Introduction to Linux
Introduction to Linux
Introduction
All of the current ARC
systems run an operating system called Linux. Whereas
Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X place almost total emphasis on graphical
interaction with the operating system, Linux also allows (perhaps even
encourages) users to do lots of things from the "command line" or
"prompt".
There are many good
tutorials around for Linux on the Web. IT Services also run lunch
courses in Linux. This tutorial is intended for users of the University of
Oxford Advanced Research Computing facility to gain sufficient basic Linux
knowledge and skills to be able to utilise our services. This is a basic level
of knowledge required to attend the ARC Training Course 1: Introduction to ARC
(see the Training page for more information).
Background
All ARC services
utilise the Linux operating system. Linux, in its simplest terms, is software
on a computer that enables applications and the computer user to access devices
to perform desired functions. The operating system (OS) relays instructions
from an application to, for instance, the computer’s processor. The processor
then performs the instruction sending the results back to the application.
In managing the
communication between application and system hardware the operating system
provides several layers of abstraction as in the diagram above.
.
Different
versions of Linux are:
·
Ubuntu
·
Linux Mint
·
Debian
·
Fedora
·
CentOS / Red Hat Enterprise Linux
·
openSUSE / SUSE
Linux Enterprise
·
Mageia / Mandriva
·
Arch Linux
·
Slackware Linux
·
Puppy Linux
Ubuntu
Ubuntu is
probably the most well-known Linux distribution. Ubuntu is based on Debian, but
it has its own software repositories. Much of the software in these
repositories is synced from Debian’s repositories.
The Ubuntu
project has a focus on providing a solid desktop
(and
server) experience, and it isn’t afraid to build its own custom technology to
do it. Ubuntu used to use the GNOME 2 desktop environment, but it now uses its
own Unity desktop environment. Ubuntu is even building its own Mir graphical
server while other distributions are working on the Wayland.
Ubuntu is
modern without being too bleeding edge. It offers releases every six months,
with a more stable LTS (long term support) release every two years. Ubuntu is
currently working on expanding the Ubuntu distribution to run on smartphones
and tablets.
Linux Mint
Mint is a Linux
distribution built on top of Ubuntu. It uses Ubuntu’ssoftware repositories, so the same packages
are available on both. Originally, Mint was an alternative distribution loved
mainly because it included media codecs and proprietary software that Ubuntu
didn’t include by default.
This
distribution now has its own identity. You won’t find Ubuntu’s own Unity
desktop here — instead, you get a more traditional Cinnamon or MATE desktop.
Mint takes a more relaxed approach to software updates and won’t automatically
install critical software updates. Controversially, this has ledsome Ubuntu developers to label it
insecure.
Debian
Debian is
an operating system composed only of free, open-source
software.
The Debian project has been operating since 1993 — over 20 years ago! This
widely respected project is still releasing new versions of Debian, but it’s
known for moving much more slowly than distributions like Ubuntu or Linux Mint.
This can make it more stable and conservative, which is ideal for some systems.
Ubuntu was originally founded to take the core
bits of stable Debian and improve on them more quickly, packaging the software
together into a user-friendly system that’s more frequently updated.
Fedora
Fedora is a project with a strong focus on
free software — you won’t find an easy way to install proprietary graphics
drivers here, although third-party repositories are available. Fedora is
bleeding edge and contains the latest versions of software.Unlike Ubuntu,
Fedora doesn’t make its own desktop environment or other software. Instead, the
Fedora project uses “upstream” software, providing a platform that integrates
all this upstream software without adding their own custom tools or patching it
too much. Fedora comes with the GNOME 3 desktop environment by default,
although you can also get “spins” that come with other desktop environments.
Fedora is sponsored by Red Hat, and is the
foundation for the commercial Red Hat Enterprise Linux project. Unlike RHEL,
Fedora is bleeding edge and not supported for long. If you want a more stable
release that’s supported for longer, Red Hat would prefer you use their
Enterprise product.
CentOS / Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a commercial Linux
distribution intended for servers and workstations. It’s based on the
open-source Fedora project, but is designed to be a stable platform with
long-term support.
Red Hat uses trademark law to prevent their
official Red Hat Enterprise Linux software from being redistributed. However,
the core software is free and open-source. CentOS is a community project that
takes the Red Hat Enterprise Linux code, removes all Red Hat’s trademarks, and
makes it available for free use and distribution. It’s a free version of RHEL,
so it’s good if you want a stable platform that will be supported for a long
time. CentOS and Red Hat recently announced they’re collaborating, so CentOS is
now part of Red Hat itself.
OpenSUSE / SUSE Linux Enterprise
OpenSUSE is a community-created Linux
distribution sponsored by Novell. Novell purchased SuSE Linux in 2003, and they
still create an enterprise Linux project known as SUSE Linux Enterprise. Where
Red Hat has the Fedora project that feeds into Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Novell
has the openSUSE project that feeds into SUSE Linux Enterprise.
Like Fedora, openSUSE is a more bleeding edge
version of Linux. SUSE was once one of the great user-friendly desktop Linux
distributions, but Ubuntu eventually took that crown.
Mageia / Mandriva
Mageia is a fork of
Mandriva Linux created in 2011. Mandriva — known as Mandrake before that — was
once one of the great user-friendly Linux distributions.
Like Fedora and openSUSE, this is a
community-created project to create an open-source Linux distribution. Mandriva
SA no longer creates a consumer Linux distribution for desktop PCs, but their
business Linux server projects are based on Mageia code — just like how Fedora
and openSUSE provide code to their enterprise equivalents.
Arch Linux
Arch Linux is more old
school than many of the other Linux distributions here. It’s designed to be
flexible, lightweight, minimal, and to “Keep it Simple.” Keeping it simple
doesn’t mean Arch provides tons of graphical utilities and automatic
configuration scripts to help you set up your system. Instead, it means Arch
dispenses with that stuff and gets out of your way.
You’re in charge of configuring your system
properly and installing the software you like. Arch doesn’t provide an official
graphical interface for its package manager or complex graphical configuration
tools. Instead, it provides clean configuration files designed for easy
editing. The installation disc dumps you at a terminal, where you’ll need to
enter the appropriate commands to configure your system, partition your disks,
and install the operating system yourself.
Arch uses a “rolling release” model, which
means any installation image is just a snapshot of the current software. Every
bit of software will be updated over time without you needing to upgrade to a
new “release” of Arch.
This distribution has a bit in common with
Gentoo, which was popular at one time. Both Linux distributions are designed
for users who know how their systems work or who are at least willing to learn.
However, Arch uses binary packages while Gentoo had an (unnecessary) focus on
compiling every bit of software from source — this means it’s quick to install
software on Arch as you don’t have to spend CPU cycles and time waiting for
software to compile.
Slackware
Linux
Slackware is another institution. Founded in
1993, Slackware is the oldest Linux distribution that’s still maintained and
putting out new releases today.Its pedigree shows — like Arch, Slackware dispenses
with all those unnecessary graphical tools and automatic configuration scripts.
There’s no graphical installation procedure — you’ll have to partition your
disk manually and then run the setup program. Slackware boots to a command-line
environment by default. It’s a very conservative Linux distribution.
Puppy Linux
Puppy
Linux is another fairly well-known Linux distribution. Previous versions have
been built on Ubuntu, but the latest is built on Slackware. Puppy is designed
to be a small, lightweight operating system that can run well on very old
computers. The puppy ISO file is 161 MB, and Puppy can boot from that disc in a
live environment. Puppy can run on PCs with 256 MB or RAM, although it does
recommend 512 MB for the best experience.
Puppy
isn’t the most modern and doesn’t have all the flashiest bells and whistles,
but it can help you revive an old PC.
These
aren’t the only Linux distributions out there. Distrowatchlists many and tries to rank them by
popularity.
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