Question

What are the pros and cons of the Linux OS. List the following in your answer:

• Brief history of the Linux OS
• Different Linux OS versions
• What is open source verses closed source
• In what ways is Linux better than Windows?

What are the GUI Shell? What are the features of each one and which OS do they belong to?

Answer 1

Brief History:

Linux was developed by Linus Torvalds and a band of programmers who voluntarily developed the core program of the system (aka, the kernel). That program was originally compatible for another operating system called Minix, but later development made it usable with GNU software.

   GNU is pronounced like the animal and stands for 'Gnu's Not Unix.' It was a project conceived by Richard Stallman in 1983 in response to the increasing tendency of software companies to copyright their software under terms that prohibited sharing. Gnu's purpose: to develop a wholly free system. It had achieved significant progress toward this goal by the time that Linus and others had developed their kernel in the 1990s.

While many people refer to the combination of the two as "Linux", this is not wholly correct. The kernel combined with Gnu's free software is properly called "GNU/Linux."

Both the kernel and the software are freely available under licensing that is sometimes called "copyleft" (as opposed to copyright). Where traditional copyright was meant to restrict usage and ownership of a copyrighted item to as few people as possible, inhibiting development and growth, GNU/Linux is different. It is released under terms designed to ensure that as many people as possible are allowed to receive, use, share, and modify the software. That license is called the GPL (GNU Public License).

  

Ubuntu depends on the Linux kernel and includes many GNU applications. So, when someone speaks of the Ubuntu kernel for a computer, they are actually talking about a recent version of the Linux kernel. Most of the applications that are available for Ubuntu are either part of the GNU collection or are released under the GPL.

Some of the Linux OS Versions are:

1. Ubuntu :Ubuntu is actually a relatively late arrival on the Linux scene, having been announced in just 2004, but it's more than made up for that shorter history. Founded by South African millionaire Mark Shuttleworth, Canonical--the company behind Ubuntu--for many years shipped Ubuntu CDs to interested users for free, thus speeding its market penetration.
2. Fedora :

   Fedora is the free version of Red Hat, whose RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) has been a commercial product since 2003. Because of that close connection, Fedora is particularly strong on enterprise features, and it often offers them before RHEL does.

   Fedora also offers a six-month release schedule, and its security features are excellent. While some have viewed it as a cutting-edge distro for the Linux "hobbyist," I think improvements over the years and widespread popularity have combined to make it a good choice for newer Linux users as well.

3. Linux Mint : Linux Mint is an Ubuntu-based distro that was just launched in 2006. The operating system adds to Ubuntu with its own, distinct desktop theme and a different set of applications; also unique to the distro are a variety of graphical tools for enhanced usability, such as mintDesktop for configuring the desktop environment, mintInstall for easier software installation and mintMenu for easier navigation.

4. openSUSE

   With some 1,200 hits per day on Distrowatch, openSUSE holds the No. 4 spot in popularity on the site and is also the foundation for Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server products.

   The package's administration utility, YaST, is widely acknowledged as one of the best, and its boxed edition comes with some of the best printed documentation you'll find for any distro. I'd say openSUSE rates a "medium" on difficulty level.

5. PCLinuxOS

   Rather than GNOME, PCLinuxOS uses the KDE desktop environment and is essentially a lighter-weight version of Mandriva (see below). With good support for graphics drivers, browser plugins and media codecs, PCLinuxOS can be a good choice for beginners. Its release cycle can be erratic, though, and there is also no 64-bit version of the software.

6. Debian

   Dating back to 1993, Debian is currently known as one of the most well-tested and bug-free distros available today. Though it serves as the foundation for Ubuntu, most view Debian as a distro best-suited for those experienced with Linux. The distro uses all open-source components, which is a good thing, but means it can be more difficult to achieve compatibility with proprietary code such as wireless network drivers. Debian also has a relatively slow release cycle, with stable ones coming out every one to three years.

Open Source VS Closed Source :

Closed-source operating systems use code that is proprietary and kept secret to prevent its use by other entities. Traditionally, they are sold for a profit. Open-source operating systems use code that is freely-distributed and available to anyone to use, even for commercial purposes. Both types of operating systems have advantages.

Pricing

Open-source operating systems such as Linux or FreeBSD do not cost anything, through some Linux companies, such as Red Hat, provide supported versions for a fee. Closed-source operating systems can either be free or offered for a price. Microsoft Windows comes preinstalled on many new computers; though you do not have to pay separately for it, the cost of the Windows license is figured into the price by the computer manufacturer, who pays Microsoft a bulk licensing fee for all their preinstalled copies of Windows. Windows can be purchased separately for computers without an operating system or as an upgrade to a previous version of Windows. OS X is also preinstalled on new Macs, with small fees typically charged for upgrades, though the Mavericks upgrade was free.

Development

With closed source operating systems, the development costs are typically paid for by the company itself, who hires the developers and determines the direction of the project. This offers the benefit of a professional team of developers and guaranteed performance, which is essential for certain software packages. In the open-source community, the direction of a project is determined either by a board of directors, the community or individuals. Development costs are generated through a combination of donations from companies and individuals, or through indirect methods such as developers who are paid by corporations to work on open-source code. For instance, IBM and Red Hat, who sell Linux systems and Linux support, both pay employees to develop open-source Linux code, which benefits not only their open-source Linux variants, but other Linux projects as well. Apple also pays its developers to work on the BSD-variant Darwin, which is the base for its OS X software. Open source-projects are free to choose their direction and are not driven by profitability.

Source Availability

The manufacturers of closed-source operating systems, such as Windows or OS X, will not allow their programming code to be viewed by most third parties. If there is a vulnerability in the code, it must be discovered by the company itself; because there are a limited number of developers assigned to the project, it is possible that the vulnerability will go unnoticed. In open-source operating systems, the code is viewable by anybody. Theoretically, this means that many more people will be able to see the programming code, offering the potential to catch any vulnerabilities quicker than with closed-source operating systems. In practice, this is not always the case. Since the developers may be volunteers who work on what they are interested in or employees paid by a corporation to work on a specific piece of code, vulnerabilities in other portions of the code may still go unnoticed.

Examples

Examples of computer open-source operating systems include Linux, FreeBSD and OpenSolaris. Closed-source operating systems include Microsoft Windows, Solaris Unix and OS X. Older closed-source operating systems include OS/2, BeOS and the original Mac OS, which was replaced by OS X. On mobile and tablet systems, closed-source operating systems include Windows Phone, iOS and the Symbian OS that is used by BlackBerry. Android is based on the open-source Linux OS, though it has many proprietary, closed-source extensions. The Linux-based Firefox OS is an example of a fully open-source mobile OS, though it has yet to gain significant popularity.

Linux is better than Windows :

1. Open Source Nature

What is it like when you buy a car, but you cannot see what’s under the hood? Similar is the case with when you use a Windows-powered system.

However, in contrast, Linux is completely an open source project. You can have a look at the source code of a Linux OS, which is a plus.

I know, most people don’t care about this openness of Linux, but to me, this is the most important feature of using GNU/Linux.

2. Secure

Let’s face it; Windows OS is vulnerable to different types of attacks (or hacks). However, Linux is not as vulnerable as Windows. It sure isn’t invulnerable, but it is a lot more secure. Although, there’s no rocket science in it.

It is just the way Linux works that makes it a secure operating system. Overall, the process of package management, the concept of repositories, and a couple more features makes it possible for Linux to be more secure than Windows.

When you have Windows installed, you need to download/purchase an Antivirus program to keep your computer safe from hackers and malware. However, Linux does not require the use of such Anti-Virus programs. Of course, a couple of software tools still exist to help you keep your system free from threats, but it is often unnecessary when you have a Linux system.

3. Can revive older computers

As the operating systems evolve, so do their hardware requirements increase exponentially. For instance, if you purchase a genuine copy of Windows 10, you will have to meet the minimum hardware requirements to run it successfully, and you cannot run it on just about any low-end system.

Nevertheless, with Linux, you could even utilize one of your oldest computer systems to achieve a task. However, that does not mean that every Linux distribution would work with 256 MB of RAM coupled with an outdated processor. However, there are options which you can install on such low-end systems as well (such as Puppy Linux).

So, being an efficient OS, Linux distributions could be fitted to a range of systems (low-end or high-end). In contrast, Windows operating system has a higher hardware requirement.

4. Perfect For Programmers

Linux supports almost all of the major programming languages (Python, C/C++, Java, Perl, Ruby, etc.). Moreover, it offers a vast range of applications useful for programming purposes.

The Linux terminal is superior to use over Window’s command line for developers. You would find many libraries developed natively for Linux. Also, a lot of programmers point out that the package manager on Linux helps them get things done easily.

5. Variety Of Distributions

There are no flavors of Windows. Yes, you may have different plans & packages which differ in licensing terms, the period of activation, packaged features, and price.

In contrast, you will find tons of Linux distributions catered for a different set of needs. So, you can choose to install any of the available Linux distros according to your requirements.

6. Free to Use

Linux is accessible to the public for free! However, that is not the case with Windows!

You will not have to pay 100-250 USD to get your hands on a genuine copy of a Linux distro (such as Ubuntu, Fedora). So, it is entirely free.

GUI SHELL:

A GUI (graphical user interface) is a system of interactive visual components for computer software. A GUI displays objects that convey information, and represent actions that can be taken by the user. The objects change color, size, or visibility when the user interacts with them.

GUI objects include icons, cursors, and buttons. These graphical elements are sometimes enhanced with sounds, or visual effects like transparency and drop shadows.

A GUI is considered to be more user-friendly than a text-based command-line interface, such as MS-DOS, or the shell of Unix-like operating systems.