Run Your Computer Using Linux

You're probably already familiar with well-known operating systems such as Windows from Microsoft or macOS from Apple. Linux is yet another operating system!

An operating system (OS) is a program installed on a computer that acts a bit like an orchestra conductor. It starts the music playing and makes sure everything is working as it should!

Think of it as a sort of "super-software" that acts as the interface between you and your computer, allowing you to use it and manage its resources: processor, graphics card, storage space, RAM, etc.

The operating system allows you to do all the things a computer can do: from installing software to playing games.

In short:

1. You turn on your computer.

2. The operating system loads, and your desktop screen comes up.

3. You can now use all your programs, games, and apps via the mouse, keyboard, etc. 

These things are all possible because Linux acts as a link between your software and your computer's hardware.  

The thing that makes Linux so unique is that you can also be the orchestra conductor! Linux lets you take back control of your computer.

We'll go more into this later, but for now, here are some examples of what you can set up:

• Graphics design software using the power of newer graphics cards.

• Multimedia software to make videos.

• Programming tools to develop apps. 

Did you know that Linux has existed since the early 90s and its roots go back even further?

Let's take a step back in time for a minute! Specifically, back to the 70s, at the very start of the digital age.

Don't worry, we'll get to the main event! We're just going to take a minute explore Linux's fascinating history.

Discover UNIX, Linux's Ancestor

Back in the 70s, people wore flower-patterned clothes, and computers were huge machines that filled an entire room like you sometimes see in science fiction films.

These computers were 100,000 times less powerful than a cellphone, and they didn't have the graphic interfaces that today's computers have. They were still incredibly expensive, though!

The programmers at the time created a system for using these computers that took the form of a language. It allowed people to interact with the machine:

1. Under this system, the user would enter a command manually (an action or calculation for the machine to perform).

2. The computer would execute it.  

The very first version of this system came from an alliance between large American Labs Research (AT&T) and manufacturers such as General Electric. It was called UNICS. 

Programmers love optimizing things, so UNICS quickly became UNIX (also written as Unix), simply to save a letter!

Let's look at an example.

When you connect a hard drive to your computer, you can read what's on it (i.e., launch videos, view images, open documents) and also add new things to it. Well, with UNIX, there's a piece of code that is specially developed to manage that.

In other words:

• This piece of code manages the reading and writing of data on storage devices. It's the only one that performs this operation, and it does it perfectly.

• The other parts of the code that need to read or write data rely on this piece of code. 

That's the distinctive feature of the system!

UNIX is coded in module format. These are pieces of code that communicate with each other to share the actions that they do best.  

Well, UNIX happens to be Linux's grandfather!

You'd probably already guessed that, especially if you read the chapter titles! But to fully understand the importance of this operating system family tree, you should know about two developments that have had a considerable impact on the Linux of today:

1. The rise of open source. 

2. The surge in popularity of home computers (or PCs - personal computer).

Let's look at these two developments in detail.

Understand the Open-Source Philosophy

When the UNIX system came out, manufacturers didn't expect computer technology to be very profitable. How wrong they were! Very quickly, the financial interest became clear, and so manufacturers started to use a licensing system.   

So, licenses were created for businesses that wanted to use this operating system: there was a UNIX for HP, a UNIX for IBM, a UNIX for SUN, etc.

It's difficult to establish standardization in these conditions, especially if the code is not freely accessible (due to licenses).

The rise of IT and the manufacturers' thirst for profit led to a few unhappy people! Richard Stallman was the first to oppose the UNIX licenses' principle after an infuriating saga involving printer drivers that stopped working.

So, in 1983 he launched GPL - General Public License - which paved the way for the open-source movement. 

This license ensures that the system and its derivatives can be freely used, modified, and shared. It guarantees that program sources remain open and accessible to all.

Linux Is Everywhere!

At the start of the 90s (20 years after UNIX), another important character in our story, Linus Torvalds, wanted to develop production tools for a version of UNIX that would work on home PCs - meaning that anyone could use it. 

As you might have guessed, he named this version Linux, keeping the X in honor of UNIX. 

Linux is:

1. A direct descendant of a long line of operating systems that goes right back to UNIX, their common ancestor.

2. An OS that remains true to the initial philosophy: programs that each perform one essential operation of the system and do so perfectly. 

3. Part of the free movement - an open and free operating system! 

What people don't always know is that you can find Linux pretty much everywhere.

For example, Android is a close relation to Linux and also originates from UNIX. Linux is also present in your internet supplier box and NASA robots (including Ingenuity, which landed on Mars in February 2021)! 

You probably think that it must be a reliable operating system. And you're right! The fact that it can manage such sensitive equipment is a testament to how well it works.

Windows is not a free operating system - you have to pay for it.

When it came out, it did have one advantage over Linux: its graphical desktop, which has become very popular among its users.

Indeed, Linux has long been a favorite of techies who were undaunted by complicated command lines and text-mode terminals. However, over the past few years, Linux has come a long way with its user interface and graphical desktop.  

As you’ll see, you can now do anything you’d do with Windows with Linux, but for free and with more autonomy! 

It’s time to take the plunge into this modern-day version of Linux. You won’t regret it!

Let’s Recap!

• Linux is an operating system originally based on the UNIX system.

• It is released under GPL - General Public License, which is free to use.

• Its philosophy is “do one thing, and do it perfectly.”

Now that you have some background on the Linux operating system, let’s start working with it by downloading what’s called a distribution.