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: PPT/2K403/02

Introduction to LINUX
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History of Linux

• Unix was the first widely-used operating system that could

switch from and outlive its original hardware.
• Academic community, led by Berkeley, developed a variant
called the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD).
• AT&T continued developing Unix under the names "System III''
and later "System V'‘.
• System V won the "standards war'' and most hardware
vendors switched to AT&T's System V but it also incorporated
many BSD innovations.
• Most versions of Unix were proprietary and maintained by their
respective hardware vendor.
– E.g. Sun Solaris is a variant of System V.

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History of Linux (contd.)

• Unix vendors priced it high enough to ensure small PC users

stayed away from it and the source code of UNIX was also not
published publicly at that time.
• In the 70’s, MINIX appeared, which was written from scratch by
Andrew S. Tanenbaum.
• The source code of MINIX was available to anyone who got the
book 'Operating System' by Tanenbaum.
• In 1984 Richard Stallman's Free Software Foundation (FSF)
began the GNU project, a project to create a free version of the
Unix operating system.

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History of Linux (contd.)

• In the 1990's the FSF was having trouble developing the

operating system kernel.
• In 1991 Linus Torvalds began developing an operating system
kernel for 386(486) AT clones which he named ``Linux''.
• Kernel of LINUX could be combined with the FSF material and
other components to produce a freely-modifiable and very
useful operating system.
• Linux version 0.01 was released by mid September 1991,
licensed under GNU General Public License, and then put on
the net.
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History of Linux (contd.)

• Code went worldwide via ftp sites at Finland and version

numbers went directly from 0.02 to 0.95 and 0.96 and so on.

• Commercial vendors moved in and compiled up various

software and gathered them in a distributable format like the

other operating systems.

– E.g. Red Hat , Caldera, Debian, etc.

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Linux Package

• It consists of a package of programs with associated

documentation that will perform a specific function either for

the operating system or add additional capabilities.

• Original standard Linux package type consisted of what was

called a tarred and gzipped file.

• Another type of popular package format is called RPM which

refers to the Redhat Package Manager.

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Linux Distribution

• It is a set of packages that together make up the operating

system.

• The tools to perform the install must be available in the correct

order for the user to install the operating system .

• The Distribution package generally makes some assumptions

about the way the system will be set up.

• The core of the operating system is still likely to be the same

or similar and many of the packages used will be the same.

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Popular Linux distributions

Red Hat Linux Linux for x86, IA-64, Alpha, and Sparc systems
SuSE Linux Linux for x86, PowerPC, Sparc, and Alpha systems
Debian GNU/Linux Linux for x86, Alpha, 680x0, Sparc, ARM, and PowerPC systems
Mandrake Linux Linux for x86 and PowerPC systems
Caldera Linux Linux for x86 systems, based on UnitedLinux

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Red Hat Linux

• It is one of the oldest and most popular of today's Linux

distributions.

• Red Hat originated the RPM format used by many other

distributions.

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SuSE Linux

• It originates in Germany therefore contains a few Germanic

touches, such as German text in comments inside

configuration files.

• It is another RPM-based distribution.

• It has a GUI configuration tool, YaST2, which works reasonably

well.

• Recently SuSE is acquired by Novell Inc

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Debian GNU/Linux

• Debian relies on a text-mode utility for package selection and

management, even during installation.

• It has GUI package management tools such as the Storm

Package Manager.

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Mandrake Linux

• It is an offshoot of Red Hat Linux.

• It is available in at least four forms: A "Standard" edition, a

"PowerPack" version, a "Pro Suite" version, and a "Corporate

Server" version.

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Caldera Linux

• It has a GUI-based installation and graphical bootup.

• It is configured using utility called as COAS Administration.

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