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What is Linux OS
Linux, also called as GNU/Linux, is a free, like UNIX operating system,
developed originally for Desktop PCs, but which now runs on practically
every hardware platform available including PowerPC, Macintosh, DEC
Alpha, Sun Sparc, ARM, Mainframes, and many others. Linux aims for
POSIX compliancy to maintain maximum compatibility with other UNIX-like
systems. With millions of users worldwide, Linux is probably the most
popular UNIX-like OS in the world.
The heart of the system of Linux is the kernel, the operating
system code which runs the whole computer.
The kernel is under constant
development and is always available in both the latest stable release
and the latest experimental release. Progress on development is very
fast, and the recent 2.6-series kernels are simply amazing on all
counts. The kernel design is modular, so that the actual OS code is
very small yet able to load whatever functionality it needs when it
needs it. Because of this, the kernel remains small and fast yet highly
extensible, in comparison to other operating systems which slow down
the computer and waste memory by loading everything all the time,
whether it is needed or not.
Linux systems excel in many
areas, ranging from end-user concerns such as stability, speed, and
ease of use, to serious concerns such as development and networking.
Nowadays, Linux even offers a wide variety of free and commercial
productivity packages such as the OpenOffice suite which can import and
export files from other platforms, including Windows and MacOS.
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Linux has long been praised for its stability--Linux boxes are known
for running months or even years at a time without crashing, freezing,
or having to be rebooted. Linux users sometimes poke fun at other, less
stable operating systems, by way of screensavers like BSOD (Blue Screen
of Death, which displays crash screens from various other platforms).
Linux
is extremely secure compared to other platforms. Viruses and Trojan
Horse programs are practically non-existent. Linux servers practically
run the World Wide Web, so one cannot argue that there are so few
malicious programs for Linux because it represents an insignificant
number of target machines.Virus information also described below.
Mostly Linux machines are known to be
extremely fast, because the operating system is very efficient at
managing resources such as memory, CPU power, and disk space. NASA,
Sandia, Fermilabs and many others have built very powerful yet
inexpensive supercomputers by creating clusters of Linux boxes running
in parallel. Clusters of Linux systems have been responsible for
rendering the graphics for movies like Shrek, Titanic, and many others.
Many
high-profile organizations have adopted Linux. For example, visit the
NOAA (the National Weather Service at www.srh.noaa.gov) and you can
thank Linux for the weather reports you will see online.Also ISRO (Indian space research organization) plan to Launch geo-stationary satellite using linux.
The most popular complete
desktop environments at present are KDE (the K Desktop Environment) and
GNOME (the GNU Network Object Model Environment). which run on top of Xorg, a free
implementation of the X Window System. These offer the
point-and-click, drag-and-drop functionality associated with other
user-friendly environments (for example, Macintosh). Both can be
configured to look and feel like other environments such as Windows or
Mac, and KDE is remarkably extensible. Even complex tasks like system
administration, package installation, upgrading, and network
configuration can be done easily through graphical programs. Almost all
programs that work with one window manager work with all the others, so
you don't need to feel like you must pick your favorite desktop
environment based on your favorite applications.
Xorg now
supports 3-D windowing environments such as Beryl and Compiz for
amazing visual effects, and most people won't have to upgrade their
computers in order to take advantage of these enhancements. Cilck here for seeing the video of compiz desktop effect.
Mostly now a days gis and java based application are devloped using opensource. Linux also make the braod technolgy in VOIP based application like aterics etc. Programmers often find that the Linux development environment is
second to none--a good thing for end users who depend on these software
developers to provide free software. Nearly all development software
for Linux is free and covered under the GNU Public License, which
guarantees that it will always remain free. Linux systems come standard
with C and C++ compilers and an assembler, and usually include Pascal,
FORTRAN, compiled Java, Perl, Python, ajax, django and BASIC implementations as
well. In addition, modern languages like Ruby and classic languages
like LISP are all available, fully functional and completely free.
Linux
runs two of the most popular development environments, Jboss,Eclipse and
KDevelop, and you can use these environments to with just about any
programming language available. These two development tools support web
application development, but there are additional free/open source
highly sophisticated development tools dedicated to building web
applications.
In addition, the source code for nearly any
Linux program is freely available (and often included by default). This
not only means that bugs are discovered and corrected almost
immediately, but development of software proceeds at a much faster pace
than one finds even at extremely successful commercial software houses.
This phenomenon is called Open Source and is the subject of much
discussion and amazement in the business world, the computer world, and
the press.
The Open Source nature of Linux also makes it
ideal for embedded and specialized systems (routers, cell phones,
multimedia entertainment centers, point-of-sale systems), because
there's no limit to what you can do to customize Linux for your special
needs.
By default, Linux does not grant its users root privilege. Users who are installing
applications or making amendment to the filesystem need to provide the root
password, of which failure to do so will render the installation
process useless. Similarly, for a virus to create havoc and cause a
system-wide destruction, it needs to has root privilege, which can only
be granted by the user. As long as the user is careful about what he or
she installs and do not grant executable permission to untrusted
program from unverified sources, there is little risk of getting
infected by virus. Without root permission, the best the virus could do
is to infect the Home folder and wipe out all the data in it. Your
system won’t hurt a bit
Do I still need anti-virus software?
You will definitely need an anti-virus software if you are setting
up a file server with your machine. In situation where you are running
Samba or NFS servers, there is a possibility that the virus residing on
your machine can infect the Windows PC in your network. In cases where you might have documents in
undocumented, vulnerable Microsoft formats, such as Word and Excel,
that contain viruses, you definitely want to eradicate them before you
share the documents with your counterparts that are running Windows.
Having an anti-virus software at check can definitely reduce the chance
of your Linux machine becoming a virus propagator.
While Linux provides you with a pretty secure environment, it can
only do so much. You still have to play your part to filter out the bad
from the good and make sure that none of the viruses get into your
system. With due diligence, I am sure that you can have a peaceful
night without any virus scare. |
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Linux
