A buzz around the computer world has lately been picking up steam. Everywhere including Nepal, people have started talking about a 'new' operating system. An operating system that does not hang at inconvenient times, does not crash, and does not require you to "Click OK to Restart Your Computer" when you install or upgrade software. This operating system is Linux.
An operating system is the software that lets the user (that's you) interact with all the different hardware bits and pieces (like keyboards, printers, hard drives) that together make up what we refer to as the computer. It is not a program like Adobe Photoshop or a collection of programs like Microsoft Office. An operating system is the bare bones used to communicate between the user; the computer and the different software that you install on your computer—games, mp3 players and accounting programs—make up the meat. Needless to say, none of these programs would work without the operating system.
Windows XP is an example of an OS. What's this you ask? Windows is not the computer? That's right, most people—particularly in Nepal—have seen one version or another of Microsoft Windows on a computer, and have mistakenly assumed that the Windows OS is "the computer." In reality, an OS gets added to the machinery much later and it doesn't have to be Windows.
Linux is an OS that has been around since 1991. It is vastly different from the Microsoft Windows family. It was initially developed by Linus Torvalds, a Finnish student who gave it a similar look and feel to Unix –an operating system that has been around since the 1960s. (Unix is also the operating system that runs the Internet.) Instead of opening a company and selling this new operating system, he released it on the Internet –for free! He asked people who tried his system to give suggestions, report bugs and add new features. In this way, the Linux community was born; the rest, as they say, is history.
Computer enthusiasts all over the world began fiddling with this "toy" operating system, fixing bugs, adding features and creating new software; the whole time distributing it for free. Due to the constant and never-ending tinkering and improvements, Linux has become a big-shot OS.
The most common misconception about Linux is when people refer to it as free. This comes from the English language having two definitions of the word free. The first means, "does not cost anything" while the second means "has liberty." When people refer to Linux as free, they usually mean the second meaning because Linux gives you the freedom to do anything you want with it. That Linux usually does not cost any money either further complicates matters. Richard Stallman, the man who we all should be thankful for ensuring that "free" software exists, coined an expression which explains the difference: "Free as in beer or free as in freedom". Windows, on the other hand, is proprietary software.
The main difference between free and proprietary software is that while the former gives you the right to use, abuse, change, modify and even redistribute (read: sell) the software; with the latter, you can only use the software. Even if you buy a legal copy, you still don't own it. All you have is a CD, some manuals, perhaps a complimentary T-shirt and a license to use the software. If something is not working with your proprietary software, too bad; you are stuck until the company gets around to fixing it. There is nothing you can do about it but restart your computer and pray that it works. After a while, the restarts won't help and then it is time for re-installation. When the re-installs don't help, it becomes time for a 'clean install'. Sound familiar?
With free software, the code is visible for all to see; if a programming error or a bug is causing problems, the code can be modified or removed. Granted, not everybody will have the technical know-how to muck around with the inner workings of an OS, but chances are that somebody else experiencing the exact same problem will. That somebody is likely to not only fix the problem for himself but also post a solution on the Internet for everybody else. The most obvious example of this is the annoying pop-ups present in Internet browsers. While the community developed Mozilla, which has been blocking pop-ups for years, Microsoft has said that the Internet Explorer will have that feature added around 2005.
The coding is distributed with the software. This has led to the formation of what some consider the weakest point of Linux; others hail the coding as it's best feature: distributions. Distributions are minor changes that people have made to the look and feel of Linux and have distributed it for other people to use. It is still the same operating system, except it now has a certain distinct touch. Think of it as a recipe for a dish. The ingredients are still the same, though they are mixed in different proportions and in a different order. With so many different distros around (Redhat, Debian, Gentoo, Mandrake, SuSe and Slackware are just the 'big' ones), it is no wonder that many new users throw their hands up in the air in frustration over this whole Linux issue. Just remember, the whole point of Linux is customization and making it look and act the way you want. That's the reason why distros spring up; somebody doesn't like the way a particular distro works and thereby makes one that suits his needs.
Another reason why people shy away from Linux is the perception that it is just a geek's toy. This one is as inaccurate as it gets, far from being something that only geeks mess around with; Linux is being used by big companies - Google, the world's favorite search engine runs on Linux. Many governments, from Germany to Brazil to India, are slowly migrating towards Linux. Another misconception is that Linux users have to type the commands, rather than use the easy to use Graphic User Interface (point and click) found in Windows or Macs. This is also wrong; the in Linux is just as good as those found in other operating systems. So, don't worry; your mouse will still be in use should you decide to switch to Linux.
The only thing that Linux lags behind in, is games. There are almost no good games for Linux. True, there are many programmers making small ones; some of these are top notch. But, in general, the quality and the sheer quantity/number of games available for Linux is low. This is slowly changing as the number of Linux users grow, demanding games for their computers. For the time being, computer games is a field in which Linux is not the front runner.
Some more info regarding Linux:
Books availably free on the net, regarding Linux, the open source movement, and free software:
1. In the Beginning was the Command Line by Neal Stephenson.
- A popular science fiction writer talks about the Linux operating system in general. This book is not a guide to using Linux but more of a thorough introduction.
2. The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric Raymond.
- A book about the free software movement and the open source movement, comparing and contrasting the two.
3. A Fan of Freedom by Sam Williams.
- A book on the biography of Richard Stallman, the GNU foundation (GNU's Not Unix Foundation) and free software.
Websites to get you started on Linux:
www.linux-tutorial.info - A whole website dedicated to teaching people how to use Linux, a must see.
www.linuxforums.org - A website with users willing to answer newbie questions and help those starting out with Linux.
www.tldp.org - The Linux Documentation Project's homepage.
www.newsforge.com - For news related to Linux and open software.
The author of this article can be contacted at hairy_urban_yeti@yahoo.com
