What is Linux

　　Simply put,Linux is a set of free-to-use and freely-propagated Unix-like operating systems. the system is designed and implemented by thousands of programmers all over the world. The aim is to create UNIX-compatible products that are free to use worldwide, without the copyright restrictions of any commodity-based software.

The advent of Linux began with a computer hobbyist named Linus Torvalds, a student at the University of Helsinki in Finland. His aim was to design an operating system that would replace Minix (an operating system teaching program written by a computer professor named Andrew Tannebaum), which could be used on a 386, 486 or Pentium processor PC. And with the full functionality of the UNIX operating system, so began the design of the Linux prototype.

　　Linux is known for its efficiency and flexibility. Linux inherits the design idea of Unix as the core of network, and is a stable multi-user network operating system. It enables all UNIX features on PC computers with multi-tasking, multi-user capabilities that support 32-bit and 64-bit hardware. Linux is obtained free of charge under the GNU Public License and is a POSIX compliant operating system. Linux operating system packages include not only the full Linux operating system, but also the text editor, high-level language compiler and other application software. It also includes a x-windows graphical user interface with multiple window managers, as we do with Windows NT, allowing us to manipulate the system using Windows, icons, and menus.

Linux by the vast number of computer enthusiasts love, the main reason is two, one is that Linux is free software, users can get it without paying any fees and its source code, and can be based on their own needs to make necessary changes to it, free to use it, unconstrained to continue to spread . Another reason is that it has all the functionality of Unix, and anyone who uses the UNIX operating system or wants to learn UNIX operating systems can benefit from Linux.

Because Linux is a set of free operating systems with all the functions of Unix, it occupies a great advantage in many software, and provides the vast number of computer enthusiasts with the opportunity to learn, explore and modify the kernel of the computer operating system.

The operating system is an essential system software of a computer, the soul of the whole computer system. An operating system is a complex computer assembly that provides protocols or code of conduct for the operational process. Without an operating system, the computer cannot work, and it cannot interpret and execute user-entered commands or run simple programs. Most operating systems are commercialized programs supported by a number of major software companies that users can only use for a fee. If a user buys an operating system, he must meet all the requirements of the supplier. Because the operating system is a system program, users cannot modify or test the operating system's kernel without authorization. This for the vast number of computer enthusiasts is undoubtedly a kind of bondage.

To play the role of the computer, only the operating system is not enough, users must also have a variety of application support. An application is a software package used to handle certain tasks, such as word processing, and usually it can only be used for a fee. Each application's package is written for a specific operating system and machine. The user is not authorized to modify these applications. With Linux, you can turn the operating system into an operating environment.

Because Linux is a set of free software, users can freely get it and its source code, can be free to obtain a large number of applications, and can be arbitrarily modified and supplemented by them. This is useful for users learning and understanding the kernel of the UNIX operating system. Learning and using Linux can save a significant amount of money for users. Linux is the only operating system available for free, providing multitasking, multi-process functionality to multiple users on a PC platform, the main reason people want to use it. As far as the PC platform is concerned, Linux offers more powerful features than any other operating system, and Linux also allows users to stay away from the temptation of promotional advertising from a variety of commoditized software providers, without having to suffer the escalation every once in a while, so you can save a lot of money for buying or upgrading applications.

　　Linux not only provides users with powerful operating system functions, but also provides a wealth of application software. Not only can users download Linux and its source code from the Internet, but they can also download many Linux applications from the Internet. It can be said that Linux itself contains the application and porting to the Linux application of all-encompassing, any one user can find from the Linux-related website suitable for their own special needs of the application and its source code, so that users can download the source code according to their own needs, To modify and augment the functionality of the operating system or application. This is not possible for commercialized operating systems such as Windows NT, Windows98, MS-DOS, or OS/2.

Linux offers a wide range of users the opportunity to learn and use the UNIX operating system at home. Although Linux is developed by computer enthusiasts, it is fairly stable in many ways , providing a cheap opportunity for users to learn and use the most popular UNIX operating systems in the world today. There are now many CD-ROM vendors and software companies (such as Redhat and Turbolinux) that support the Linux operating system. Linux is a substitute for UNIX systems on personal computers and can be used to replace more expensive systems. So, if a user is programming on a UNIX system at work, or a UNIX system administrator in the workplace, he can install a UNIX-compatible system at home, a Linux system that can perform some tasks at home using Linux.

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What is Linux