Linux
Linux is an operating system that is Unix-like in its configuration. It is named after its designer, Linus Torvalds, who created Linux at the age of 22 as a project while a student at the University of Helsinki, Finland. His motivation was to emulate the UNIX operating system on a personal computer. At that time, UNIX software cost upwards of $5,000.
In contrast to other operating systems, like Microsoft Windows, which must be purchased, Torvalds made the first version of Linux, in 1991, available for free over the Internet. Even today, Linux can be obtained from the Internet without cost. Linux also differs fundamentally from other operating systems in that users can modify the program. Anyone can have access to the Linux kernal--the heart of the operating system--and make changes. For these reasons, Linux is known as open source, or free software.
As the operating system is changed by users, their changes are submitted for review. If the alterations are accepted upon review, they will be incorporated into the next revision of the operating system. Thus, even though the system is user modifiable, the revisions occur in an organized, not a chaotic, fashion.
Linux is only the kernel of the operating system, the part that controls hardware, manages files, and separates processes. There are several combinations of Linux with sets of utilities and applications bundled together to form a compete operating system. Each combination is called a distribution of Linux. Several companies are among those with a distribution of Linux.
Linux has found a niche among those who are seeking an alternative to the dominant operating system, Windows. One attraction of the system, aside from that fact that it can be downloaded and upgraded for free, is that it can be altered by the user to fix problems or tailored to meet specific and unique needs. Linux can, however, be daunting to install without exert support. Also, the graphic features are initially less intuitive than those of Windows.
The business community has embraced Linux, because of its nonproprietary nature and its ease of operation. Because the source code is open and freely alterable, problems can be fixed without having to wait for a vendor to issue an update of their proprietary product. Also, Linux operates efficiently even on older computers, allowing businesses to upgrade their hardware less often. Several companies, including Red Hat of North Carolina, have formed to capitalize on Linux. Rather than market the source code, companies like Red Hat market programs that run on the Linux operating system.
Another feature of Linux is the uncomplicated commands for various operations. For example, to request a change of password, the user should type passwd at the prompt. To change directories, the command is cd, and to list the files in a directory the command is ls.
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