Linux:

Operating system (Two parts)  kernel  system programs

GNU/Linux:
 GNU => Gnus Not Unix  In general, we use Linux to mean Linux Kernel and GNU/Linux to mean total operating systems

 Gnu: It is Free Software Foundation(FSF) project whose goal is to build an entirely open source operating system that works like UNIX.

GNU/Linux:
 GNU project was launched in 1984 by Richard Stallman to develop a complete UNIX-like operating system

 Richard Stallman started this project to make free operating system but GNU operating system never took off.

GNU/Linux:
 In 1991, Finnish student named Linus Torvalds first developed Linux in 1991 when he was experimenting with improving MINIX for x86 platform.  MINIX (Mini-UNIX, small educational version of UNIX developed by Andrew Tannenbaum)  x86 platform was fast becoming standard in homes and businesses across the world.

GNU/Linux:
 Key Feature of Linux Operating System was that Linus published Linux under GNU Public License (GPL)  Since 1991, when source code for Linux was released, number of software developers dedicating to improve Linux increased each year.  Linux Kernel was developed collaboratively and was centrally managed; however many Linux add-on packages were developed freely worldwide by members of hacker community who were interested in their release.

GNU/Linux:
 During early and mid 1990s, Linux development was radical and during this time, several distributions of Linux appeared

 A distribution of Linux used commonly developed Linux Operating system Kernel and libraries, and it was packaged with add-on software specific to certain use.

GNU/Linux:
 Many distributions of Linux were formed:  RedHat  Mandrake  SuSE etc.  All distributions of Linux shared a common Kernel and utilities; but they contain different add-on packages.  Linux Distributions may or may not use GUIs(Graphical User Interface)  Example of Linux that does not contain GUI is that fits on floppy and can be used as router.  Linux which come with GUIs can be further customized to suit needs of user

GNU/Linux:
 Core Component of GUI in Linux is referred to as X Windows  Several Windows Managers and desktop environments are available, which altogether affect the look and feel of GUI  These components differ from distribution to distribution.  X Windows in combination with Windows Manager and Desktop environment is referred to as GUI Environment.

GNU/Linux:
 Two competing GUI environments are available in Linux:   GNU Network Object Model Environment (GNOME) K Desktop Environment (KDE)

 Both are less comparable in functionality, though users might have personal preference for one desktop to another.

GNU/Linux:
 GNOME

GNU/Linux:
 KDE

GNU/Linux:
 GNOME is written in C programming language and uses gtk toolkit  KDE is written in C++ programming language and uses qt toolkit  Which language and toolkit best fits the need will be the preferred at that time.  Most Linux distributions ship with both GNOME and KDE GUI environments, whereas others offer support for both to download and install other GUI environment.

GPL:
 GPL => GNU Public License  GPL says: You have right to copy, modify and redistribute the code covered by agreement. If you redistribute code, you must also redistribute same license with code, making code and license separable.  If source code for Accounting program is downloaded from Internet that is under GPL, it can be modified and redistributed as executable version of program. You must also distribute modified source code and GPL agreement with it.

Heritage of Linux: UNIX

 As a version of UNIX, history of Linux begins with UNIX.  In late 1960s, effort to develop operating system techniques were occurred.  In 1968, a consortium of researchers from General electric, AT & T Bell Labs, and Massachusets Institute of Techology carried out special operating system research project called MULTICS (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service). MUTICS incorporated many new concepts in multitasking, file management, and user interaction.  In 1969, Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, and other researches at AT& T Bell Laboratories developed Unix Operating system, incorporating many of the features of MULTICS research project.

Heritage of Linux: UNIX

 UNIX system became popular at Bell Labs as more and more researchers started using system.  In 1973, Dennis Ritchie Collaborated with Ken Thompson to rewrite programming code for UNIX system in C programming language.  UNIX gradually grew from one persons design to standard software product distributed by different vendors such as Novell and IBM.  Initially, UNIX was research project. So first versions of Unix were distributed free to computer science departments of many noted universities.

Heritage of Linux: UNIX

 Throughout 1970s, Bell Labs began issuing official versions of Unix and licensing systems to different users.  One of the users was Computer Science Department of University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley added many new features to system and it became standard.  In 1975, Berkeley released its own version o Unix, known as Berkeley Software Distribution(BSD).

Heritage of Linux: UNIX

 BSD version and AT&T version were biggest contenders.  In 1983, AT & T released its first commercial version of UNIX called System 3.  Later, it was followed by System V, which became supported commercial software product.  At same time, BSD version of UNIX was developing through several releases.  In late 1970s, BSD Unix became basis of DARPA(Department of Defenses Advanced Research Project Agency)

Heritage of Linux: UNIX

 In 1983, Berkeley released powerful version of UNIX called BSD release 4.2.  This release included sophisticated file management as well as networking features.  BSD release 4.2 was widely distributed and adopted by many vendors such as Sun Microsystems.  Several other companies such as IBM and HP established Open Software Foundation(OSF) to create a standard versions of Unix.  Two commercial versions of Unix were then existed: OSF version and System V release 4s

What is so good about Linux?

 Applications : contains tools for graphics, work-processing, networking, security and administration. supports wide range of peripherals except proprietary hardware. Browsers, mail clients etc All single as well as multiprocessor systems supports programs called emulators that run code intended for other operating systems.

 Peripherals

 Software  Platforms  Emulators

: : :

Why Linux is popular with companies and Developers?

Hardware

 Proprietary Operating Systems  Generic Operating Systems  Linux is Portable  C Programming Language

Overview of Linux:
   Kernel Shells Utilities

Overview of Linux:
   Kernel Shells Utilities

Overview of Linux:
 Kernel      Multiuser Multitasking Hierarchical File System Links Security

Overview of Linux:
 Shell Bourne Again Shell (bash) TC Shell (tcsh)  Filename Generation  Device independent Input and Output  Shell Functions  Job Control

Overview of Linux:
 Utilities   Inter-process Communication System Administration

Additional Features of Linux:

 GUIs  Desktop Manager  GNOME  KDE  Window Manager   Inter-networking Utilities Software Development  C, C++, Ada, Fortran, Java, Lisp, Pascal, Perl, Python etc.

References:
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) Linux: The Complete Reference by Richard Peterson, Tata McGraw Hill Linux Unleashed by Tim Parker, SAMS Publication A Practical Guide to Linux by Sobell, Pearson Education http://www.iitk.ac.in/LDP/LDP/intro-linux/intro-linux.pdf http://www.computerhope.com/history/unix.htm http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/techcareersskills/p/Linux.htm http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com/2005/11/complete-concise-history-of-gnulinux.html http://digital-domain.net/lug/unix-linux-history.html http://lowfatlinux.com/linux-history.html http://www.wifinotes.com/computer-operating-systems/architecture-of-linux.html http://tldp.org/LDP/gs/node3.html http://blog.friocorte.com/presentation-storage/intro/intro-handout.pdf http://i.thiyagaraaj.com/tutorials/linux-overview/linux-architecture http://i.thiyagaraaj.com/tutorials/linux-overview/linux-kernal http://i.thiyagaraaj.com/tutorials/linux-overview/linux-user-interface http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_architecture http://www.sics.se/~amir/files/download/os-lab/linux1.pdf http://www.techtinker.com/linux/LinuxArchitecture.html