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Introduction To The Linux Operating System
Introduction
With Microsoft's monopoly over the operating system market, most computer users have been exposed only to the Windowsfamily of operating systems, which includes Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP and 2003.After using one operating system for a long time it is difficult for users to switch to a different one because they have becomeused to performing tasks a certain way, so that even the slightest change in the graphical layout or the commands makesthings frustrating.It is this mental stumbling block that makes people believe that Linux is more difficult to use than Windows. In fact, in a recentsurvey, a group of people who were completely new to computers were asked to use both Windows and Linux. At the end of the experiment the results showed that these novice users actually found Linux easier to use and more intuitive than Windowsfor their daily computing tasks.In this topic we'll try to cover the major areas of difficulties that are faced by people who are new to the Linux operatingsystem. We'll show you how to do things in Linux that you do in Windows, show you some of the features of this ‘new'operating system and drop in a few tips and tricks that will make your life easier. We will assume that you have never usedLinux but have used Windows and are familiar with basic concepts such as files and folders, starting programs, etc.This article aims to point you in the right direction for learning Linux and focuses on helping you stand on your own two feetwhen using it rather than having to refer to a piece of paper every time you have a problem. At the end of the day, the bestway to 'learn' how to use Linux, is to actually
use
it and experiment yourself rather than simply reading about it.Play around with it, experiment, break it, fix it and everything will become clear very quickly.So, without further delay, here is the breakdown of the topics we've covered for you:
Section 1:Why Use Linux?
Section 2:The Linux File System.
Section 3:The Linux Command Line.
Section 4:Installing Software On Linux.
Section 5:Advanced Linux Commands.
Section 6:Linux File & Folder Permissions.
Section 7:Finding More Information.We are confident that our detailed coverage will introduce this wonderful operating system to you, and trigger your curiosity totry it out. After all, it's not a coincidence that over 60% of the Internet servers run under Linux, while the workstation numberswithin companies worldwide are constantly increasing!We surely hope you enjoy your journey into the world of Linux ......
Why Use Linux?
Introduction
The first question is - what are the benefits of using Linux instead of Windows? This is in fact a constant debate between theWindows and Linux communities and while we won't be taking either side, you'll discover that our points will favour the Linuxoperating system because they are valid :)Of course, if you don't agree, our forums have a dedicated Linux section where we would happily discuss it with you!
And The Reasons for using Linux ....
 
While we could list a billion technical reasons, we will focus on those that we believe will affect you most:•Linux is free.That's right - if you never knew it, the Linux operating system is free of charge. No user or server licenses arerequired*! If, however, you walk into an IT shop or bookstore, you will find various Linux distributions on the shelf available forpurchase, that cost is purely to cover the packaging and possible support available for the distribution.*We must note that the newer 'Advanced Linux Servers', now available from companies such as Redhat, actually charge alicense fee because of the support and update services they provide for the operating system. In our opinion, these servicesare rightly charged since they are aimed at businesses that will use their operating system in critical environments wheredowntime and immediate support is non-negotiable.•Linux is developed by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Because of this community development mode there arevery fresh ideas going into the operating system and many more people to find glitches and bugs in the software than anycommercial company could ever afford (yes, Microsoft included).•Linux is rock solid and stable, unlike Windows, where just after you've typed a huge document it suddenly crashes, makingyou loose all your work!Runtime errors and crashes are quite rare on the Linux operating system due to the way its kernel is designed and the wayprocesses are allowed to access it. No one can guarantee that your Linux desktop or server will not crash at all, because thatwould be a bit extreme, however, we can say that it happens a lot less frequently in comparison with other operating systemssuch as Windows.For the fanatics of the 'blue screen of death' - you'll be disappointed to find out there is no such thing in the world of Linux.However, not all is lost as there have been some really good 'blue screen of death' screen savers out for the Linux graphical XWindows system.You could also say that evidence of the operating system's stability is the fact that it's the most widely used operating systemfor running important services in public or private sectors. Worldwide statistics show that the number of Linux web serversoutweigh by far all other competitors:Today, netcraft reports that for the month of June 2005, out of a total of 64,808,485 Web servers, 45,172,895 are powered byApache while only 13,131,043 use Microsoft's IIS Web server!•Linux is much more securethan Windows, there are almost no viruses for Linux and, because there are so many peopleworking on Linux, whenever a bug is found, a fix is provided much more quickly than with Windows. Linux is much moredifficult for hackers to break into as it has been designed from the ground up with security in mind.•Linux uses less system resourcesthan Windows. You don't need the latest, fastest computer to run Linux. In fact you canrun a functional version of Linux from a floppy disk with a computer that is 5-6 years old! At this point, we can also mentionthat one of our lab firewalls still runs on a K6-266 -3DNow! processor with 512 MB Ram! Of course - no graphical interfaces areloaded as we only work on in CLI mode!•Linux has been designed to put power into the hands of the userso that
you
have total control of the operating system andnot the other way around. A person who knows how to use Linux has the computer far more 'by the horns' than any Windowsuser ever has.
 
•Linux is fully compatible with all other systems. Unlike Microsoft Windows, which is at its happiest when talking to otherMicrosoft products, Linux is not 'owned' by any company and thus it keeps its compatibility with all other systems. The simplestexample of this is that a Windows computer cannot read files from a hard-disk with the Linux file system on it (ext2 & ext3),but Linux will happily read files from a hard-disk with the Windows file system (fat, fat32 or ntfs file system), or for that matterany other operating system.Now that we've covered some of the benefits of using Linux, let's start actually focusing on the best way to ease your migrationfrom the Microsoft world to the Linux world, or in case you already have a Linux server running - start unleashing its fullpotential!The first thing we will go over is the way Linux deals with files and folders on the hard-disk as this is completely different to theway things are done in Windows and is usually one of the challenges faced by Linux newbies.
The Linux File System
Introduction
A file system is nothing more than the way the computer stores and retrieves all your files. These filesinclude your documents, programs, help files, games, music etc. In the Windows world we have the conceptof files and folders.A folder (also known as a directory) is nothing more than a container for different files so that you canorganise them better. In Linux, the same concept holds true -- you have files, and you have folders in whichyou organise these files.The difference is that Windows stores files in folders according to the program they belong to (in most cases),in other words, if you install a program in Windows, all associated files -- such as the .exe file that you run,the help files, configuration files, data files etc. go into the same folder. So if you install for example Winzip,all the files relating to it will go into one folder, usually c:\Program Files\Winzip.In Linux however, files are stored based on the
function
they perform. In other words, all help files for allprograms will go into one folder made just for help files, all the executable (.exe) files will go into one folderfor executable programs, all programs configuration files will go into a folder meant for configuration files.This layout has a few significant advantages as you always know where to look for a particular file. Forexample, if you want to find the configuration file for a program, you'll bound to find it in the actualprogram's installation directory.With the Windows operating system, it's highly likely the configuration file will be placed in the installationdirectory or some other Windows system subfolder. In addition, registry entries is something you won't beable to keep track of without the aid of a registry tracking program - something that does not exist in theLinux world since there is no registry!Of course in Linux everything is configurable to the smallest level, so if you choose to install a program andstore all its files in one folder, you can, but you will just complicate your own life and miss out on the benefitsof a file system that groups files by the function they perform rather than arbitrarily.Linux uses an hierarchical file system, in other words there is no concept of 'drives' like c: or d:, everythingstarts from what is called the ‘/' directory (known as the
root
directory). This is the top most level of the filesystem and all folders are placed at some level from here. This is how it looks:
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