Linux the renegade OS
Apr 22 '01
The Bottom Line Linux is an operating system which most view as an alternative to Windows. It is very robust, very stable and is beginning to gain acceptance with applications vendors.
When I first sat down to write this little review, I thought I would have no problem at all. However, after having thought about it for awhile I have learned that this isn't the easiest question to answer. For, while I know very well what linux is, I am a computer programmer by trade and a computer enthusiast for hobby, which means that I know quite a bit about computers. How does one describe to someone who doesn't know all of this stuff what linux actually is?
Well, I'm going to give it a shot.
Linux is an operating system kernel to begin with, though I don't know what is particularly operating about a system
Sorry about the Dickens reference there, I just couldn't resist. Anyway, Linux (pronounced Lih-nuks) is an operating system. For those of you who do not know what an operating system is, I will attempt to tell you. There are two basic parts of the computer (we could get into theological discussions galore about this, but we'll keep this brief[1]), the hardware and the software. The operating system is a little bit of a gray area here. Its the part of the computer that is in software, but tells the hardware what to do (and vice versa). Its the proverbial bridge over the gap, it provides a way so that the user is able to actually use the hardware without having to type out the 1's and the 0's.
The best example I can give you here is Windows. But not the windows that we all know and love, its the windows behind the windows. Its the stuff that's going on in the background that produces those lovely Blue Screens of Death that all of us are so familiar with. It is not the Microsoft Word application, or any of the applications for that matter, it is the glue that binds everything together so that we can actually have a bit of fun with the machine (though its beginning to sound a bit like the force from star wars).
Linux is a alternative to windows...
Most people only really know one operating system (well maybe two), but that one is defined by the one that comes on the machine, and that most likely means windows (or MacOS). There are good things and bad things about all operating systems, Windows happens to be a fairly good default since most of the world uses it, its fairly easy to install and there are a plethora of applications for it. However, this does not mean that it is always the best.
Like many other operating systems, Linux is an alternative to Windows. If someone is fed up with Windows, or would like to experiment, there are many different operating systems that one could try (any flavor of the BSD's, BeOS, DR-DOS, etc, etc [2]). However, of these, Linux is the operating system which has the best level of support (for free) and application base. If you are looking for help on Linux, there are many different places that you can go. There are even places that serve simply as a base for you to explore into the world of linux help. The one problem with all of this help is that it is not well organized, and is mainly aimed at those people who are already in the linux world, rather than at those who are aiming to come into the linux world.
Linux is a state of mind...
The final way that I can think of to describe linux at this point, is as a state of mind. Linux is more than just an operating system, its a way of thinking about your computer. The computer should not be that hunk of silicon and metal that sits on your desktop waiting for you to supply it with power and curse at it for awhile. Its more like a precision automobile, its meant to be tinkered with to provide it with the best performance possible and with the least amount of breakdowns.
The freedom that Linux provides is two-fold. These two can be divided into two different standards, one of which is called "free beer" and the other of which is called "free speech". "Free beer" means that linux can be free in the sense of "free beer." You can download Linux off the internet [3] and install it for free (provided you can figure all of it out). While there are many places that you can go to buy it, the legal agreement for the kernel itself is that it is free. So if you buy a Red Hat, or Progeny CD and install it, you can give that to someone else, or have them burn it, and it should be technically legal to do.
The other sense of linux's freedom is in the "free speech" ideal. A user is able to go and download the complete source to linux whenever he/she feels like it [4]. Due to the licensing of the kernel, you can modify it however you please and nobody will care, so long as you release your changes and make the source code available to the world [5]. I would like to see anybody try to get their hands on any of Microsoft Window's code so that they can look at it, find bugs and fix them without Microsoft's direct approval, I don't expect to see it anytime soon.
Finally, Linux has its open source state of mind, which encompasses both of the previous two ideas and one more thing, community work. Members of the Linux community are able to look at source code from other people's programs and comment on them, give them hints on how to do it better, and thus the program becomes better as a whole (at least in theory). In this sense, people in the community are willing to help you out in the operating system, so long as you are willing to put the time into research and not waste their time. Do not be surprised to have someone give you a link to a site with some information about your problem rather than solving your problem outright.
Conclusion...
Well, there isn't much of a conclusion here. Hopefully I have enlightened you a bit as to what Linux actually is. There are many other concerns I could bring up here, but those don't really seem suited to the "What is Linux" question, so I figured I would leave them to another essay.
To conclude, Linux is an operating system, an alternative to windows (and other operating systems) and a state of mind. If you have any questions, explore the links in the footnotes, or drop me a line, I would be happy to try and help you out.
Footnotes
[1] There are many different arguments as to the different parts of a computer. Some go simple with two parts (hardware software), some break these up into smaller pieces... we're going to go simple
[2] There are so many variant operating systems that it is tough to count, it seems like new ones are popping up every day, but most of them lack the community that linux has at this point.
[3] http://www.linux.org
[4] http://www.kernel.org
[5] This is due to the intricacies of the GPL (Gnu Public License) which you can get a better feel for at http://www.gnu.org
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Tibullus
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Member: Marc Chapman
Location: Minneapolis, MN
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Sometimes I like to look up and smile for the satellite pictures.
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