Steven Isaacson

• What is Linux?
• Who makes Linux?
• Licensing
• Distributions
• Applications
• Desktop
• Wrap Up

• Officially Linux is the kernel
• Kernel is the core of the Operating system
• Linux at times is used to include the full operating system
• Linux is freely available
• Linux is created collectively over the Internet

• Linux was created by Linus Torvalds
• Today Linux is created by thousands of developers around the world.
• Commercial companies pay employees to work on Linux

• Linux kernel is released under the GPL
• GPL is a public license that allows anyone to use and make modifications to software released under it.
• Other Open Source Licenses exist and are the Licenses of many other open source projects.
• Open Source software provides the source code, allows modifications, and redistribution, among other stipulations.

• Includes the Unix-like operating system and software
• Software includes the Linux kernel, utilities, free, and depending on the distributor proprietary software.
• Companies like Red Hat, SuSE, and MandrakeSoft all have distributions
• Community groups like Debian and Gentoo Linux provide their own distributions
• These groups assemble and test software to provide a complete and usable system
• There are over 200 different Linux distributions

• Proprietary software like Mathematica, Maya, games(Unreal Tournament, Doom).
• Open Source and Free software like Mozilla, OpenOffice, GIMP, and others
• Software is usually maintained and offered by the distribution vendor.
• Many software products are available free on sites around the Internet

• Provide for common and consistent set of applications needed for an easy to use computer.
• Enforce standards on applications to make them work together.
• Two most popular desktops:
  • KDE(K Desktop Environment)
  • GNOME(GNU Network Object Model Environment)

• Come to Basic Command Line Linux to get a better understanding of Linux.
• Come to Linux History to hear more behind how Linux started.
• Linux was installed on 25% of servers and 2.8% of desktops in 2002.