Muftasoft TM

This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong.
Linux is a free UNIX clone written
from scratch by Linus Torvalds and a
team of programmers over the
Internet. Linux aims towards POSIX
compliance (a set of standards that
show what a UNIX should be).

It contains all of the features that you
would expect in not only a UNIX, but
any Operating System. Some of the
features included are true
multitasking, virtual memory, the
world's fastest TCP/IP drivers,
shared libraries, and of course
multi-user capabilities (this means
100s of people can use the one
computer at the same time, either
over a network, the Internet, or on
laptops/computers or terminals
connected to the serial ports of those
computers). Linux runs fully in
protected mode (unlike Windows)
and supports fully fledged 32-bit and
64-bit multitasking.

Linux also has a completely free X
Windows implementation
comforming to the X/Open standard.
Most existing X Based programs will
run under Linux without any
modification. X Windows for the
uninitiated is a GUI, similar to
Microsoft Windows but is feature
packed (and is rather large,
consuming around 15-20MB). Most
Linux distributions come completely
pre configured to a factory
configuration, and many distributions
also have graphical based
configuration utilities and installers
(not unlike Windows' Control Panel).

In addition, programs intended for
SCO Unix 4.2 and SVR4 will run on
most Linux systems unaltered (this is
due to the assistance of a driver
called IBCS), for example Corel
Draw! for SCO and the Dataflex
database system. The Linux DOS
emulator, DOSEMU will runs packets
of MS-DOS applications, including
some that require VGA or SVGA
graphics capabilities. Windows
programs can also be run inside of
X-Windows with the help of an
emulator called WINE. Usually,
Windows programs can run up to 10
times faster than on a native system,
due to Linux's buffering capabilities.

As usually expected from most
Unices, Linux includes advanced
networking capabilities. Since the
people developing Linux collabrated
and used the Internet for their
development efforts, networking
support came early in Linux's
development stage. Networking
support in Linux is superior to most
other Operating Systems. Linux
supports connection to the Internet
or any other network using TCP/IP or
IPX via ethernet, fast ethernet, ATM
(in Alpha development), modem,
HAM/packet radio (X.25 protocol),
ISDN, token ring, or PLIP (modified
printer cable to another computer).
As an Internet/WWW server, Linux is
a very good choice, often out
performing Windows NT, Novell and
most UNIX systems on the same
hardware (even multiprocessor
boxen). Linux has been chosen by
hundreds of thousands of ISPs, by
many University computer labs, and
suprisingly many businesses. All
people that need reliable server and
network performance in many
different situations.

Linux supports all of the most
common Internet protocols, including
Electronic Mail, UseNet News,
Gopher, Telnet, Web, FTP, Talk,
POP, NTP, IRC, NFS, DNS, NIS,
SNMP, Kerberos, WAIS and many
more. Linux can operate as a client or
as a server for all of the above and
has already been widely used and
tested in the above roles.

Linux also fits easily and tightly into
your Local Area Network, no matter
what combination of systems you
might be running. Full and seamless
support for Macintosh, DOS,
Windows, Windows NT, Windows 95,
Novell, OS/2, all using their own
native protocols. Linux can do all of
this in just 16MB of memory or even
less (with swapspace). Typically, you
could have all the above running in
8MB with 16MB swap (a total of
24MB RAM).

Linux is developing at a blindingly
fast speed, and ports exist to
PowerPC, Macintosh, Amiga's and
some Atari's. If Linus Torvalds ever
does decide to abandon the project,
since we have the full source code
available, he can just assign
somebody else to take his place. So
yes, despite what some people are
saying, the Linux kernel development
will still continue no matter what
happens to Linus. Somebody else will
just continue with it.

The Linux Kernel is Copyright ©
Linus B. Torvalds and is Copyrighted
under the terms of the General Public
License, or GPL. The GPL states that
the source code must be freely
distributed and that everybody is
allowed to make copies for their own
use, or to sell or give to other people
(with a few restrictions). You can
obtain and read the GPL by clicking
on this link or by browsing the file
COPYING in your /usr/src/linux
directory of your local Linux system.
Most Linux software is GPL'ed,
however, this does not mean that all
software developed or ported to
Linux has to be. Other common
licensed include the Berkeley BSD
License, the Artistic License, and the
LGPL (General Public License for
Libraries). Some commercial
software packages have more
restrictive licenses, such as the
common copying restrictions we face
with Windows, and the likes.