English_topic_1_kurs / Linux

Linux

Linux, computer operating system using open source software. Linux is a UNIX-like operating system that is available as an alternative to commercial operating systems such as Windows, UNIX, or Macintosh OS. Because Linux is open source software, users have access to the source code and are allowed to use, modify, or redistribute the code. The name Linux is pronounced LINN-ucks in English.

The software that constitutes the Linux operating system has two main parts. The Linux kernel is low-level software that manages computer hardware and the many programs that are running at any given time. The Linux Operating System is the collection of utility programs that allows a user to copy files, delete files, and do all of the other actions that make a computer useful. Although Linux can be used to run desktop computers, it is most widely used for servers, mobile platforms, and supercomputers. It is also used in embedded hardware for consumer electronics products such as game consoles and digital radios and televisions. A significant part of the business community has adopted Linux to support office and commercial systems.

The original version of Linux was not developed as a commercial product. The Finnish software engineer Linus Torvalds wrote the first version of Linux while he was a second-year student of computer science at the University of Helsinki in Finland. He released it to a public Internet forum in 1991. Other software engineers worldwide subsequently adopted Linux as a programming challenge. With thousands of minds focused on improving the software, Linux rapidly became a fast, reliable, and widespread operating system. What perhaps endeared Linux most to so many people who volunteered their efforts was the fact that the basic Linux operating system was, and continues to be, free.

Linux has been continually enhanced since the 1990s, with thousands of programming enthusiasts working to develop applications as part of an open-source software movement. In addition, several commercial enterprises have released their own Linux-based products.

A number of vendors have gathered together various pieces of software and presented them in a distributable format that makes Linux look like any operating system with which people are familiar. The Linux releases from these companies are called “distributions.” The Red Hat distribution is the most popular commercial offering, with Caldera, Debian, and openSuse some of the other leading names. Ubuntu is the most popular desktop distribution and is available preinstalled on desktop computers manufactured by Dell.

The way in which Linux has been developed has made it important in the advancement of computing across the world. The basic Linux operating system can be downloaded from Web sites on the Internet. Because Linux can be scaled to run in almost any computer with very few resources, it has become a natural choice for low-budget computer users. Linux enables old or discarded computers to be reused in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The One Laptop Per Child program to provide inexpensive laptop computers to school children in developing countries has adopted a version of the Linux operating system for the XO laptop. Open source software should allow users to adapt the laptops to local needs and technological requirements.