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New Kids on the Block: Linux

Instructor: Mort Anvari

Presented by: Wei Gu

Southeastern University

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Road Map

• History

• Distribution

• Hardware Requirement

• Features

• Using Linux

• Distributors

• Future

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History

• In 1991, Linus Trovalds began to creat a new version of OS, based on Unix.

• With the help of other enthusiasts, the first version of Linux was completed in 1994.

• By the summer of 1999, approximately 10 million people were using Linux.

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Special Distribution

• Unlike other commercial OS, Linux is free.

• The source code of Linux is open to the public, everyone can obtain it and amend it as they wish.

• Many companies are marketing their own “distribution” by adding some value on the basic content of Linux (the kernel).

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Special Distribution

• Linux can be obtained from three channels:– Internet Download: Linux can be downloaded from

many websites sponsored by pro-Linux organizaitons such as FSF or Linux International.

– CD ROM: The CD ROM containing Linux can be ordered from these organizations.

– Retailors selling commercial distribution: BestBuy

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Hardware Requirement

CPU: Any Intel 386 or later, plus Digital Alpha, Sun Sparc, Motorola, MIPS, PowerPC and

HP/PA platform are supported by Linux.

RAM: Without graphics, Linux runs with 4MB. With graphics, Linux runs with a minimum 8MB memory. With 16MB, the

graphics get much faster. With 32MB, Linux screams, and the speed of the application (particularly a

graphics-oriented program) increases dramatically.

Hard Disk: Without graphics, it installs in 40MB. With graphics, 150MB is needed. More hard disk space for applications is needed.

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Features: Character-Cell vs. Graphical Applications

• Linux applications are available as character-cell and graphical applications.

• Character-cell applications are textual types of applications in which you type a command and the system responds. (like in MS-DOS ).

• Character-cell applications are sometimes referred to as text-based applications.

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Features: Character-Cell vs. Graphical Applications

• With a graphical application, you use the mouse as well as the keyboard to tell the computer what to do. (like in Windows) The graphical portion of Linux is called “X Window System” or simply “X”.

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Features

• Multitasking: several programs running at once.• Multiuser: several users on the same machine

(and no two-user licenses!).• Cross-platform: runs on many different CPUs, not

just Intel.

• Multiprocessor: SMP support is available on the Intel and SPARC platforms.

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Features

• Has memory protection between processes, so that one program can't bring the whole system down.

• Virtual memory using paging (not swapping whole processes) to disk

• A unified memory pool for user programs and disk cache, so all free memory can be used for caching, and the cache can be reduced when running large programs.

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Using Linux: Personal Workstation

• It can run many programs at the same time, handle the needs of more than one user at a time, and use high-quality graphics.

• Linux can handle files and programs of immense size. When used with the 64-bit digital Alpha processor, for example, Linux can handle data of terabytes.

• Linux uses a sophisticated windowing system called the X Window System. It can share files with most UNIX systems and Windows, OS/2, and other operating systems.

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Using Linux: file and print server

• Multitasking capability, virtual memory, and powerful file system make Linux work well as a file and print server for workstation running other OS:

– SAMBA allows MS-Windows PCs to communicate with server running Linux.

– AppleTalk allows Macintosh computers to use Linux as a file and printer server.

– Linux can share files and printers with UNIX systems.

• Using Linux as server OS saves much money because Linux and the layered software that provide these services are free.

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Using Linux: Connecting to an Internet gateway

• Linux can connect your home or business network to the Internet. Software such as Diald can connect your Linux network to the Internet whenever necessary. This gives your private network a permanent, virtual connection for the price of a single phone line.

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Using Linux: Building a firewall

• Linux can provide protection from the bad guys on the Internet by acting as a firewall.

• Linux can control access from your private network to the outside world. Linux is very flexible in this regard and several packages are available.

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Using Linux: Providing Internet/intranet services

• UNIX systems were at the forefront of these developments, and Linux shares many benefits of that heritage. Linux can be used in the following fields:

Firewalls to keep the bad guys out FTP to help the good guys get files and software Telnet to support users in logging on and using their machines

remotely Web servers to aid users in seeing Web pages Samba and NFS to share files over the network

• Many ISP use Linux because Linux source code is freely available. They can correct problems themselves quickly rather than wait for a commercial software vendor to correct the problem.

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Popular Distributors

Red Hat Linux (www.redhat.com): The largest Linux distributor.When Red Hat went public in mid-1999, the company’s stock shot into the Linux stratosphere.

SuSE GmbH(www.Suse.com): A German firm putting out its own Linux distribution in German and English.

Turbolinux, Inc., (www.pht.com): A company providing translated copies of Linux in Japanese and Chinese.

Corel (www.corel.com): Bundled with WordPerfect Office and looks to make Linux easy to install and use. Corel LINUX is quickly becoming a major Linux player.

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Prospect

• Linux 2.0, the current stable version, has many enhancements, including many performance improvements, several new networking protocols, one of the fastest TCP/IP implementations in the world, etc. Even higher performance, more networking protocols, and more device drivers will be available in Linux 2.2.

• Even with over 3/4 million lines of code in the kernel, there is plenty of code left to write, and even more for

documentation.

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Reference

• Kara J. Pritchard. Linux

• SuSE Linux 6.4

• Michael Meadhra. Star Office for Linux

• Paul G.Sery. Red Hat Linux