-the-art security and applications, all of it for free!
This is what Linux is all about, and now we will move on to how to install Linux and which Distribution you should choose.
I am asked to Learn Unix? Then why Linux?
UNIX is called the mother of operating systems which laid out the foundation to Linux. Unix is designed mainly for mainframes and is in enterprises and universities. While Linux is fast becoming a household name for computer users, developers, and server environment. You may have to pay for a Unix kernel while in Linux it is free.
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But, the commands used on both the operating systems are usually the same. There is not much difference between UNIX and Linux. Though they might seem different, at the core, they are essentially the same. Since Linux is a clone of UNIX. So learning one is same as learning another.
Download Linux Operating System For Desktop (PC):
Download the latest of the Linux flavor “Ubuntu Desktop Edition” for both 32 and 64-bit system architectures. Choose the appropriate option below and proceed with the download.
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