Chapter 1: An Introduction to Linux

Chapter 1 An Introduction to Linux

Last revision date: 20/6/2004

Chapter 1 Outline
In this chapter we will learn about:

o!e o" the #e$ events in the histor$ o" Linux %he !a&or co!ponents o" a linux distribution 'ow linux is licensed 'ow Linux di""ers "ro! (indows and )etware %he u * +roduct Line

o!e #e$ events in the histor$ o" linux

1,6, - the dawn o" ti!e. /en %ho!pson and 0ennis 1itchie write the "irst version o" 2)I3 1,4: ;; Andrew %anenbau! writes <inix= a 2)I3;li#e O/ that runs on +Cs= !ainl$ as a teachin8 aid

1,,1 - Linus %orvalds starts develop!ent o" Linux as a pro&ect to exploit the Intel >46 architecture. 0esi8n is heavil$ in"luenced b$ <inix and 2)I3

1,:0

1,40
1,44 - 5ree o"tware 5oundation start wor# on the 6)2 pro&ect which results in a C co!piler 78cc9 and editor 7e!acs9 and lots o" co!!and line tools that !i!ic or i!prove on their traditional 2)I3 counterparts

1,,0

2000

1,,4;ish: *xplosive 8rowth o" the Internet "osters wide; spread 8rowth o" linux and the open source !ove!ent.

%he histor$ o" Linux 7continued9

Linux be8an li"e in 1,,1

Linus %orvalds wrote the ori8inal Linux operatin8 s$ste! as a hobb$ist exercise in exploitin8 the new Intel >46 !e!or$ architecture In"luenced b$ <inix= an operatin8 s$ste! written b$ %orvald?s pro"essor And$ %anenbau! as a teachin8 aid= which was in turn based on 2)I3 )ot derived "ro! 2)I3 source code but deliberatel$ 2)I3;co!patible

Contributions co!e "ro! !an$ other developers

5ree o"tware 5oundation wrote bash shell= 8cc co!piler= !an$ other co!!and line tools= distributed under the 6)2 ?brand na!e?

Li#e 2)I3 be"ore it= linux was not ori8inall$ conceived as a ?product?

Linux distributions
trictl$ spea#in8= ?linux? re"ers onl$ to the operatin8 s$ste! #ernel

In practice= linux distributions include hundreds o" additional ite!s o" so"tware "ro! do@ens o" develop!ent tea!s

In theor$= all the pieces can be downloaded "ro! the internet "ree o" char8e and asse!bled into a wor#in8 s$ste!

In practice this is hard wor#

<ost users purchase a pre;built distribution

napshot o" co!patible versions o" all co!ponents

Aendors such as 1ed'at and u * add value in several wa$s:

Installation and con"i8uration tools upported ports o" Linux to non;+C architectures 7e8 IB< !ain"ra!es9 1etail products include printed !anuals and li!ited installation support *nterprise products provide "ull support a8ree!ents and pro;active up8rade !echanis!s

%he co!ponents o" a linux distribution

6)2 Co!!and Line %ools 35ree46 erver /0* 0es#top and toolset

RedHat

SuSE

Mandrake Apache (eb erver Debian Linux /ernel a!ba 5ile/+rint erver <an$= !an$ others

Installation= con"i8uration and !aintenance tools= plus support

'ow does linux di""er "ro! windowsC

Linux 5ree= open;source so"tware (indow $ste! is optional and has a client/server architecture 1uns on a wide variet$ o" hardware upports !ultiple= si!ultaneous interactive users +roprietar$

(indows (indow s$ste! is not optional and is ti8htl$ inte8rated 1uns on +Cs onl$ Intended to support one interactive user

Linux licensin8 and what ?5ree o"tware? !eans

%he linux #ernel and !ost linux applications are distributed under Open ource licences A nu!ber o" open source licences have been developed

6+L 76)2 +ublic Licence9 is the best #nown and is o"ten adopted b$ so"tware developers who do not have the s#ill or interest to develop their own licenses L6+L 7Lesser 6eneral +ublic Licence9 <an$ others ... see www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html

5reedo! o" so"tware re"ers to liberty not price

5reedo! to run the pro8ra! 5reedo! to stud$ the pro8ra! and adapt it "or $our needs 5reedo! to redistribute copies 5reedo! to i!prove the pro8ra! and release the i!prove!ents ee www.opensource.org "or a !ore detailed de"inition

3 (indow s$ste!
%he 3 window s$ste! 7also called 311 or si!pl$ 39 was developed in 1,44 at <I%

0esi8n 8oal was a plat"or!; and hardware;independent window s$ste! tructured as a client/server architecture

%he 3 server runs on the !achine that the 8raphics displa$= #e$board and !ouse is connected to

Accepts co!!ands "ro! clients to draw windows= text= 8raphics= etc Also !a#es #e$board and !ouse input available to clients +rovides D!echanis!= not polic$E 7i.e. does not deter!ine loo#;and;"eel9 u * Linux uses an i!ple!entation called 35ree46 version 4

3 clients 7applications that reFuire a 8raphical user inter"ace9 connect to an 3 server

Client !a$ be on sa!e !achine as server= or on a di""erent !achine

3 (indow s$ste! architecture

(indow <ana8er 73 Client9

Application 73 Client9

1e!ote Application 73 Client9

3 erver

)etwor#

1e!ote (indow <ana8er 73 Client9

creen= #e$board and !ouse

It?s not unusual to run an 3 server on a <icroso"t (indows des#top 7e8 'u!!in8bird9 to provide access to 8raphical des#tops and applications runnin8 on Linux s$ste!s

(indow !ana8ers and des#tops

A window !ana8er is an i!portant 3 client application= supportin8:

tartin8 applications via !enus=etc <ovin8= resi@in8= openin8= and closin8 windows o!e window !ana8ers support !ultiple virtual des#tops

%he window !ana8er is partl$ responsible "or establishin8 a loo# and "eel o" the linux des#top

It is usuall$ supple!ented b$ a set o" des#top tools= such as a launch bar= 8raphical "ile !ana8er= web browser= cloc#= calculator= !ail user a8ent= scheduler= etc.

%he are several window !ana8er / des#top toolsets "or Linux:

KDE Gnome Others: !ana8erG

%he standard des#top supported b$ u * linux Another !odern= "ull "eatured des#top popular on linux tw! 7part o" the 3 distribution9= !w! 7!oti" window used to be popular on olaris9= icew!= "vw!2= ...

%he 3 (indow $ste! is optional

%he 3 window s$ste! is not an inte8ral part o" the operatin8 s$ste!

Linux can run with no windowin8 s$ste! or 8raphical applications <an$ servers are run this wa$

Con"i8ured and ad!inistered entirel$ usin8 co!!and;line tools

aves on dis# space= !e!or$ and C+2 c$cles

Linux is !ulti;user
Li#e later versions o" windows= linux supports a user lo8in

Authenticated b$ a password

Linux supports !ultiple si!ultaneous lo8ins

One on the !ain console= possibl$ runnin8 a 8raphical des#top everal via character ter!inals connected to serial ports <an$ via networ# lo8ins usin8 telnet= rlo8in= or ssh

All users have "ull co!!and line access <ultiple 8raphical lo8ins are also possible

*ach user has an independent des#top %his capabilit$ is inherent in the client/server architecture o" the 3 window s$ste!

2nderl$in8 operatin8 s$ste! supports pre-emptive multi-tasking

Linux runs on a wide variet$ o" hardware

*!bedded linux

+hones= set;top boxes= +0As= +C104 and other sin8le board co!puters A1<= <I+ processors= etc. pecialist !ar#et= co!!ercial support "ro! co!panies li#e <ontavista

<ainstrea! 7>2;bit and 64;bit9

Intel pentiu!= +ower+C= +A1C= Itaniu!= A<064

Bi8 Iron

IB< @/series !ain"ra!e