Introduction to Linux

What is Linux
Linux is an operating system kernel that functions as the core of the operating system,
controlling the communication between software and hardware. So Linux itself is not a
complete operating system. The Linux kernel was developed by a programmer call “Linus
Torvalds” in 1991 and it’s written in “C” language and registered under “GPL” (GNU General
Public License). Because Linux kernel is registered under GPL, it’s source code is available
for general public and modifications are permitted making the kernel open source. The source
code is available through www.kernel.org. The current stable release as of this writing is 3.x
series.

What is a Linux Distribution

A Linux distribution is a complete operating system based on the Linux kernel, the GNU
operating system and lots of free and open source software. It’s also known as GNU/LINUX
or otherwise these days simply LINUX.

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What is GNU
GNU (GNU is not UNIX) is a Unix-like computer operating system developed by the GNU
project, ultimately aiming to be a "complete Unix-compatible software system" composed
wholly of free software. Development of GNU was initiated by Richard Stallman in 1983 after
the copyright of UNIX in 1979. The system's basic components include the GNU Hurd kernel,
GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), the GNU Binary Utilities (binutils), the bash shell, the GNU C
library (glibc), and GNU Core Utilities (coreutils). The development of GNU was very slow due
to various reasons in the early days, especially the GNU Hurd kernel is still not considered
suitable for production environments. So the GNU developers were searching for a
replacement kernel, where the LINUX kernel filled the gap in 1991. Now all of the GNU
components are ported to match the Linux kernel. All the components of GNU are registered
under GPL making them open source, the codes are available at www.gnu.org.

What is Free Software

Free software, is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and
which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without
restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do the
same things. Free software is generally available without charge, but can have a fee. Since
free software may be freely redistributed it is generally available at little or no cost. Free
software business models are usually based on adding value such as applications, support,
training, customization, integration, or certification.

Free software is mainly promoted by Free Software Foundation (FSF www.fsf.org) and must
comply to the following rules

• The freedom to run the program for any purpose.

• The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you
wish.

• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.

• The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements (and modified
versions in general) to the public, so that the whole community benefits.

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What is Open Source Software
Open-source software (OSS) is computer software that is available in source code form for
which the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are
provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, and improve the
software. Open source licenses often meet the requirements of the Open Source Definition.

Free software is mainly promoted by Open Source Initiative (OSI www.opensource.org) and
must comply to the following rules

• Free redistribution.

• Inclusion of source code.

• Allowing for modifications and derived works.

• Integrity of the author's source code.

• No discrimination against persons or groups.

• No discrimination against fields of endeavor.

• The license needs to apply to all to whom the program is redistributed.

• License must not be specific to a product

• License must not restrict other software

• License must be technology-neutral

Free Software vs. Open Source Software

Despite the fundamental philosophical differences between the free software movement and
the open source movement, the official definitions of free software by the Free Software
Foundation and of open source software by the Open Source Initiative basically refer to the
same software licenses, with a few minor exceptions. While stressing the philosophical
differences, the Free Software Foundation comments:

“The term ‘open source’ software is used by some people to mean more or less the same
category as free software. It is not exactly the same class of software: they accept some
licenses that we consider too restrictive, and there are free software licenses they have not
accepted. However, the differences in extension of the category are small: nearly all free
software is open source, and nearly all open source software is free.”

Popular Linux Distributions

For home use

• Linux Mint
• Ubuntu
• OpenSUSE
• Mandriva
• Fedora

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For office use

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux

• CentOS
• Debian
• Suse Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Server

Details about all Linux distributions can be obtained at www.distrowatch.com

What is Debian
Debian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and
open source software especially under the GNU General Public License and other free
software licenses. The primary form, Debian GNU/Linux, which uses the Linux kernel and
GNU OS tools, is a popular and influential GNU/Linux distribution. It is distributed with access
to repositories containing thousands of software packages ready for installation and use.
Debian is known for relatively strict adherence to the Unix and free software philosophies as
well as using collaborative software development and testing processes. Debian can be used
as a desktop as well as server operating system. It focuses on stability and security and is
used as a base for many other distributions.

Debian was first announced on 16 August 1993 by Ian Murdock.

Murdock initially called the system "the Debian Linux Release".
In 1993 Murdock also released the Debian Manifesto, outlining
his view for the new operating system. In it he called for the
creation of a distribution to be maintained in an open manner,
in the spirit of Linux and GNU. He formed the name "Debian" as
a combination of the first name of his then-girlfriend Debra Lynn
and his own first name.

List of Debian releases

As of May 2013, the latest stable release is version 7.0; code name wheezy is the
current release that has stable and well tested software. Stable is made by freezing testing
for a few months where bugs are fixed to make the distribution as stable as possible; then
the resulting system is released as stable. It is updated only if major security or usability
fixes are incorporated. A new release will be made every two years. The code names of
Debian releases are names of characters from the film Toy Story. Debian has made twelve
major stable releases. Debian will never release a new stable release until it is fully stable.
Each stable version will be supported up to one year after the next stable version released.

List of Debian releases

Version Code Name Release Date

1.1 Buzz 17 June 1996

1.2 Rex 12 December 1996

1.3 Bo 5 June 1997

2.0 Hamm 24 July 1998

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 2.1 Slink 9 March 1999

2.2 Potato 15 August 2000

3.0 Woody 19 July 2002

3.1 Sarge 6 June 2005

4.0 Etch 8 April 2007

5.0 Lenny 14 February 2009

6.0 Squeeze 6 February 2011

7.0 Wheezy 4 May 2013

Getting Help for Debian

Debian documentation - http://www.debian.org/doc/
Debian wiki - http://wiki.debian.org/
Debian user forums - http://www.debianhelp.org/ and http://forums.debian.net/
Debian Admin - http://www.debian-administration.org/

Why switch from Windows to Linux

Some of the wrong reasons

• Windows is riddled with spyware - I'm moving to Linux

• I hate Microsoft - I'm moving to Linux!

• My Windows is slow - I'm moving to Linux

• A friend told me to - I'm moving to Linux

• If you are a die-hard Windows gamer

Some of the right reasons

• Availability of software

• Less viruses and spyware

• Heavy internet usage

• Price & licensing

• Flexibility

• Development tools

• Better 64-bit support

• Prestige

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History of GNU and LINUX in a Breeze
• In 1964, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, AT&T Bell Labs, and General
Electric started worked on an experimental operating system called Multics
(Multiplexed Information and Computing Service), which was designed to run on the
GE-645 mainframe computer. www.multicians.org

• Bell Labs dropped out in 1969.

• One of the developers on the Bell Labs team, Ken Thompson, continued to develop for
the GE-645 mainframe, and wrote a game for that computer called Space Travel.
However, he found that the game was too slow on the GE machine.

• Thompson thus re-wrote the game in assembly language for Digital Equipment
Corporation's PDP-7 with help from Dennis Ritchie. This experience, combined with his
work on the Multics project, led Thompson to start a new operating system for the
PDP-7.

Ken Thompson (left) with Dennis Ritchie

• In 1970 the project was named UNIX. www.unix.org

• In 1973, the decision was made to re-write UNIX in the C programming language. The
change meant that it was easier to modify UNIX to work on other machines, and other
developers could create variations. The code was now more compact, leading to
accelerated development of UNIX. AT&T made UNIX available to universities and
commercial firms, as well as to the United States government under licenses. The
licenses included all source code including the machine-dependent parts of the kernel.

• 1974 Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD, sometimes called Berkeley Unix) is the
UNIX descended distribution by the University of California, Berkeley.
www.freebsd.org. AT&T licensed UNIX System, for commercial use, the first version
launching in 1982, and continued to issue licenses for older UNIX versions. Since the
newer commercial UNIX licensing terms were not as favorable for academic use as the
older versions of UNIX, the Berkeley researchers continued to develop BSD Unix as an
alternative to UNIX System.

• In 1983, Richard Stallman started the GNU project with the goal of creating a free
UNIX- like, operating system. Two years later he created the Free Software Foundation
(FSF) and developed the GNU general Public License (GPL), in order to spread software
freely. In this way the GNU software was developed very quickly by many people.
Within a short time a large number of programs were developed, so that by the early

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 1990s there was almost enough available to create a full operating system. However, a
kernel was still missing. www.gnu.org / www.fsf.org

• MINIX, a Unix-like system intended for academic use, was released by Andrew S.
Tanenbaum in 1987 Vrije University, Amsterdam in the Netherlands. While source code
for the system was available, modification and redistribution were restricted.
www.minix3.org

• AT&T filed a lawsuit in the early 1990s against the University of Berkeley, which
strongly limited the development of BSD and greatly slowed development. Thus the
early 1990s produced no complete, free system. The future of BSD was uncertain. The
GNU project was gradually developing but, it lacked a well- behaved UNIX Kernel.

• In 1991, Linus Torvalds began to work on a non-commercial replacement for MINIX

while he was attending the University of Helsinki. This eventually became the Linux
kernel. Linux was dependent on the Minix and GNU first.

• In order to make the Linux kernel compatible with the components from the GNU
Project, Torvalds initiated a switch from his original license (which prohibited
commercial redistribution) to the GNU GPL. Linux and GNU developers worked to
integrate GNU components with Linux to make a fully functional and free operating
system.

History of Linux Distributions

• MCC Interim Linux is an obsolete Linux distribution, released by Manchester Computing
Center

• TAMU, created by individuals at Texas A&M University

• Softlanding Linux System (SLS) was an early Linux distribution, founded by Peter
MacDonald in mid-1992. SLS was the first release to offer a comprehensive Linux
distribution containing more than the Linux kernel and basic utilities, including TCP/IP
and the X Window System.

• Slackware was originally descended from the Softlanding Linux System, The first
Slackware release, 1.00, was on 16 July 1993.

• Debian was first announced on 1993-08-16

• November 3, 1994, Red Hat Linux

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 27 March 2000

• Fedora November 6, 2003

• Ubuntu 20 October 2004

More details at http://futurist.se/gldt/

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