Linux Basics

Welcome aboard, fellow explorers! I'm thrilled to invite you on an exicting journey into the world of Linux, where the possibilities are as boundless as the open-source sea.

Index

Today I will talk about basically

• What is Linux and details about it
• I will also answer is Linux Kernel or OS?
• What is GNU?
• and What is UNIX?

What Is Linux?

?

• Linux is basically created by Linus Torvalds.
• Linus Torvalds was a computer science student at the University of Helsinki in Finland when he started developing the Linux operating system in 1991.
• It is an Open Source Operating System
• Linux by Linus was first started as a hobby project and then it becomes popular and recognised by world
• When Linux was introduced the operating system at that time were not free.
• He wanted to created something which should be available for everyone.
• Linux has many distributions according to different industries. Some of the popular distros are Red Hat, CentOS, Fedora, and Kali Linux.
• These distributions are also known as ‘flavors’.

Linux a Kernel or OS?

?

• Technically, it is kernel but most of the people refers Linux as a OS which is not a problem.
• Linux is an operating system that is built upon the GNU software components and the Linux kernel.
• Linux = GNU + Kernel.
• GNU includes the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), the GNU Debugger (GDB), the GNU C library (glibc), and many other essential components.

GNU Basic Glimpse

The GNU software components that are integral to Linux include:

• GNU Compiler Collection (GCC): The primary compiler suite used to build most software in Linux distributions.
• GNU C Library (glibc): The core C library that provides system calls and low-level functionality for programs running on Linux.
• ?GNU Bash: The default shell in most Linux distributions, enabling users to interact with the operating system and execute commands.
• ?GNU Coreutils: A collection of essential command-line tools like ls, cat, mkdir, and more, used for file management and text manipulation.
• ?GNU Binutils: A suite of binary tools, including the assembler and linker, essential for building and running software on Linux.

• GNU Debugger (GDB): The standard debugger used for debugging programs on Linux.
• GNU Make: The build automation tool used to compile software from source code.
• GNU Emacs: A highly extensible text editor popular among Linux users.
• GNU Grep: The standard tool for searching text patterns in files.
• GNU Sed: The stream editor used for text transformation and manipulation.

What is GNU?

??

• GNU is a Unix-like operating system
• GNU stands for "GNU's Not Unix" means unix like designs but independent development.
• The GNU project, started by Richard Stallman.
• The goal of the GNU project was to create a completely free and open-source alternative to the proprietary Unix operating system

(for more details check the official website :?https://www.gnu.org/home.en.html)?

What is UNIX?

?

• Unix is an operating system.
• Unix was created in the late 1960s.
• Unix was created by the research team at Bell Labs, with Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie
• In an effort to provide a multiuser, multitasking system for use by programmers.
• The Unix operating system comprises three parts :
• The KernelThe standard utility programsThe system configuration files.

Explain the 3 parts?of Kernel

• The Kernel
• The UNIX kernel serves as the interface between the hardware and the users/software.Core of the UNIX operating systemLoaded into memory when the machine is turned onControls the allocation of hardware resourcesKnows the available hardware resources (processors, memory, disk drives, network interfaces, etc.)Has programs to communicate with connected devices

• The Standard Utility Programs
• Simple utilities (e.g., cp to copy files)Complex utilities (e.g., the shell to issue commands to the operating system)

• The System Configuration Files
• Read by the kernel and standard utilitiesAllows controlling certain aspects of the kernel and utility behavior
• ?Examples:
• Filesystem table "fstab" tells the kernel where to find files on disk drivesSystem log configuration file "syslog.conf" tells the kernel how to record events and errors

[ Source :?https://fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fslcourse/unix_intro/whatis.html?]

Assignment to you all

1. What is the Free Software Movement?
2. Who was the actual inspiration behind Linux?
3. Who was involved and where was UNIX created?

(The answers will be provided in the next post.)

Conclusion :

Fellow Geniuses who are reading this post, I want to convey something before ending the post.

A few things I want to mention here:

• If there is any information that is not correct, please provide the correct information in the comments.
• The information provided above is solely based on my understanding and what I have learned.
• If I have included any additional information that I have taken from somewhere else, I have added the source as well.
• I'm a student as well, so I'm still learning and continue to do so.

Hope this article helps you!

→ Vijay Pandey?