A new look at the Linux Operating System Linux Re-Visited A new look at the Linux Operating System

What is Linux Linux is an Operating System. Linux is derived from Unix and is one of the oldest operating systems. Linux is a Open Source software and is not owned by any company or person. Linux is named after it’s inventor Linus Torvalds. Linux is different but is similar in a user point of view to Microsoft Windows. Linux has a desktop called KDE and be configured to look exactly like Windows.

Why a computer needs an Operating System A operating system (OS) controls all aspects of a computer. A OS is used to manage memory, disk space, keyboard, mouse and programs. When you run a program you tell the OS which program to run and how to use the program. A computer is like a “pet rock” without a OS, it will do nothing.

Where is Linux used A lot of the web page servers world wide run Linux OS. A recent survey by the US Navy indicate a good portion of their 250,000 system run Linux. Many country governments in Europe use Linux for all government activities. Many business in the US use Linux for all their operations. Large companies support Linux software development like Novell, IBM, Sun and HP.

Linux Vs Microsoft Windows Most desktop computers use Microsoft Windows. How did this occur? Windows was written before Linux. Since Linux has no owner and is available for no cost few people are aware of the product. Almost every desktop computer is sold with Microsoft Windows installed. The cost of windows is priced in almost ever computer you buy. Linux up to a few years ago was only used by “Geeks” and was hard to use. In the past year Linux has become more user friendly and new innovations are making it more user friendly all the time.

Windows is becoming very undesirable ! What is the main problems with Microsoft Windows. Windows is prone to undesirable attacks by Virus, Trojan and Malware. Windows is very expensive. Windows technology is stuck in a time warp. It is difficult to make new technology breakthrough's due to it’s legacy. What changes you make have to be 100% compatible with all windows software ever written.

Why is Linux desirable. The threat of Virus’s, Trojans and Malware do not exist in Linux. Linux is more stable and uses certain technologies (i.e. file systems) which are far more stable than Windows uses. Linux has thousands of developers world wide who are continually making improvements in a controlled manner. Linux can now run all Microsoft Windows application software along with applications written exclusively for Linux. New Linux Distributions are available daily and are free to download. They all have unique features but all use a common Linux kernel.

Native Linux Software Applications Linux distributions all come with a variety of useful application software which includes: A office suite (Open Office) compatible with Microsoft Office. Image processing software (Gimp) comparable to Photoshop. Hundreds of useful utilities which in windows must be obtained from vendors for a cost. Built in server, relational database and networking software. Microsoft sell an expensive product to do all this.

What is a Linux Distribution A Linux Distribution is a complete package (CD’s or DVD) of Linux Software It includes: Linux Kernel (Standarized) Linux Applications which usually includes Open Office, Browsers, Email Clients etc. Utility software to aid in updates, installation of new software, changes etc. Two flavors of distributions are popular, Debian and Red Hat. Thousands of distributions are available.

My Computing Concept I now use Linux for all my home computing. I have ported all of my Windows Applications over to Linux. I now run Windows under Linux OS. I continually look for new Linux Distributions which have technology improvements an upgrade when necessary. I look [here]. I have a devoted home server where I backup everything.

How can Linux Run Windows Software? Three techniques are available to run Windows applications on a Linux computer: Crossover – This software allows you to run certain windows applications directly on Linux. The application runs in an windows emulator. Win4Lin – Allows you to run certain versions of Windows on Linux. Vmware – Allows you to run any version of Windows, Linux or Unix under Linux. I will provide a demo of Crossover and Vmware after this presentation.

Why adopt Linux as your primary OS! If you use Linux for Email and Web Browsing you will not have to worry about Virus’s, Trojans and Malware. You can run all your favorite Windows applications in an enumeration mode. Using this concept you can have the stability of Linux and also have the access to the numerous Windows applications programs.

Next a Demo I will next demonstrate Linux. I am running on a rather low speed laptop (1.1gHz). At home my Windows on Linux runs faster than Natively on a high speed 32 bit computer. At home I run Red Hat Linux 4.0 AS (CentOS 4.1) on a 64 bit computer. Same motherboard as the one we built at the Kaliga clinic.