Running Linux, Third Edition

System Features

Linux supports most of the features found in other implementations of Unix, plus quite a few not found elsewhere. This section is a nickel tour of the Linux kernel features.

A Note on Linux Version Numbers

One potentially confusing aspect of Linux for newcomers is the way in which different pieces of software are assigned a version number. When you first approach Linux, chances are you’ll be looking at a CD-ROM distribution, such as “Red Hat Version 5.2” or “SuSE Linux Version 6.0.” It’s important to understand that these version numbers only relate to the particular distribution (which is a prepackaged version of Linux along with tons of free application packages, usually sold on CD-ROM). Therefore, the version number assigned by Red Hat, SuSE, or Debian might not have anything to do with the individual version numbers of the software in that distribution. Don’t be fooled—just because one distribution company uses a higher version number than another doesn’t mean that the software is any more up-to-date.

The Linux kernel, as well as each application, component, library, or software package in a Linux distribution, generally has its own version number. For example, you might be using gcc Version 2.7.2.3, as well as the XFree86 graphical user interface Version 3.3.1. As you can guess, the higher the version number, the newer the software is. By installing a distribution (such as Red Hat and SuSE), all of this is simplified for you since the latest versions of each ...