The Idea of a Distribution
To be totally accurate, "Linux" is just the kernel (the program that communicates between the applications and the hardware). Several companies have taken that kernel and added applications to it to form a distribution. Most distributions provide office suites, internet browsers, compilers, and even games. They package up these applications, include an easy to use install routine, and sell it on CD with a manual for around $50. Because of the licensing, the purchaser can install their version of Linux on as many computers as they want.
Open Source Development Model
The licensing of Linux and its core set of applications are its biggest advantage.
To create a computer program, a programmer writes basic instructions for the computer to follow. These instructions are then translated into an unintellagable series of 1s and 0s that the computer understands. This translation is known as compiling. The instructions are source code, and the unintelligible series of 1s and 0s are the program, or object code.
The kernel and many of the applications are licensed under the Gnu Public License, GPL. The GPL states that the program is freely distributable, however if you distribute the program you must also distribute the source code so others may modify it if they see fit. To prevent someone from stealing the work of those who produced the code, should someone wish to modify the code and redistribute those changes in program form, they must also provide the modified source code. Hence the overall value of the program is always increased and cannot be diminished.
By allowing free distribution of the underling instructions defining how the program operates, users across the internet can add their own features or fix their own bugs, allow much greater flexibility in use. In addition all the code under goes peer review, (Similar to what doctors do when the publish procedure in the New England Journal of Medicine). This leads to a much greater quality of the software.
History and Penguins
Linux got it's name from a concatenation of its founder, and the operating system it was intended to recreate, Linus Torvalds, and the UNIX operating system. The penguin is the Linux mascot. Its name is Tux, and it was created by Larry Ewing.
Technical Background.
Linux is an almost POSIX compliant re-implementation of the UNIX operating system. It runs on a variety of platforms such as:
- Intel x86
- Digital Alpha
- Sun Sparc
- Motorola 68k
- ARM
- MIPS
Why use it?
Because of the Open Source development model Linux and other Open Source software is of much greater quality.
For example, Apache, an open source webserver holds over 60% of the market share for webservers. Sendmail delivers over 75% of the internet's email. Bind handles most all of the mapping of .com addresses to the unique numbers that comprise the internet addressing. Perl is a language that is very popular in developing interactive web sites.
Open Source software tends to be:
- Faster
- More reliable, ie fewer bugs and crashes.
- Cheaper
- more flexible.
- Have a lower Total Cost of Ownership.
Who uses it.
Linux, and open source software is used in a lot of companies. Burlington coat factory has deployed Linux in their stores to act as point of sale terminals. Yahoo uses *BSD and apache in running their massive webservers.
IBM has selected apache to be the webserver used in deployment for their E-commerce business line.
