Linux

What is Linux?
A free Unix-type operating system developed
under the GNU General Public License.
●
Open source

●
Popular

●
Support most of the platforms available

Open Source Software

●
When programmers on the Internet can read,

redistribute, and modify the source for a piece

of software, it evolves

●
People improve it, people adapt it, people fix

bugs. And this can happen at a speed that,

compared to conventional software

development, seems astonishing

In a nutshell, the GNU General Public Licence (GPL) allows
anybody to:

use the software at no charge, without any limitations,
➢

➢
copy, and distribute or sell unmodified copies of the software
in the source or binary form,
➢
use the software with propriatory (e.g., your own)
modifications, free of charge, as long as you do not distribute
or sell the modified version,
➢
modify, and distribute or sell a modified version of the
software as long as the source code is included and licenced
on the same terms as the original you received (the GPL),

sell support for the software, without any limitations.
➢

What the GPL license *does not* allow code recipients to do is to
take somebody elses software licenced under GPL, modify the
software, and then distrubute a this modified version of the softwar
under a propriatory licence. Speaking plainly, the GPL licence just
forbids stealing existing (somebody else's) software for incorporatio
into a closed, commercial-only product.

In 1987, Tanenbaum wrote a clone
of UNIX, called MINIX (MIni-uNIX),
for the IBM PC. It was targeted at
students and others who wanted to
learn how an operating system
worked.
Andrew S. Tanenbaum

What are the benefits of Linux?

Linux can give you:
•
A modern, very stable, multi-user, multitasking environment.
•
Advanced graphical user interface. Linux uses a standard, network-
transparent X-windowing system with a "window manager" (typically
KDE or GNOME but several are available).
•
The graphical desktop under Linux can be made to look like MS
Windows (or probably ANY other graphical user interface of your
choice).

I need warranty and security. With
commercial software, I can sue if things
go wrong.

Things go wrong on many MS Windows NT machines every day,
and there are no damages awarded by courts. Read your MS
Windows license agreement to find out that there is no guarantee
whatsoever that ANYTHING will work. Trying to sue would be a
waste of your money.

Is Linux difficult ?

This may be true. But the real question is: do
you really want to learn it?

Rule Number 1
●
Do not login as root unless you have to
●
root is the system superuser (the “main” of Linux but
more “dangerous”)
–
Normal protection mechanisms can be overridden
–
Careless use can cause damage
–
Has access to everything by default
●
root is the only user defined when you install
–
First thing is to change root’s password
–
The second job is to define “normal” users for everyday
use

Creating a new user
●
Use the useradd command
●
Use the passwd command to set password
●
Try it… logon as root
[root@penguinvm]# useradd scully
[root@penguinvm]# passwd scully
Changing password for user scully
New UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: all authentication tokens updated
successfully
[root@penguinvm]#

Using the new user

●
Now logoff using the exit command
●
login as the new user

Linux 2.2.13 (penguinvm.princeton.edu) (ttyp2)

penguinvm login: scully
Password:
[scully@penguinvm scully]$

Linux File System Basics
Directories root

User home
directories

Data files

Linux Distros
●
A Linux distribution, often simply distribution
or distro, is a member of the Linux family of
Unix-like computer operating systems.
●
Distros mainly based on ‘Look and Feel’ and
Applications

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Distros:
●
Red Hat Fedora, Debain, SuSe,Ubuntu,
Gentoo

Th ank you

Microsoft's production of proprietary software
is bad for software users because it denies users
"their rightful freedom."

Linux

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