Linux : The king of Operating Systems
Introduction
Linux is an operating system just like the widely known Windows OS. An Operating System (OS) is a software that helps the users to interact with the hardware and perform operations such as copying your favourite movie from hard disk to a Pendrive is controlled and managed by OS after you initiate a process to copy.
What does “Open Source” mean?
Open Source refers to those software and programs which have their source code available to the community to innovate and contribute to further development. It all started with Richard M. Stallman (RMS). He is an American free software movement activist and programmer. He was working at MIT(Massachusetts Institute of Technology). There was a time-sharing printer which used to get jammed. The whole printing queue was being awaited without even being informed to the users who requested the print. It could be fixed quickly if the users are alerted about the jammed condition. He decides to manipulate the printer code to alert the systems connected when the printer gets a jam. But the code for that program was binary hence this makes it impossible to modify. The copier company and the engineers refused to outsource the source code to him. So he decided to start freedom in the software development field. The code would be open for the community to modify according to their needs. Refer his whole story in his own words here.
And yes you guessed it right …. Linux is open-source software. It enables users to customise the Linux distributions according to user’s requirements.
How Linux Started?
In 1991 a student of University of Helsinki, Finland named Linus Torvalds started building an operating for his new computer with Intel 80386. This was just a hobby project for him but later this turned out to be one of the widely used Operating system worldwide. All the top 500 supercomputers are running on Linux.
Linus developed the kernel of the OS. Kernel is the part code which directly interacts with the hardware devices. Kernel is also responsible for allowing users to use a hardware by giving software interrupts. Indirectly we can infer it as the heart of OS. For development he used C programming language and utilised GNU C compiler. On 25th August, 1991 he announced his work in a newsgroup. At the same time GNU (opensource project of Richard Stallman launched in 1983) was making utilities for UNIX-like operating systems. And by divine intervention GNU and Linux collaborated to launch “GNU/Linux Operating System”. The operating system having Kernel of Linux and all other tools by GNU.
Types of Linux Distributions
Today there are hundreds of Linux Distributions (in short ‘Distros’). There are various different types of Desktop Environments i.e the user interface of the system. Linux has a distro for all possible use-cases like for servers, programmers, kids, cyber security and cyber forensics. The Initial forms and the famous Linux families are:
Debian
Arch
Enoch (Now Gentoo)
Red hat
Slackware
The best distros to consider….
The first and the most recommended user-friendly distro is Ubuntu.
Ubuntu
- Debian based
- Great Community
- User-friendly
- Very Secure
- Low System Requirements
- Multiple Flavours available
If you want a good locking and very premium looking desktop Experience, then Elementary OS is for you…
Elementary OS
- Ubuntu based (Debian)
- Fast and secure
- Elegant Design (Somewhat like Mac OS)
- Beginner Friendly
Another Alternative for Elementary OS could be Pop!_OS or Zorin OS
If you are a expert system user and working in the field of Cyber Security or Cyber Forensics…you should definitely try Kali Linux very well known for ethical hacking purposes.
Kali Linux
- Highly Secure
- Has more than 600 Advanced Penetration testing tools
- Not very user-friendly (designed for expert users)
- provides Hackerish Feel
Another very amazing security oriented distro is Parrot Security OS. I feel it is having very amazing design. This distro also comes loaded with several Penetration testing tools. The look and feel of parrot OS is fantastic.
I personally prefer Ubuntu LTS for my development and daily use. Ubuntu is easy and systematic for understanding the Linux environment gradually.
Linux in mobile phones
The Linux is extending its community to the Mobile devices also. The Android by Google is also using Linux Kernel under the hood. There are some primitive developments in the Mobile device OS. Some examples could be Ubuntu Touch, Plasma Mobile, Kali Nethunter, etc.
Linux is growing faster today as compared to the previous history of Linux. This has also attracted many other platform developers to Linux. The community of Linux is increasing…and also the support to this systems. The distros are generally FOSS (Free and Open Source) with some extra paid features in some rare distros. Linux is surely going to be the most widely used Operating System due to it’s potential in near future.
Thank you for reading the article… I hope you got something new to learn.
