Linux: A Comprehensive Introduction

Have you heard of Linux and need to know what it is? You're reading the right article!

Whether you have programmer friends or you're new to programming, you are bound to hear about Linux at some point. No matter the reason, if you have heard the name "Linux" or "GNU/Linux" and wondered what it is, you've landed on the right post! I am Farhang, and this is a comprehensive introduction to Linux for those who have yet to learn about it.

Linux is an operating system, so you must first know what an OS is so you can get to know Linux better. So, in this article, we will first discuss what an OS (Operating System) is and what different types of OS are out there. Next, we will discuss Linux (or GNU/Linux) as the umbrella term that refers to many operating systems and mention some of the most famous instances of Linux operating systems.

What is an OS?

For your computer to run, you need to interact with the computer's hardware. Why do you need to interact with hardware? Because that's where all the computing happens. However, your computer does things only based on a zero-or-one logic–as it is known to do. This logic is reliable since the hardware can attribute zero to the absence of electrical pulses and one to their presence. Now, how do we interact with a machine that only understands zeros and ones? Using computer codes. Computer codes let you interact with the hardware by translating your inputs (whether it be keyboard inputs, clicks, or voice inputs) into zeros and ones. The process of this translation is very complex and requires a separate blog post to explain.

However, that gets us to the definition of operating systems: An operating system is a large set of packaged computer codes that let you interact with your computer's hardware efficiently and effectively. Each package handles a particular set of tasks. Your computer breaks down each of your requirements into smaller tasks and delegates them, each to be handled by a particular package.

Now, why are there different operating systems? Good question.

Different requirements that you expect your computer to satisfy–like running a video game or streaming a video–are very complex tasks. Each task that you give your computer is like telling it to build a skyscraper. If someone tells you and me to go build two skyscrapers, of course, we might–and probably will–break down the project into smaller steps in our own different ways. In the same way, there are many ways of translating your requirements into zeros and ones on a computer. Hence, there are different operating systems, each of which has packaged their computer codes in different ways.

Use Cases of Operating Systems

Operating systems are not only helping you interact with your computer. Phones and laptops, though the most known devices to use an operating system, are not the only devices using one. The webpage you're on right now has come to you through a series of devices that work in a network to make viewing the page possible. All of those devices, including the main server, use an OS.

Now, do all electronic devices have an OS? In general, every electronic device with reprogrammable functionality uses an OS. However, there are certain devices that have a fixed functionality and are not reprogrammable. Since programming is the process of producing software that defines the functionality of hardware, reprogramming a computer is manipulating or completely changing the software so that you can get new functionality out of the same hardware. Thus, your phone needs an OS since its fixed hardware is supposed to change functionality rapidly (from sending messages to checking Instagram). However, an electronic toaster, for example, cannot and doesn't need to be manipulated on a software level to be a calculator. Hence, your toaster doesn't have an OS.

What Are the Most Famous Operating Systems?

The most famous operating systems are Microsoft Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android, and iOS. As you can see, many of these operating systems even have the abbreviation "OS" in their names.

Where did these all come from? What are Linux "distributions"? Why are there so many? Good questions.

Let's dive into a short history of how operating systems were developed and why there are so many:

Where Did It All Begin?

It all began with trying to reprogram electronic devices to serve different goals at different times. Then each group of early operating systems started following their own standards for how they packaged their codes.

Windows, in the early days, went its own way–and is still doing that. Linux and MacOS, however, are inspired by the same standard of packaging codes. This same standard was also used to develop Android and iOS operating systems for phones with touch interfaces during the 2000s. The standard, called UNIX, said that each little functionality of programs should be packaged and reusable. This helped develop new software that provided new uses for a computer. The new software could use these smaller functionalities by delegating some of the process of new functionalities to these packages–like hiring a contractor for a small part of a big project.

The UNIX standard was then revised by Richard Stallman to make the GNU standard, using which a lot of software was developed later–mostly by the GNU Foundation.

Later on, Linus Torvalds made a kernel that could effectively connect GNU and other software to the hardware, and called it Linux. Since the kernel was called Linux and a lot of the software was made by the GNU Foundation, the operating system that emerged was originally called GNU/Linux. Over time, however, the word Linux has started being attributed to the whole OS, and not only the kernel.

The GNU Foundation demands that we call this operating system "GNU/Linux" because simply calling it "Linux" would undermine the efforts of those who developed a major part of the OS. However, in favor of choosing descriptive vocabulary over prescriptive language, I call it what almost everybody calls it and get over this subject by acknowledging the work of the selfless people who have developed GNU packages.

What are Linux Distributions?

Linux, unlike Windows and MacOS, is an open-source operating system. Being open-source means that the computer codes written for Linux are available to everybody. As a result of that, any individual or community can take the code, modify it to serve a particular purpose, and re-publish it. Remember, an operating system is a multi-purpose base that you can build upon and make it do whatever you want it to. Since Linux is a minimal OS compared to Windows and MacOS, it is a good ground on which you can build any skyscraper. Since the basic functionalities of computing and using the hardware resources are available to you, nothing is impossible on Linux. As long as you know how to code it, there is a way to achieve any functionality that a computer has on Linux.

So, it is understandable that hackers take the Linux source code and make their own distribution of it. Of course, such a distribution would include computer codes built upon those of GNU/Linux, aimed at paving the way for hackers' codes to run. There are all kinds of distributions for Linux, each made for a certain purpose; from user-friendly distributions aimed at the public to specialized ones for programmers.

What Are Some Linux Distributions?

Linux distributions are very versatile. One result of this versatility is that you can choose whatever you want based on your needs, and another is that you get lost among the distros. Here, we discuss two of the most famous and user-friendly Linux distributions. Taking a look at each one's website can help you get more familiar with Linux and better understand what they are made to do.

Before we dive into it, I should mention that each of these have different versions available, and the information I provide about each is mainly based on the experience I've had with their desktop/workstation versions.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is the most user-friendly distribution of all. Ubuntu uses a desktop manager system called GNOME, but offers a modified version of it. This modified version of GNOME is not much different from the original one. Ubuntu is offered by Canonical, and one LTS (Long-Term Support) version of it is released every two years. Other versions of Ubuntu, released twice a year, are only supported until the next version is released.

There are also some variants of Ubuntu that use other desktop manager packages like Kubuntu (using KDE) and Xubuntu (using Xfce). The current LTS version of Ubuntu is the 24.04.1 version, and this article is being written using it.

Ubuntu is derived from one of the most important distributions of Linux called Debian. Debian is the source for many user-friendly Linux distributions that make it possible for beginners and those who aren't technically skilled to use Linux.

Fedora

Fedora is another one of the user-friendly distributions of Linux. Derived from RedHat Linux, Fedora offers a good combination of different packages that are always up-to-date. The latest version of GNOME, for example, is always available for use in Fedora Linux.

Fedora, like Ubuntu, comes in many "flavors" that use different desktop managers.

Conclusion

In this article, we briefly discussed the different aspects of the Linux operating system. First, a definition of what an OS is, and then a discussion of what type of an operating system Linux is.

This was the first blog post I wrote for my blog. However, if you want to read more about programming and Linux, check out my blog! I will post every day.