 Student’s Name : Maysa Timraz.  Instructor’s Name : Rasha Atallah.  ID : ٍ

 DEFINITION OF LINUX.  TYPES OF LINUX.  ADVANTAGES OF LINUX.

:D EFINITION OF LINUX An operating system project, and software code base (the kernel and other supporting programs hosted at kernel.org), intended as a clone of Unix, compliant with the Single UNIX Specification. Early on, there was significant collaboration with the GNU Project.

: T YPES OF L INUX The Most Popular Flavors of Linux. CentOS: A very popular flavor Linux is CentOS. It's very easy to use, and the server can be set up by booting a CD and using the easy-to-follow instructions. It manages all of the hardware drivers that are needed to execute business programs. RedHat: Most of the folks who started using Linux began with RedHat few years ago and moved to another distribution (such as Fedora) when RedHat went commercial. CentOS is quite similar to RedHat as everything in the operating system is essentially in the identical place on the computer. Fedora: Many Linux users started with Fedora initially, but there were installation issues while booting from disk initially, which distracted many users from continuing with it. Some of them abandoned it, but today there are no apparent faults in Fedora. Ubuntu: Ubuntu, another hot choice, is Debian- based Linux. If a lot of open source practical applications that you’re going to use are built for Ubuntu, you can expect most of the problems that other distributions have to be solved- for these applications.

Linux : is PC-UNIX in which the kernel was created for PC/AT compatibles by Linus Torvalds of Finland. The name is derived from the kernel's creator. Distribution,Although Linux is originally the kernel created by Linus, it does not function as an OS generally available with only the kernel. To function as an OS, various software applications must be combined with the kernel. Thus, the combination of the kernel and some application software supporting it for use as a OS is called a "distribution". Types of distribution : A number of application software programs as well as the kernel is needed to run as an OS, but software applications necessary depend on the specific purpose of use or policy. This is the difference of distributions, so there are many distributions. The biggest difference is the management method of a package (software) shown as follows:  RedHat series The package management is by rpm. It is easy to install, upgrade and so on. The main distributions are the following: RedHat Linux.  Turbo Linux.  LASER5 Linux.  Kondara MNU/Linux. RedHat series The package management is by rpm. It is easy to install, upgrade and so on. The main distributions are the following: RedHat Linux.  Vine Linux.  There are more distributions than other series of Linux.

Slackware series Since it has no management tool, users manage all. It requires considerable knowledge, but it has a high degree of flexibility, so it is popular among the users understanding the system. The main distributions are the following: Slackware Plamo Linux Debian series The package management is by deb. It is more powerful than that by rpm and closely manages even the dependency relation among the software. The main distribution is the following: Debian GNU/Linux How to select a distribution ? To select a distribution, you have to understand the purpose of use or the policy at which the distribution aims at. Here, I will show you the differences of the distributions I found after using them. RedHat Linux : Practically all of the Linux of RedHat series are based on this distribution, so the introduction of a new kernel is earlier than in other distributions. However, it might have more trouble in the first version (version *.0) than other distributions of the RedHat series. For neophilia, I recommend version *.1 or later. Turbo Linux : It is moderately good for use in companies. There are various types, such as for servers in Turbo Linux. LASER5 Linux : This distribution allows for the easy use of Japanese, developed on the basis of RedHat Linux. (Note that RedHat can be used in Japanese as well.) Most of the software for RedHat Linux can be used.

Kondara MNU/Linux Based on RedHat Linux, this distribution has introduced new useful software. Therefore, it has different parts from other distributions of RedHat series. For anyone liking novelties. Vine Linux A Distribution with emphasis on the stability and enhancement of Japanese environments, Based on RedHat Linux. There are fewer version upgrades than other distributions of RedHat series. For anyone wanting to use Japanese in plenty. Slackware The oldest distribution of Linux. Considerable knowledge is required for package management. It is also necessary to personally set up the Japanese environment. For professionals or anyone wanting to understand the system "with a will".

Plamo Linux Distribution : which supports Japanese, based on Slackware. Although it supports Japanese, considerable knowledge is required, as in the case of Slackware. Debian GNU/Linux Distribution : with enhanced package management. It was developed mainly by users. For anyone wanting to engage in the development of distribution (I suppose). As shown above, there is a great variety of distributions. Since their software can be installed and deleted individually after installation, it is possible to make similar environments whichever you select. If you want to try using Linux for the first time, I would recommend RedHat Linux or the highly compatible LASER5 Linux, from the viewpoints of the easy installation, large collections of information and the handling of bugs and security holes.

ADVANTAGES OF LINUX : Low cost: You don’t need to spend time and money to obtain licenses since Linux and much of its software come with the GNU General Public License. You can start to work immediately without worrying that your software may stop working anytime because the free trial version expires. Additionally, there are large repositories from which you can freely download high quality software for almost any task you can think of. Stability: Linux doesn’t need to be rebooted periodically to maintain performance levels. It doesn’t freeze up or slow down over time due to memory leaks and such. Continuous up-times of hundreds of days (up to a year or more) are not uncommon. Performance: Linux provides persistent high performance on workstations and on networks. It can handle unusually large numbers of users simultaneously, and can make old computers sufficiently responsive to be useful again.

Network friendliness: Linux was developed by a group of programmers over the Internet and has therefore strong support for network functionality; client and server systems can be easily set up on any computer running Linux. It can perform tasks such as network backups faster and more reliably than alternative systems. Flexibility: Linux can be used for high performance server applications, desktop applications, and embedded systems. You can save disk space by only installing the components needed for a particular use. You can restrict the use of specific computers by installing for example only selected office applications instead of the whole suite. Compatibility: It runs all common Unix software packages and can process all common file formats. Choice: The large number of Linux distributions gives you a choice. Each distribution is developed and supported by a different organization. You can pick the one you like best; the core functionalities are the same; most software runs on most distributions. Fast and easy installation: Most Linux distributions come with user-friendly installation and setup programs. Popular Linux distributions come with tools that make installation of additional software very user friendly as well.

Full use of hard disk: Linux continues work well even when the hard disk is almost full. Multitasking: Linux is designed to do many things at the same time; e.g., a large printing job in the background won’t slow down your other work. Security: Linux is one of the most secure operating systems. “Walls” and flexible file access permission systems prevent access by unwanted visitors or viruses. Linux users have to option to select and safely download software, free of charge, from online repositories containing thousands of high quality packages. No purchase transactions requiring credit card numbers or other sensitive personal information are necessary. Open Source: If you develop software that requires knowledge or modification of the operating system code, Linux’s source code is at your fingertips. Most Linux applications are Open Source as well. Today the combination of inexpensive computers and free high-quality Linux operating systems and software provide incredibly low-cost solutions for both basic home office use and high- performance business and science applications. The available choices of Linux distributions and Linux software may be overwhelming at first, but if you know where to look, it shouldn’t take long for you to find good online guidance.