This is from a poster received with the December 1998 issue of Sys Admin magazine.

Linux is a viable competitor to Microsoft Windows. More and more
applications and platforms are becoming available for Linux.

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LINUX Primer

Linux, (pronounced lin' ux) is a POSIX-compliant, UNIX-like operating
system designed to work on a wide variety of hardware plrtforms, including x86,
Motorola 68k and Power PC, Digital Alpha, and SPARC. Linux is freely distributed
under the terms of the GNU Public License. Distributions usually include the
Linux kernel and a variety of binaries that support GUIs, networking, and many
other server and end-user needs. The kernel uses no proprietary source code.
Linux is widely available from the Internet and from several vendors on CD-Rom
or disk.

Linux was originally developed by Linux Torvalds, then a computer science student
at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Linus set out to write a small UNIX system
to run on x86-based machines. He made the source code freely available, and
since tthen Linux has grown and matured with the help of thousands of programmers
around the world. Linus also selected Tux, the penguin (originally created by Larry
Ewing), as the official mascot of the Linux operating system.

Seven years after its introduction, Linux is the second fastest growing OS in the world.
With recent announcements of support from Oracle, Informix, Sybase, Intel, Netscape,
Corel, Novell, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Lotus, and others, the future for Linux looks
bright. (There is an version under development for the HP RISC architecture.)

(from the LINUX PRIMER poster from Sys Admin - the Journal for UNIX Systems Administration,
December 1998.
http://www.samag.com 1.800.444.4881 )

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Terms to Know:

Binaries - Pre-built software, ready for installation and execution on a specific hardware platform (in contrast to source-code distributions, which require compiling, linking, and installation before the software may be used).
Distribution - The Linux kernel and utilities, tools, and applications. These are available on the Internet and on CD-ROM and disk.
GNOME - (GNU Network Object Model Environment) - A freely distributed desktop environment for UNIX. http://www.gnome.org
GNU - (GNU's Not UNIX) - A UNIX-compatible software system developed by the Freeware Software Foundation. The GNU project was started in 1983 by Richard Stallman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. http://www.gnu.ai.mit.edu
GPL - (GNU Public License) - Under the GPL, one may freely copy, change, and distribute, but may not impose any restrictions on further distribution. The source code must be made available.
KDE - (K Desktop Environment) - A freely distributed desktop environment for UNIX. http://www.kde.org
Kernel - Teh core operating system process that establishes the characteristic machine abstractions, such as file systems, memory and process management, and device interfaces.
Open Source Software (OSS) - Software that is freely distributed, includes source code, and allows modifications.
POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface for UNIX) - A set of standards that define an interface between programs and operating systems. Designing programs to conform to POSIX standards gives developers some assurance that their software can easily ported to POSIX-compliant operating systsm. The POSIX standards are now maintained by the Portable Applications Standards Committee (PASC). http://www.pasc.org
Proprietary Software - Software that is privately owned and controlled. The term proprietary is often used as the opposite of open.
Public Domain Software - Software that is not copyrighted.

USEFUL SITES

Freshmeat (downloads of s/w) - http://www.freshmeat.net

Linux Documentation Project - http://sunsite.unc.edu./LDP

Linux International - http://www.li.org

Linux Now - http://www.linuxnow.com

Linux Online - http://www.linux.org

Linux Resources - http://www.linuxresources.com

Linux Today - http://www.linuxtoday.com

Linux Weekly News - http://lwn.net

Open Source Promotion Project - http://www.OpenSource.org

Penguin Power - http://www.penguinpower.com

SANS - http://www.sans.org

Slashdot - http://www.slashdot.org

Usenix - http://www.usenix.org

LINUX Primer

Terms to Know:

USEFUL SITES

Other UNIX related Links