Who is the creator of the linux operating system. What is Linux and what is a Linux Distribution? What is a Linux distribution

Traditionally, at the end of each year, the CRN editors name the 25 best "captains" of the US IT business. In 2004, this list includes the most entrepreneurial channel leaders, executives from a number of leading vendor companies, as well as the people who are the idea generators, visionaries who help their companies grow and thrive even in difficult times. The first on this list was Linus Torvalds, whose efforts the Linux project gained unprecedented power in 2004.

Linus Torvalds is neither the CEO nor the chairman of the board. He has no managerial status. It wasn't until 2003 that he first agreed to take a paid position in the Linux industry he had created.

But, according to CRN, it is Torvalds, a 34-year-old programmer from Finland, the creator of the Linux kernel, who deserves the title of the most influential leader in 2004. He earned this title after almost 15 years of selfless work on his brainchild. Last year proved to be a watershed for Linux and the entire community open source... And Torvalds played an extremely important role in this.

Creation Linux kernels 2.6 took this OS to the next level, making it suitable for enterprise use, which forced Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and other OS vendors to radically rethink their sales models.

V recent times Much has changed in Torvalds' life: he finished work on the Linux 2.6 kernel and for the first time received official status in the Linux developer community, becoming an employee of the Open Source Development Labs (open source software development laboratory, OSDL). The organization is vendor neutral and has been initiated by IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Computer Associates International, Intel and NEC.

Torvalds now has a position and a business card that confirms his official status. But all this did not affect his usual way of life. Torvalds' departure from microprocessor company Transmeta and the OSDL allowed him to devote full time to developing the Linux kernel, as well as to his family, since he works from home.

“Initially, I planned to take a year off from Transmeta at my own expense - to focus only on working on version 2.6 and not be distracted by anything else,” says Torvalds. "The OSDL position has proven to be a great way to keep health insurance, get paid, and remain independent from the providers."

For the open source community, this event played an important role. Linus' decision to gain official status at a difficult time for Linux developers - during a period of sharp criticism of open source and constant reviews, the reason for which was the lawsuit of the SCO Group against IBM - instilled in his followers confidence in the future. This once again proves Torvalds' enormous influence on the fate of Linux.

Last June, Linus left California with his wife Tove and three daughters (three, six, and seven years old) and settled in a quiet suburb of Portland, Oregon. He lives in a new house, furnished quite simply, without frills, with elements of Danish Art Nouveau. Torvalds does not attach much importance to clothes either: he greeted the crowd of photographers who violated his privacy in frayed jeans. He seems to be amused by all the excitement around him.

Linus's home office has a separate entrance at the back of the house, there is a small kitchen and shelves for books not yet filled to capacity. The office windows overlook the backyard, where Torvalds is building a toy house for his daughters. Further, a view of the forest opens. In this environment, which is not disturbed by any business problems or office routine, a sacred rite takes place - work on the Linux OS.

Usually Linus sits in front of the monitor and plays the keyboard like a child - almost like in 1991, in Helsinki, when he was just conceiving the kernel of his OS. But today Torvalds conducts a worldwide orchestra of thousands of developers, and piece together a masterpiece that undermines the entire software establishment, painfully hits Sun, revives IBM, and makes even Microsoft question its own immortality.

“Now, thanks to Torvalds' efforts, Linux is the most successful project in the open source world. It defies the foundations of the software industry, ”says the lead developer of another successful open source project.
“Linus is an example of how to establish yourself as a serious opponent of the strongest players in the industry by skillfully managing the developer community and fully dedicated to his cause. He has shown the way for many professional open source developers. It was thanks to him that JBoss began to work in this direction, ”says Mark Fleury, general manager of JBoss, a developer of the J2EE application server.

Eric Raymond, author of The Cathedral & the Bazaar, a treatise on the open source movement, believes that Torvalds' talent and organizational skills have allowed Linux to not only survive, but flourish, contrary to expert predictions. “Linus has an amazing sense of purpose. He resisted the immoderate ambition that ruined more than one project of this magnitude, says Raymond. - An even more important factor was the introduction of a decentralized code development model. It existed before Torvalds, but he managed to systematize it. "

For Torvalds, this work is simply a favorite thing: having all the rights to dispose of the Linux trademark, he does not receive a penny from them. This is paradoxical for an industry that breeds billionaires: having made a real revolution in the software business, you have absolutely no interest in the business.

“I don't think I could be the Bill Gates of this decade,” says Torvalds. - To do this, you need to stand at the very origins of a new technical direction. OSes are not new for a long time. Perhaps even more important to have a commercial streak. And I have it? Yes, I least of all think about business. "

For all his modesty, Torvalds did a job that brought back to life the stale OS market and made society think about the philosophical and social aspects of the question of how and for whom they are created software products... Many members of the open source community believe that software is one of the benefits of civilization, like electricity, and therefore should not belong to a handful of capitalists, but the entire society and be used for the benefit of society. There are also radicals who view the growing competition between Linux and branded operating systems as a struggle between good and evil, and Torvalds is considered the liberator of the world from slavery. Microsoft Windows.

However, Linus sees it quite differently. “I don't have a philosophical view of open source. I am more of a pragmatist in this regard. I truly believe that collaboration and open knowledge sharing results in better quality development. But sometimes, even with this style of work, you have to resort to licensing, because there will always be people who can calmly appropriate someone else's work. The idea of ​​the open exchange of knowledge can be called "philosophy", but such an exchange actually exists, says Torvalds. “This is what distinguishes science from alchemy or witchcraft. I think those who do not believe in this simply do not want to take off their blinders. "

Linus's passion for coding makes him the number one open source developer.

“Linus is not only a brilliant programmer: he has good taste,” says Dirk Hondel, director of Linux OS and open source strategies at Intel, and one of the first Linux kernel developers almost from the project's inception in 1991. “Torvalds finds simple and reasonable ways of solving problems, he knows how to "put everything on the shelves." He makes complicated things simple. In my opinion, this is the main difference between an excellent programmer and a good one. "

Andrew Morton, Torvalds' right-hand man and developer number two on the Linux project, is now also responsible for the Linux kernel in the OSDL. He says that Torvalds "holds the bar high", and this is also the key to the success of the entire project. “He managed to achieve a state where everyone works without haste and in equal conditions. There is a self-organization of the entire community and the distribution of roles among its members ... when no personal differences can seriously harm the whole project, ”says Morton.

This is no easy task, says Alan Cox of Red Hat, one of the key Linux developers. “Linus has two strong character traits: he is honest and he does not insist on his point of view if it turns out to be wrong,” says Cox. -Torvalds is able to lead, he has great intuition when choosing technical solutions and a reasonable approach to working with people. It is known that leading programmers is like “herding a herd of cats”. But Linus does a great job with it, without prejudice to anyone's interests. "

Torvalds is calm and natural, he is practically not interested in industry-wide problems, but for all his flexibility, he always has his own point of view and is not afraid to express it aloud. He openly criticizes Microsoft Windows code, and describes SCO as a weakening company that takes credit for the credit.

Torvalds is proud of the Linux 2.6 kernel, which was completed in December 2003. This version is ready for enterprise use. In terms of performance, reliability and scalability, it is not inferior to commercial operating systems. It is suitable both for working with corporate applications and for any tasks related to processing large amounts of data. Torvalds is proud of the formal search procedure he developed in conjunction with Morton, which facilitates the introduction of updates and fixes to the OS kernel.

At the same time, Linus prefers to keep a safe distance from any commercial and legal issues, says Stuart Cohen, CEO of OSDL. “He has absolutely no interest in being a senior advisor or vice president of technology,” Cohen said. - Torvalds already has enough to do. We try not to overload him, giving him complete freedom - he is free to do what he is interested in. "

Torvalds doesn't like to be in the spotlight, but participates in industry events from time to time. Trying to be extremely precise in everything - both in creating the code and in defining his own role - Linus calls himself the main technical leader, not the main architect, since he does not so much write himself as he supervises the work of other developers. And he is always ready to pay tribute to the programmers who played a prominent role in the development of open source, including the authors of the C and Unix OS at Bell Labs - Brian Kernighan, Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson.

Torvalds does not consider himself a hero, but, according to his friends, he is far from the worst role model. Hondel recalls how Torvalds was preparing to give a speech at the LinuxWorld Expo one day, but suddenly disappeared just before entering the stage. Panic and confusion gripped, but Torvalds' wife, who often travels with him with her daughters, intervened, and calmed him down, saying that he ran to the car for diapers.

This is all very typical of Torvalds, says Hondel. Despite the worldwide fame, Linus is completely devoid of consciousness of his own greatness and does not walk surrounded by a retinue of assistants, like many celebrities. “Torvalds is a madman, worse than that, he is an outstanding madman. But, fortunately, despite this, he is an absolutely normal person and a good friend, says Hondel. - It is enough to see him once with the children - and you understand that he remains what he has always been - just a good guy.

If you are going to switch to Linux for the first time, there are some things you should know. This guide contains important information to help you start using it.

You will learn what Linux is, why you should use it, what distributions are, how to install them, how to use the terminal, how to configure Hardware and many other key aspects.

Linux is the operating system used in many systems, from light bulbs to weapons, from laptops to large data centers.

Everything works on Linux, from your phone to your smart refrigerator.

In a consumer environment, Linux is an alternative to commercial operating systems such as Windows.

Why use Linux instead of Windows?

There are many reasons why you should use Linux over Windows, and here are just a few.

1. Linux OS is supported on older computers. While Windows XP will still run on older hardware, it is no longer supported, so there are no security updates. There are a number of Linux distributions that are built specifically for older hardware and are regularly maintained and updated.
2. Certain Linux distributions and desktop environments are now more familiar to regular computer users than Windows 8 and Windows 10. If you like the external windows view 7 why not try Linux Mint for example.
3. The size of Windows 10 is huge. A typical Linux distribution is just over 1 gigabyte, although some may be as small as a few hundred megabytes. Also Windows requires at least bandwidth DVD level.
4. Linux comes with free software and you can modify and use this software at your own discretion.
5. Linux has always been more secure than Windows, as there are very few viruses for it, although the Internet of Things has been under threat lately.
6. Linux performs better than Windows in many ways, and you can squeeze every last drop out of it on older, limited hardware.
7. Confidentiality. Windows regularly collects data from Cortana and search in general. While this is not a new thing, as Google does the same thing, you can be more than sure that Linux does not do this, especially if you choose a free distro.
8. Reliability. When a program freezes on Linux, you can close it quite easily. When a program freezes on Windows, even when you try to launch the Task Manager to close that program, it doesn't always work.
9. Updates. Windows is very intrusive with its update policy. How many times have you turned on your computer to print concert tickets or other important information to see the update 1 of 450 installation screen?
10. Variability. You can make Linux look, feel, and behave exactly the way you want. With Windows, the computer behaves the way Microsoft thinks you want it.
    If you're still undecided, read this guide to help you decide if Linux is right for you.

Which Linux distribution should you use?

The first question to ask is "what is a Linux distribution?" It's just that the Linux kernel is like an engine. A distribution is actually a vehicle that houses an engine.

So which Linux distribution should you choose? Here are the main ones:

• Linux Mint: Requires no advanced computer experience, easy to install, easy to use, and has a familiar desktop for Windows 7 users
• Debian: If you are looking for a truly free Linux distribution with no proprietary drivers, firmware or software, then Debian is for you. An old man among distributions.
• Ubuntu: a modern Linux distribution that's easy to install and use
• openSUSE: a stable and powerful Linux distribution. Not as easy to install as Mint and Ubuntu, but a very good alternative nonetheless
• Fedora: the most modern Linux distribution with all new concepts included at the earliest opportunity
• Mageia: rose from the ashes of the once great Mandriva Linux. Easy to install and use
• CentOS: Like Fedora, CentOS is based on the commercial Linux distribution, Red Hat Linux. Unlike Fedora, it's built for stability
• Manjaro: based on Arch Linux, Manjaro strikes a great balance between ease of use and modern software
• LXLE: Based on the lightweight Lubuntu distro, it is a fully functional Linux distro for old hardware
• Arch: rolling release distribution means you shouldn't install new versions operating system because it updates itself. Harder for a new user to master, but very powerful
• Elementary: Linux for people who like a Mac-style interface

You can read more about the best distributions for newbies in.

What is a desktop environment?

A typical Linux distribution has several components.

There is a display manager that is used to help you log in, a window manager that is used to manage windows, panels, menus, main interfaces, and applications.

Many of these elements are combined together to create what is called a desktop environment.

Some Linux distributions come with only one desktop environment (although others are available in the software repositories), while others have different versions of the distribution for different desktop environments.

The most common desktop environments include Cinnamon, GNOME, Unity, KDE, Enlightenment, XFCE, LXDE and MATE.

• Cinnamon Is a more traditional desktop environment that is similar to Windows 7 with a bar at the bottom, menus, system tray icons, and quick launch icons.
• GNOME and Unity are pretty similar. They are modern desktop environments that use the concept of launcher icons and dashboard-style displays to select apps. There are also core applications that integrate well with the general theme of the desktop environment.
• KDE Is a fairly traditional desktop environment, but it has a huge number of features and a core set of applications that can be easily customized with a lot of settings.
• Enlightenment, XFCE, LXDE and MATE- fairly lightweight desktop environments with panels and menus. They are all highly customizable.

How to connect to the internet

While internet connectivity is different for every desktop environment, the principle is the same for everyone.

1. Somewhere on the panel is a network icon. Click on it and you will see a list of wireless networks.
2. Click on desired network and enter the security key.

The best system for web browsing

Linux has it all best browsers including Chrome, Chromium, Firefox and Midori.

There is no Internet Explorer, in other matters who needs it? In the browser Chrome there is everything you might need.

Are there any decent office suites for Linux?

There is no doubt that Microsoft Office Is a premium product and it is a very good tool that is difficult to replicate and surpass the qualities of this product.

For personal use and for small and medium businesses, you can argue that Google docs and LibreOffice are good alternatives and at lower cost.

LibreOffice comes with a text editor with most of the features you'd expect to see in text editor... It also comes with a decent spreadsheet that is also full featured and even includes a basic programming engine, although it is not Excel VBA compatible.

Other tools include presentations, mathematical calculations, databases and drawing packages, which are also very good.

How do I install programs on Linux?

Linux users don't install software the way they do Windows users though the differences are getting smaller and smaller.

Typically, if a Linux user wants to install a package, he runs a tool called a package manager.

The package manager accesses repositories that contain packages that can be installed.

A package management tool usually provides a way to find software, install software, keep software up to date, and uninstall software.

As technology advances, some Linux distributions introduce new package types that are self-contained just like Android apps.

Each distribution provides its own graphical tool. There are common remedies command line used in various distributions.

• For example, Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Debian use a package manager apt-get.
• Fedora and CentOS use a package manager yum.
• Arch and Manjaro use Pacman.

You can learn more about installing applications on Linux from.

Linux Command Line

No matter what Linux users say, it is the need to use the terminal that prevents the system from becoming massively popular. However, this is a useless discussion.

While it is helpful to learn the basic Linux commands(the same can be said for DOS commands in Windows), there is no need to do this.

The first thing you need to know is, of course, how to open a terminal, and of course there are many ways to do this.

Why is it called a terminal? Terminal is actually a short name for a terminal emulator, and it goes back to the time when people logged in on physical terminals. Now, all you need to know is that the terminal is where you enter Linux commands.

Once you open a terminal, you should really be good at it. First you need to know about the rights. You can read more about this in.

The team that users usually recognize early on is the team sudo, but don't start mindlessly typing commands with sudo without realizing what she is doing, because it could all end in disaster.

While you are working in the terminal, you should also understand about switching users with the command su.

Essentially, the command sudo allows you to elevate privileges so that you can run commands as a different user. By default, the other user is the user root.

Command su switches the context so that you are running as the specified user. A number of commands can be executed on behalf of this user.

Some more facts about Linux

• Live Linux DVD or USB lets you run Linux without installing to your hard drive. This allows you to test your Linux disk before switching to it, and is also good for the casual user.
• Each Linux distribution is installed with its own installer, which is a program that helps you configure and install Linux.
• When a user installs Linux, he can either install it on a single system, or install it along with Windows.
• Linux takes the lead when it comes to playing audio files. There are dozens of great sound apps and you can choose one or more that you like.
• Unfortunately, there is no Outlook on Linux.
• The great thing about Linux is that you can make it look and feel just the way you want it.
• Each Linux desktop environment works a little differently, and therefore it will take some time to get to know all the bases.

Summary

In this guide, we told you what Linux is, why you should use it, what Linux distributions are and how to choose from them, how to try Linux, how to install it, how to set up Linux, how to navigate Linux, talked about best apps how to install applications and how to use the command line.

This should give you a good foundation to move forward.

Found a typo? Select the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Many of those who have switched to Linux now do not want to go back to the Windows operating system. This is due to the availability of this operating system even for novice users. If you want to install Linux, you need to download one of the many distributions that are based on the Linux kernel. We will give examples of the best of them and tell you about the features of the system.

What is Linux and why are there so many operating systems based on it?

GNU / Linux was developed as a multiuser and multitasking kernel for various operating systems. For which programmers have created many graphical managers and software shells. The distribution kit (operating system) determines what you will use your computer for. Each OS on Linux based differs in its functional part. A single part of all distributions is the "Terminal", this is their main part. With it, you can:

• install and run programs;
• add storages for storing software;
• configure configuration files and the distribution itself.

Now this system is especially popular among programmers, and it is also very often used for servers.

It began to spread widely in home computers relatively recently, having won the love of users due to its wide customization options: some versions of distributions can be run directly from a flash drive, others are suitable for weak computers. Distributions differ in their functionality, size and appearance.

Not all Linux-based operating systems can be downloaded. For example, Google chrome OS (yes, there is such an operating system, not just a browser) comes pre-installed on some models of Samsung, HP laptops, etc. V open access official distributions of this operating system cannot be found. But there are many forks and copies. We will not provide links to such sites in this review. For each distribution in the review, we provide a download link to the official website or the official community.

Why are users abandoning Windows for Linux?

Most often, the advantages of Linux-based operating systems are called:

1. Absence... This is not to say that this system is generally impossible to hack, but hackers rarely show interest in Linux. There are several routines that help to penetrate the servers, but they hardly run on home PCs. The fact that the system is safe is also indicated by the fact that none of antivirus utility no databases specifically for Linux. Basically, programs are configured to search for malicious code that was transferred from using flash drives or disks.
2. Almost all distributions are distributed free of charge, which allows people with multiple home devices not to spend a lot of money on licenses. In doing so, you can regularly reinstall distributions, test them and change them. Additional advantage is that Linux software is also free. And a nice bonus is the absence of ad inserts and third-party programs that are loaded into the PC memory along with the main utility.
3. The system is diverse and unlimited possibilities for customizing the appearance... In addition to many distributions, you can install different working environments on your PC. This will help you change them as needed or in your mood.
4. The system has a built-in repository... His idea became the basis for the app store. Google play... From it, you can install a variety of programs without resorting to the help of sites and third-party programs. The only inconvenience that is noticeable right after the transition from Windows is the lack of familiar names for the utilities.
5. The system is convenient for the external interface and dividing programs into menus. Each utility has its own section in the menu, which makes it easier to find. Such small pleasant moments help to make your work much more convenient.
6. Almost all the necessary drivers are embedded in the Linux kernel for peripheral equipment. You can install any device, and it will immediately start working. You do not have to look for drivers, like for Windows, download them on another computer, so that later the equipment will start working without failures. There will be no inconvenience even when connecting a new network card.
7. By default, the system encrypts disks on its own., which allows you to protect files if your computer falls into the wrong hands. In Windows, this option is only available with third-party programs.

These positives are enough to make you want to try an operating system based on the Linux kernel. But before choosing a distribution kit, you should familiarize yourself with the features of each shell and carefully study the disadvantages of the OS.

Disadvantages of Linux

To begin with, we will present the situations that the programmers who created Linux distributions could not cope with. Such troubles are rare, but for novice users they can be fatal.

1. Poor compatibility with a number of modern devices... Most printers, scanners, routers, and other devices are built for Windows. Therefore, they may not always work correctly. Users can change the distribution on their own so that the connected devices work correctly. If you do not know how to independently adjust the OS settings in the same terminal, then you just need to download and load the modern version of the distribution kit.
2. Incorrect work of the graphics subsystem... After resuming from sleep mode, when using discrete graphics cards, you may experience a freeze. The only way to get rid of this problem is by rebooting. Problems with video cards most often appear after updating the kernel or components responsible for displaying graphics.
3. Although many are hardwired into the kernel, they can stop installing automatically or deleted after a system update. This problem is solved by rolling back to old version distribution kit or installing a new shell.
4. Incorrect operation of the cooling system in laptops. Due to improper control, coolers start to make noise or do not do their job well.
5. Steam for Linux is developing very slowly, users cannot download and purchase any music and applications. If you choose a paid program, then there may be problems when entering the card data (not all plastic is accepted by the store). Although it is worth noting that the store Windows applications not better developed, problems may arise when using it. But in the latter case, there are many alternative sources for the programs.

In order not to face these problems, it is worth installing only modern versions of operating systems. For most ordinary users, such troubles can become a reason to abandon the Linux OS.

Although it's worth noting that over the years, the interface of the shells has become more and more user-friendly. The developers are trying to solve the problems listed above, but so far they have not been able to completely get rid of them.

Review of the best Linux distributions with download links from official sites

Before installing Linux, you should familiarize yourself with the specifics of its distributions. Each has its own pros and cons.

Elementary OS

If the design of the operating system is important to you, then you should opt for Elementary. Visually, the desktop resembles Mac OS, which makes it look expensive and beautiful. Among other distributions, this option stands out only for its design and this is its drawback. Although this is precisely why users fell in love with Elementary.

It is a lightweight and convenient system, suitable even for low-powered machines. By default, it does not have the largest, but well-thought-out set of programs:

• Midori browser;
• file manager Pantheon Files;
• media player Totem;
• Geary email client;
• Shotwell photo manager.

This system performs 100% of everyday user tasks. In addition, the support of the fans of this OS led to the fact that inside the shell they began to develop their own software products. But at the same time, users do not yet have the ability to customize and fine-tune the shell.

Linux Mint

This option is convenient for adapting users who long time worked with Windows. They are similar to the taskbar area, navigation system, and desktop. Several working environments have been released for this system, from which you can choose the most convenient one. Mint is a different flavor of Ubuntu. It has several advantages over other distributions:

• this assembly is quite widespread, has good support from users and developers;
• free distribution;
• several working environments can be easily switched using a lightweight and user-friendly graphical interface;
• there are several built-in functions: plugins for fast loading applications, their launch and updates;
• frequently updated and modified.

There are two shortcomings: it is developed by a team of enthusiasts and there are no public security bulletins for this system. These deficiencies do not affect the operation of the operating system. The absence of a company responsible for the development can even be called an advantage - the creators of the system are closer to ordinary users.

Manjaro Linux

On Arch base Linux has released several operating systems. One of them was Manjaro. It has a number of features:

• easy installation process;
• automatic hardware detection;
• extensive desktop customization;
• stability of work;
• the ability to install multiple kernels;
• special scripts.

There are two versions for the desktop, one of which is used for advanced users. It is a fast and popular system with a large number of users, thus getting good community support. For inexperienced users, the tool for downloading programs - AUR will be convenient in this system. It allows you to do without repositories.

Ubuntu

This distribution is the most widespread and popular. Almost all Linux users have tried it at least once. The system is ideal for beginners who just want to familiarize themselves with the capabilities of distributions. There is nothing superfluous in the interface, including the developers got rid of the terminal. For inexperienced users, it can be a disadvantage to use the command line to work with the system.

Benefits of Ubuntu:

• free distribution, programs and components can also be freely downloaded;
• the installation process does not take more than 10 minutes;
• the interface is easy to understand and understandable;
• without the user's permission, nothing happens in the system, so the risk of virus infection is minimal;
• can be used on the same computer with Windows, the ability to multiboot is embedded in the system;
• the assembly includes a sufficient set of programs;
• communities and forums allow you to solve any problem.

The main disadvantage of this version is the instability of work. Many refuse the distribution kit because of the failures that accompany almost every system update. Newer versions often throw bugs that other users have not encountered before. After this version of Linux, it will be difficult to use other distributions.

openSUSE

This version is most commonly used commercially. Developers revealed source of its system so that programmers from all over the world can improve it. This allowed new versions to be released frequently. First of all, the openSUSE product is interesting for beginners who have not used Linux before.

You can even install the system on weak computers... Her minimum requirements are: 3 GB of free hard disk space, a Pentium 4 1.6 GHz processor and only 1 GB of RAM. Management of this system is concentrated at the center of YaST. Inexperienced users should not install the Tumbleweed version, as it often causes problems. It is best to run on Leap, which is updated less frequently and is more stable.

Steam OS - Linux for games!

Big problem for Linux users is that few games have been released for this operating system. For this reason, a Steam OS was released based on Debian for gamers. It is used by those who want to reduce resource consumption during games. In this version of the shell, the capabilities and functions of the Steam platform were used. You can play with your keyboard or joystick.

The disadvantage of this version is that the computer cannot be used to perform various tasks. After installing this operating system, it turns into a gaming machine. You can install the software to perform other tasks, but it will not work correctly. Another drawback is the low prevalence of the system and poor support. Besides, your processor must support 64-bit architecture.

Tails - for complete anonymity on the Internet

Another system has been released on the basis of Debian - Tails. It is intended for those for whom it is important to maintain anonymity on the network. From the advantages of this system: it does not need strong equipment, it is stable. Tails is perfect for surfing the Internet and doing everyday tasks.

CentOS 7

If you want to find a free alternative to Red Hat Enterprise Linux, then you should download CentOS 7 on your PC. Most often, the choice falls on this system when the user has already worked with Red Hat, but had to abandon it due to a crash. In this case, you can use the same programs in both versions. You do not have to modify the system or look for a replacement for your favorite utilities.

Debian

This version is loved for its stability and security. The development team is impressive, but system updates are rarely released. This system is convenient for remote administration, so it is often installed on servers. For beginners, the assembly is difficult, there are too many settings and programs. At the same time, the distribution kit has several positive qualities:

• stability;
• many architectures are supported;
• safety in use;
• more than a thousand software packages;
• easily updated;
• works quickly and efficiently even on outdated computers.

Unlike other versions of distributions, Debian will have to be configured immediately after installing. Only an experienced user can figure out the number of options. The popularity of the distribution is preserved only due to its stability, but from the point of view of the interface and usability, it is outdated. Operating system updates are rare, but downloading and installing them is extremely simple.

Fedora

If you want to be one of the first to test new things from the Linux world, then you should install the Fedora distribution kit. He is also affiliated with Red Hat, which uses this version as a free testing ground for new products. Linux founder Torvalds Linus himself uses this distribution as the main one, and his choice should not be trusted.

The only drawback of this system is only a small number of errors after the update. The distribution is good for home use. It does not fail after the introduction of new products. It keeps up with the times and is suitable for computers with different capacities.

It is worth choosing a distribution kit based on your wishes. Each Linux version in its own way is good, but not without flaws. You can write about your experience of using distributions of this operating system in the comments. If you liked the article, please share it with your friends.

When people say "Linux" they usually mean a group of operating systems based on Linux. Although, in fact, Linux is only the kernel of the operating system, and various other tools and libraries of GNU projects and other resources are used to develop a complete operating system. In addition, more and more developers are using Linux to develop and run mobile applications; Linux plays a key role in the development of devices such as Chromebooks (portable devices running an operating room). Chrome systems which uses a hybrid of the Linux kernel and services developed by Google for its kernel).

Linux became popular for the following reasons:

• relevance of distributions and active support from developer communities;
• the ability to run on a wide variety of equipment;
• low resource requirements;
• the ability to install programs from existing repositories.

But the list of reasons, of course, is not limited to these; there are not only practical but also ethical reasons. For example, many developers see Linux as an expression of openness, self-expression, and accessibility.

Development history

Linux has its roots in two other projects: Unix and Multics who set out to develop a multi-user operating system.

What is Unix?

Unix is ​​a collection of cross-platform, multiuser and multitasking operating systems.

We can immediately say that at the moment Unix-systems are one of the most important historical operating systems. The influence of Unix extended to programming languages ​​as well: the C language was developed during the development of Unix systems.

Unix was developed by Bell Laboratories Corporation - in 1969 they showed the first Unix system. The further, the more popular Unix systems became - in the 70s they began to be installed on computers in educational institutions.

When creating Unix, the developers set themselves three main goals:

1. Using the minimum number of functions, keeping it simple.
2. Generality: The same methods and mechanisms are used in different cases.
3. Combining programs to solve problems, not developing new programs from scratch.

Concerning distinctive features Unix, then this:

1. Almost constant use of the command line.
2. Using pipelines.
3. System customization through the use of simple (often text) files.

Unix has its own philosophy. Programmer Douglas McIlroy, who developed the pipeline in Linux, defined the following rules:

Write programs that do one thing and do it well.

Write programs that work together.

Write programs that support text streams because it is a generic interface.

One of the problems affecting Unix is ​​the presence of different versions and many programs that developers wrote for their needs; due to poor compatibility, programs running on one version of Unix might not work on machines running on other versions. In the end, it was decided to create a common document that would indicate the standards that developers must follow.

In 1983, the creation of GNU (GNU's Not UNIX), a Unix-like operating system, was announced. This happened under the influence of the idea of ​​the founder of the project, Richard Stallmann, about the need to create a free operating system and open source software in general.

Richard Stallmann also founded the free software movement and formulated four rights that a user should have: he can run the program for any purpose, he can study the programs and modify them according to his needs, he can distribute the program to help others, and he can publish improving the program to help the community as a whole. All this primarily meant that the source code of the program should be available to everyone.

It was this thought that inspired Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, to begin work on his operating system in 1991.Linux, like GNU, is a Unix-like system, that is, a system influenced by Unix.

In the future, it is the GNU / Linux system that will become the system that is now called simply Linux.

What are Multics?

Multics - or Multiplexed Information and Computing Service - is one of the earliest operating systems to implement a flat storage model and clearly separate the concept of files (segments). The creation of Multics began in 1964. The system was developed by the developers of the Bell company Laboratories - in a few years, some of the developers will start working on the creation of Unix.

Multics was developed in order, first, to enable a large number of users to use computer resources at the same time; second, to enable users to share data; thirdly, to provide a good speed of work with data.

However, the main computational tasks were not achieved with the release of the first version of the system, and Bell Laboratories shifted its interest to another project, which resulted in the birth of Unix.

Linux history

The history of Linux begins in 1991, when the Finnish programmer Linus Torvalds began developing the operating system kernel for his computer. He posted his developments on the server, and this became a key event in the history of Linux. First, dozens, then hundreds and thousands of developers supported his project - with joint efforts, a full-fledged operating system was born.

As already mentioned, Linux has been significantly influenced by the Unix system, even from the name. However, initially the project was called Freax - from the words “free” (free) and “freak” (strange), but later the name was changed to a hybrid of the name of the creator (Linus) and Unix.

The emblem of Linux is Tux, a penguin drawn in 1996 by programmer and designer Larry Ewing. However, the idea to use the penguin was invented by Linus Torvalds himself. Now Tux is a symbol not only of Linux, but of free software in general.

The first official version Linux 1.0 was released in 1994; the second version was released in 1996. The Linux trademark was registered a year earlier, in 1995.

From the beginning to this day, Linux has been distributed as free software, licensed under the GPL. This means that any user can see the source code of the operating system - and not only see it, but also modify it. The only condition is that the modified, modified code must also be available to everyone and distributed under the GPL license. This is important because it allows developers to use the code and at the same time not be afraid of problems due to copyright.

Linux owes much of its success to GNU: at the time Linux was released, there were already many free redistributable utilities of this project that could be used with the developed kernel.

In fact, Linux is still the kernel of a Unix-like operating system that performs various low-level tasks. At the same time, the GNU Project needed a kernel - Linus Torvalds' development was very timely.

Now, due to its flexibility, Linux is used by many different devices from computers to servers and mobile devices.

Popular Linux distributions

A Linux distribution is a definition of an operating system that uses the Linux kernel and that can be installed on a user's machine. Distributions usually contain not only the kernel and the operating system itself, but also useful applications: editors, players, database tools and other software.

That is, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, a Linux distribution is an operating system that consists of the Linux kernel and utilities that are developed within the framework of GNU.

The number of existing Linux distributions exceeds 600 varieties, more than 300 of which are constantly being improved and updated.

Ubuntu - one of the most common distributions, easy to install and intuitive to use. Great for personal computers, laptops and servers. Developed and sponsored by Canonical Ltd, but also actively supported by the free community. The most popular operating system for web servers.

Debian is another popular GNU / Linux distribution that has had a significant impact on the development of all GNU / Linux operating systems in general. The main features of Debian: ample opportunities, the presence of many repositories, high quality versions - this is the most stable distribution of all the existing ones.

Linux Mint

Linux Mint is a distribution based on Ubuntu and Debian. Linux Mint has a beautiful and user-friendly design and will suit even novice users. Therefore, it is often installed on home computers in order to have a simple and convenient system. The distribution has support for various multimedia formats, including proprietary programs ( Adobe flash), so it works well with multimedia.

Manjaro is a distribution based on Arch Linux. Thanks to the large number of pre-installed programs (for example, for office work), it is quite beginner-friendly, but at the same time it has the ability to fine-tune, many packages, and is generally stable.

Arch - a powerful distribution based on the principles of simplicity, modernity, pragmatism, flexibility and the idea that the focus should be on the user. However, the principle of simplicity does not apply to the use of the system, but to its internal organization (principles of KISS and Unix-way). Therefore, Arch is designed for advanced users who can configure and install the utilities they need on their own.

Now using latest version Ubuntu, Fedora or OpenSUSE, we can enjoy a beautiful and modern desktop environment, ease of use graphics programs, in that most of the computer hardware is supported by the system without additional settings... But have you ever wondered how our beloved operating system got to all this?

Do we account for and value the amount of time and effort spent by a huge number of developers to achieve this near-perfect state of the system? Most likely no. Let's take a look at the history of this wonderful OS and its journey over the past few decades. When she was born? How did it evolve? What distributions came along during development, and what was the turning point that made the one-person operating system the ubiquitous operating system we have today? And what were the distributions that the community sent to the archive?

So, let's mentally go back in time, almost 30 years ago, and remember how the history of Linux systems began.

1991 - the beginning

In the beginning, there was Unix, created by programmers Ken Thompson and Denis Ritchie in 1969. Then, throughout the eighties, many Unix-based projects were created, inspired by this philosophy. These were: The GNU Project by Richard Stallman, BSD (Berkley Software Distribution), Professor Andrew Tanenbaum's book "Operating Systems: Design and Implementation", and MINIX (a mini version of Unix), which appeared around the same time as the book.

But it wasn't until 1991 that the history of Linux began. A young Finnish student named Linus Torvalds put together everything he knew about existing systems into a new core that was able to take over the world. There are many legends about why Linus decided to work on his system. One of them says that he was working in MINIX and transferred data to HDD instead of a modem, which destroyed all the Minix partitions. After that, he became disillusioned with this OS and decided to create his own.

Another version says that he wrote a kernel to improve the functionality of the new Intel 386 machine he was using. And since it was forbidden to improve Minix, he had to develop his operating system.

Whatever the real reason, he created a free terminal emulator that was based on Minix, which in turn was based on Unix, and this became the basis for working on the operating system kernel. In 1991, on August 25th, Linus posted his famous post on the Minix newsletter.

After that, the first version of Linux, which was then called Freax, quickly spread through FTP servers around the world, and the number of users began to grow rapidly. Version 0.01 was very different from what is available today. You can download the 71 kilobyte kernel yourself and try to install it from here.

We go further along the road of history. Needless to say, Linux evolved into a full-blown OS, and Manchester Computing Center created one of the first distributions to use a combined boot and root partition. The distribution was called MCC Interim Linux.

1992 - 1994 - development of desktop systems

It didn't take long, and between 1992 and 1994 we saw the emergence and development of the most famous and influential Linux distributions: Slackware, Red Hat, and Debian. The kernel version has increased to 0.95, and here there is support for the X Window System, which allows you to run graphical applications.

Slackware was one of the first distributions to use the new Linux kernel. It was then called SLS (Softlanding Linux System) and was founded by Peter MacDonald in 1992. SLS was quite ahead of its time, as it was the first Linux distribution to contain not only the Linux 0.99 kernel, but also the TCP / IP stack and System X Window. But this distribution had many problems and was soon replaced by Patrick Volkerding's Slackware. It is now the oldest Linux distribution.

But SLS didn't just give birth to Slackware. Due to the problematic SLS interface, another user decided to make his own system and thus launched another branch of Linux distributions. In 1993 Ian Murdoch released the Debian Linux distribution, which he says was named after his then girlfriend Debra Lynn and himself.

As Slackware evolved, companies emerged that provided technical support for such software. One of them appeared in 1994 and was called Software und System-Entwicklung, now it is better known as S.U.S.E Linux.

Another distribution that was released on November 3, 1994 is called Red Hat Commercial Linux. The distro was created by Mark Ewing and bears the name of the red hat the author wore at university.

In 1994, on March 14, version 1.0.0 of Linux was released, which consisted of 176,250 lines of code. This is how the history of the development of Linux systems began.

1995 - 1999 - Gnome and KDE emerge

During this period, the Linux operating system made a big leap forward in development, as the main Linux distributions that are known and widely used now will appear in the next five years, as well as less visible distributions. All of this takes place during the Penguin Attack and the dot.com boom.

Jurix Linux has been an interesting distribution and popularity for a number of reasons. First, it was the first distribution with a scripted installer that allows the administrator to simplify the installation process. It was one of the first distributions to support bootp and NFS, and the first to use the ext2 filesystem.

But this is not why Jurix was a milestone in the history of Linux - it was the basis for SUSE Linux, which we still use today.

Distributions based on Red Hat Linux have also developed extensively during this time. There were versions such as Caldera, Mandrake, TurboLinux, Yellow Dog and Red Flag. The Linux kernel version has now changed from 1.2 to 2.2.

Version 2.0 was released in 1996 and had 41 releases ahead of it. It was this rapid development of the kernel and the addition of some very important features that solidified the Linux operating system as the server OS and system for IT professionals around the world.

For example, version 2.0 introduced support for the SMB protocol, improved memory management, support for working on different types processors. Version 2.2 received improvements to SMB, PowerPC support and the ability to mount NTFS, but so far read-only.

There is a legend that once, while on vacation in Australia, Linus Torvalds visited the zoo, where he was bitten by a ferocious penguin. After which he contracted penguinitis and fell in love with penguins very much. Linus liked the penguins anyway. As he said, they are clueless and funny. As for the name of the Linux symbol - Tuxa, on the Internet it is deciphered as (T) orvalds (U) ni (X). Now you know everything.

Debian-based systems have not evolved as much as Red Hat. The developers preferred to work more on the usability and appearance of their distributions. Being more desktop oriented, such distributions often appeared on the covers of popular IT magazines of the time. I came across such names as Libranet, Storm, Finnix and Corel Linux.

Undoubtedly, the most important event in this part of Linux history was the emergence of KDE and Gnome. KDE (Kool Desktop Environment) appeared in 1996. Its founder was Matthias Ettrich, a student at the University of Tübingen. He offered not just a collection of applications, but an entire desktop environment in which they could run. Users now have the choice to use X11 or KDE, which is written in the recently released Qt framework.

By 1998, KDE 1.0 was released and Mandrake was the first distribution to use it by default. By 2000, version 2.0 was released, which received many improvements, as well as Konqueror, KOffice and the KIO library.

Miguel de Icaza and Federico Men announced the development of a new desktop environment and applications based on the GTK + library. This new desktop environment was called Gnome. It is believed that the first operating system to use Gnome was Red Hat Linux. Gnome quickly became a popular desktop environment due to its high performance and convenience for ordinary users. By May 2000, Gnome 1.2 Bongo was released.

2000 - 2005 - the emergence of Live-distributions

During this period, it happened important step in the history of the Linux operating system. During these five years, its popularity has grown dramatically, and many new Linux computers have appeared. The kernel continued to receive improvements, new programs appeared, and the first live distribution also appeared.

Knoppix, a friendly Debian-based distribution developed by Klaus Knopper, was one of the most popular at the time. It was remarkable for many reasons, but the main one was the ability to start and try the system right from the CD.

We now consider this feature to be standard. But in those days, Knoppix, released on September 30, 2000, could run on any computer and get a complete system with support for various hardware and networks. This was new. Knoppix became the basis for many distributions, and some of them are known and used to this day.

In addition to ready-made distributions, a project has appeared that helps users build their own distribution. Linux From Scratch (LFS) was developed in conjunction with a book by Jared Beekmans, which showed how to build your Linux distribution from source.

Linux is primarily about freedom, and it needs to evolve. But in order to support development, ensure its protection and maintain independence, it is necessary to form a company that will do all this. Therefore, in 2000, a foundation was created to sponsor Linus and the developing community, to build and improve Linux, and to protect and preserve the core values ​​of the movement.

The key moment during this period was the release of the Linux 2.4 kernel on January 4th. This version added support for USB, PC cards, ISA Plug and Play, as well as Bluetooth, RAID and ext3. In fact, it was the longest supported kernel, ending with version 2.4.37.11 in 2011. The kernel has changed a lot and has become more versatile since 1.0.

Red Hat, which had already entered the stock market and received money to support the free Red Hat Linux OS, decided it was time to take a more commercial approach to business. Therefore, the distribution was split into two branches. Red Hat Enterprice Linux 2.1 has been released with kernel 2.4.9. It was more stable, long-term supported, and for commercial users. And the second distribution, Fedora, is free for the community.

Red Hat Enterprice Linux is still open source. The company hosts the source code on several FTP servers, from which several independent development teams download and compile their distributions: CentOS, Oracle Linux, CERN, and Scientific Linux. They have all the stability benefits of a commercial distribution, but lack access to software and support from Red Hat.

In December 2002, an interesting distribution kit appears - CRUX. Its main goal was to keep it as simple as possible, a trend that was very popular at the time. CRUX was very lightweight and focused more on the developer than the average user. While other distributions have seen exponential growth and competition to be the best replacement for Windows, CRUX has remained simple and minimalistic. And it is interesting to us because it became the basis for the now very popular ArchLinux.

On December 18, a new version of the Linux kernel, 2.6, was announced. This version introduces support for PAE, new processors, improved support for 64-bit processors, increased the maximum file system size to 16 TB, added the EXT4 file system, and more.

Linux distributions were good enough back then, but they were still very far from ideal for those who liked Microsoft products. Therefore, a new philosophy was needed that would bring Linux closer to the average user. For example Ubuntu.

The goal of Ubuntu, a Debian-based distribution, was to create an easy-to-use Linux desktop that you could use regular user with little experience in this system. With the release of Ubuntu 4.04 on October 20, 2004, this concept has been implemented.

2006 - 2012 - the rise and fall of Ubuntu

During this period, many distributions have become more stable and continue to improve. Lots of new distributions also appeared. One of them, the first version of which was released in 2006, is very popular today. This is Linux Mint. It was based on Ubuntu and contained both free and proprietary software. This greatly simplified the installation of codecs, drivers and other components for beginners. The developers of the distribution tried to include new programs in it, and also listened to the opinions of their users, which won the support of the community.

In the meantime, has been released a new version the KDE4 desktop environment, which has been met with criticism from users for its lack of stability. Even Linus himself stated that this version of KDE breaks everything and provides only half of the possibilities. previous version... Nevertheless, users started using KDE4 with a Plasma environment and a modern look, and by the release of version 4.2, which took place in 2009, they had already forgotten about their negative experiences.

On September 23rd, the most popular operating system based on the Linux kernel was released, although 90% of users have no idea that they are using Linux. Of course, this is Android. Version 1.0 was released for the HTC Dream and could do whatever you expect from modern smartphone but that was really bad. Most bugs were fixed in version 1.1, but only starting from version 1.5 Android system began to conquer the world of smartphones.

Throughout this time, Ubuntu has grown stronger and stronger. It regularly ranked # 1 on Linux distributions, gained more and more fans, and was fairly easy to use. But then, one sunny April day, Ubuntu 14.04 was released, it came with a new default environment - Unity. Gnome 3 and KDE 4 have never received as much negative feedback as Unity. We can say that then almost everyone hated Unity. But Canonical didn’t abandon the idea right away, and the shell became quite usable.

After years of development on the 2.6 branch, kernel 3.0 was finally released. And no, there were no significant changes in it. It was just that Linus and the community decided that 2.6. * Numbering had become too complicated and it was time to change the number.

The failure with KDE4 is not the only unfortunate history of the development of Linux environments. After it, one could say that the developers would have to learn from someone else's experience and already know what their audience likes. But this is clearly not the case for the Gnome development team, which released Gnome 3 in April 2012. Now Gnome users were very unhappy with the interface changes and were switching to KDE or using older versions of Gnome. But in the next versions Gnome became much better, and the Linux Mint developers decided to keep the old look of Gnome with new features and created their own environment - Cinnamon.

2012-2018 - Linux and games

Nowadays, Linux has almost completely conquered the server market and has become even more attractive to home users. One of the factors that make Linux attractive to ordinary people is games. In February 2013, Valve, the creator of a major game distribution platform, released a version of its Steam client for Linux. At that time, most games could only be launched through Windows emulator, and those games that were for Linux, as a rule, were of little interest.

A few years later, SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system for Valve's game consoles, was released. There are currently over 3000 games available for Linux on Steam. Valve also recently began work on integrating a Windows game emulator into Steam, which will make it even easier to launch them, given that support for many libraries from DirectX 10 and 11 has recently been added to this emulator.

New distributions continue to appear at the same rate as before. There are some interesting ones among them. For example Manjaro based on Arch Linux. It appeared in November 2013, but despite its youth it already occupies a leading position in popularity in many tops. Its advantage is that it simplifies the installation and configuration of ArchLinux, but at the same time leaves it flexible and some advantages. In addition to Manjaro, many more interesting new distributions have been released, for example, Antergos, ElementaryOS, Deepin Linux and others, which are now popular among users.

As for the Linux kernel, the version was changed again to 4.0 in 2015. Again, there were no major changes, a vote was made, and the community decided that the kernel version should be changed. Significant changes during this period include the addition of UEFI support, improved work with new hardware, the addition of security systems, porting of the subsystems required for Android, improved Btrfs stability, and much more.

In 2013, the Ubuntu development company decided to try their hand at the mobile market and released mobile version Ubuntu - Ubuntu Touch. The advantages of the operating system should have been the ability to turn a smartphone into full computer when connecting it to the screen via HDMI. A separate Unity 8 shell was developed for it, the Mir display server instead of the X Window, and even several smartphones were released. But nothing came of the project, it was closed in 2017, after Smasung released its DEX. In addition, in version 17.10, the Ubuntu developers decided to abandon Unity and returned to Gnome, and instead of their Mir display server, they will now use the community-developed Wayland, which is also being developed to replace the outdated Xorg.

conclusions

Unfortunately, our tour of the Linux past has come to an end. We saw old Linux distributions and learned how it all started. It is not known what will happen in the future, but the Linux operating system is evolving and more and more people and companies are interested in it. This story Linux creation does not end and, most likely, she has a great future.