What’s Linux?
Linux is a popular, open-source computer software environment that competes with Microsoft Windows and the Apple Macintosh. It has four major parts:
- The kernel
The low-level operating system, handling files, disks, networking, and other necessities we take for granted.
- Supplied programs
Thousands of programs for file manipulation, text editing, mathematics, typesetting, audio, video, computer programming, web site creation, encryption, CD burning… you name it.
- The shell
A user interface for typing commands, executing them, and displaying the results. There are various shells in existence: the Bourne shell, Korn shell, C shell, and others. This book focuses on
bash, the Bourne Again Shell, which is often the default for user accounts. However, all these shells have similar basic functions.- X
A graphical system that provides windows, menus, icons, mouse support, and other familiar GUI elements. More complex graphical environments are built on X; the most popular are KDE and GNOME. Throughout this book, we discuss programs that open their own X windows to run.
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access