Competing with Windows, Linux has managed to earn a fair amount of popularity owing to its unique features like being a free software and supporting open source development. Here is an introduction to Linux and an overview of the history of Linux. Read on…
Linux is one of the popularly used operating systems and is a free software supporting open source development. Originally designed for Intel 80386 microprocessors, Linux now runs on a wide variety of computer architectures and has spread far and wide. HP G42 keyboard

Unix was the third operating system to CTSS, the first one followed by MULTICS. A team of programmers led by Prof. Fernando J. Corbato at the MIT Computation Center, wrote the CTSS, the first operating system supporting the concept of time-sharing. AT&T started working on the MULTICS operating system but had to leave the project as they were failing to meet deadlines. Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Brian Kernighan at Bell Labs, used the ideas on the MULTICS project to develop the first version of Unix.HP DV5 fan

MINIX was a Unix-like system released by Andrew Tenenbaum. The source code was made available to the users but there were restrictions on the modification and distribution of the software. On August 25, 1991, Linus Torvalds, a second year computer engineering student studying in the University of Helsinki made an announcement that he was going to write an operating system. With an intent to replace MINIX, Torvalds started writing the Linux kernel. With this announcement of Torvalds, a success story had begun! Linux was previously dependent on the MINIX user space but with the introduction of the GNU GPL, the GNU developers worked towards the integration of Linux and the GNU components. Compaq C300 fan

The Unix-like operating system that uses the Linux kernel is known as the Linux operating system. In 1991, Linus Torvalds came up with the Linux kernel. He started writing the Linux kernel after which, around 250 programmers contributed to the kernel code. Richard Stallman, an American software developer, who was a part of the GNU project, created the General Public License, under which Linux is distributed. The utilities and libraries of Linux come from the GNU operating system. HP DM3 screen

By the term ‘free software’, we mean that Linux can be copied and redistributed in the altered or unaltered form without many restrictions. Each recipient of the Linux software is entitled to obtain the human readable form of the software and a notice granting the person the permissions to modify its source code. In other words, the distribution of the Linux software implies the distribution of a free software license to its recipients. Linux supports open source development by which we mean that all its underlying source code can be freely modified, used and distributed. The open source method of development enables the users of the software to access its source code. Compaq CQ41 screen

A Linux distribution is a project that manages the collection of Linux software and the installation of the OS. It includes the system software and the application software in the form of packages and the initial installation and configuration details. There are around 300 different Linux distributions. The most prominent of the Linux distributions include Red Hat, Fedora and Mandrake. Fedora Core came up after the ninth version of Red Hat Linux. Fedora Core is a rapidly updated Linux distribution. Most of the Linux distributions support a diverse range of programming languages. Most of them include Perl, Python, Ruby and other dynamic languages. Linux supports a number of Java virtual machines and development kits as also the C++ compilers. laptop screen

Linux is a freely available OS based on the Linux kernel. It is an inexpensive and effective alternative to the UNIX programs and utilities. Its open source implementation enables any programmer to modify its code. Linux supports a multi-tasking and multi-user environment as also the copy-on-write functionality. The monolithic Linux kernel handles the process control, networking and the file system. Device drivers are integrated in the kernel. The Linux operating system is equipped with libraries, compilers, text editors, a Unix shell and a windowing system. Linux supports both the command line as well and the graphical user interfaces. Linux is popularly used in servers and also with desktop computers, supercomputers, video games and embedded systems. I have always enjoyed working on the Linux platform, have you? laptop inverter

Computers have been one of the greatest inventions ever! They have changed the world by changing the way we think today. Read on to know how computers changed the world in detail. HP G56 keyboard

Fire is known to be man’s first invention. But, little did he know then, that this effort was going to change his world so drastically. Since then, invention after invention, right from a wheel to a guillotine, changed a lot of things for mankind. Right from simple machines to complex mechanisms, these inventions have only brought about a sea change in the way we function today. For instance, invention of computers brought a technology in the world which had the power to multitask like none other machine created by man. It could store information, simplify tasks and organize work with just one instruction. Ever since, computers have been developed into smarter machines by honchos of leading information technology conglomerates. Let’s find out how computers changed the world. HP DV6 fan

How Computers Changed The World Over The Years

How Computers Changed Business
Computers have changed the way a business functions in a large way. Back in the olden times, corporate houses rented spaces for running accounting departments. It took months together to figure out profit or loss that a business had made or suffered. Recording entries and other relevant data was done manually and most of it remained scripted. laptop keyboard

However, with the advent of computers, the concept of manual entries and use of human brain to remember and memorize company’s financial operations became obsolete. This transformation was known as automation, which made computers the backbone of all new age businesses. Today, computers are used beyond bookkeeping purposes too. Almost everything that happens in an organization, right from its inception to its closure, is recorded, worked upon, evaluated and rectified with the help of computers. Compaq C500 fan

How Computers Changed Our Lives
Imagining our lives without computers is next to impossible. Ubiquity of these machines goes to show our incorrigible dependence on them. Computers were initially used only in workplaces. However, they soon became a household name, which revolutionized everything from school homework to grocery shopping. When computers were supplemented by Internet, it caused a great shift in the way we functioned. It ironed out several creases in long distance communication. Lenovo T400 screen

This gave an impetus to globalization, bringing the world closer and opening new avenues to explore the human reach. Over a period of time, computers enabled working from home, which created a new type of employment for many. This gave usage of computers, within the confines of homes a new dimension. As technology progressed, simple things such as shopping, booking tickets, buying a new house, searching for schools and colleges, applying to the same, researching for projects and medical information became a lot easier with entry of computers in every households. Thus, computers affected our lives in ways that remained blinded to the naked eye. HP DM4 screen

How Computers Change the Way We Think
Computer being an indispensable tool in our lives, has changed the way we think in more ways than one. Today, all you have to do to find answers is, just ‘Google it’! The online world of blogging, instant messaging, chatting and social networking not only leaves virtual traces, but unites the world in a completely unimagined way. It has caused revolutions and added to the verve of celebrations in equal magnanimity. This powerful medium is the great mode of mass communication which affects out thinking by allowing people a platform to voice their opinions and stir discussions that have brought about a change in the world. Compaq CQ42 screen

Computers have pushed us to see different worlds and experiences cultures. Although the growth is a virtual one, it’s after effects are very much real. The revolution in Egypt is the latest example of how computers changed the world. Today the identity of information technology is computers. Invention of this machine has changed the world’s perspective about cultures, economics, history and current affairs. The advent of computers has no doubt brought a revolutionary change in our existence, however it has a flip side too. Thus, using a computer for a better evolution in the coming decades remains a bigger challenge for the mankind. laptop screen