CHAPTER 5

Introduction To Linux
Introduction to Linux :

• Linux is one of popular version of UNIX operating System.

• It is open source as its source code is freely available.
• It is free to use.
• Linux was designed considering UNIX compatibility. Its functionality list is quite similar
to that of UNIX.
• It was initially released by Linus Torvalds on September 17, 1991.
• Initially, Linux was created for personal computers and gradually it was used in other
machines like servers, mainframe computers, supercomputers, etc.
• Nowadays, Linux is also used in embedded systems like routers, automation controls,
televisions, digital video recorders, video game consoles, smartwatches, etc.
Linux Distribution

• Linux distribution is an operating system that is made up of a collection of software

based on Linux kernel or you can say distribution contains the Linux kernel and
supporting libraries and software.

• Many agencies modified the Linux operating system and makes their Linux
distributions. There are many Linux distributions available in the market. It provides a
different flavor of the Linux operating system to the users. We can choose any
distribution according to our needs. Some popular distributions are Ubuntu, Fedora,
Debian, Linux Mint, Arch Linux, and many more.

• And you can get Linux based operating system by downloading one of the Linux
distributions and these distributions are available for different types of devices like
embedded devices, personal computers, etc.
some of the popular Linux distributions are:

• MX Linux
• Manjaro
• Linux Mint
• elementary
• Ubuntu
• Debian
• Solus
• Fedora
• openSUSE
• Deepin
Architecture of Linux
• Linux architecture has the following components:
1. Kernel:
• Kernel is the core of the Linux based operating system.
• It virtualizes the common hardware resources of the computer to provide each
process with its virtual resources.
• This makes the process seem as if it is the sole process running on the machine.

2. System Library:
• Is the special types of functions that are used to implement the functionality of the
operating system.
• System libraries are special programs that help in accessing the kernel's features.
• A kernel has to be triggered to perform a task, and this triggering is done by the
applications. But applications must know how to place a system call because each
kernel has a different set of system calls.
• Programmers have developed a standard library of procedures to
communicate with the kernel.
• Each operating system supports these standards, and then these are
transferred to system calls for that operating system.
3. Shell:

• It is an interface to the kernel which hides the complexity of the kernel’s

functions from the users.
• It takes commands from the user and executes the kernel’s functions.

4. Hardware Layer:
• This layer consists all peripheral devices like RAM/ HDD/ CPU etc.

5. System Utility:
• It provides the functionalities of an operating system to the user.
• System Utility programs are responsible to do specialized, individual level
tasks.
Linux Shell Basics

• The shell is a program that takes commands from the keyboard and gives them to the
operating system to perform.
• In the old days, it was the only user interface available on a Unix-like system such as
Linux.
• Nowadays, we have in addition to
such as the shell.’
• Broadly, the shell is categorized into two main categories which are explained below:
Graphical Shells (GUI)
• These shells specifies the manipulation of programs that are based on the graphical
user interface (GUI) by permitting for operations like moving, closing,
resizing, and opening windows and switching focus among windows as well.
• Various users don't need for typing in any command for all the actions.

Command-line Shell

• Various shells could be accessed with the help of a command-line interface by users.
• A unique program known as Command prompt in Windows or Terminal in
macOS/Linux is offered for typing in the human-understandable commands like "ls",
"cat", etc and after that, it is being run.
• The result is further shown to the user on the terminal.