Introduction to Linux

OS/2 Users Group - June 1997 Meeting
Matthew Tippett
(mtippett@linuxsa.org.au)

Introduction

• Linux
  • What is Linux?
  • History
  • Uses for Linux
  • Current Platforms
  • Linux Connectivity
  • Available Software
  • Linux Resources

• LinuxSA
  • What is LinuxSA?
  • History
  • Contacting LinuxSA

What is Linux?

• Freely Distributable UNIX Clone
  • 32 or 64 bit
  • Compliant to X/Open and POSIX
  • Mostly compatible with BSD and SYSV
  • Fully available and independent source code
  • Linux is the kernel, not the utility programs
  • Six years old, now at 2.0.30 (2.1.43)
  • Available on multiple hardware platforms

• Covered by the GNU Public License (GPL)
  • Not Free-ware or Share-ware
  • Linux Source code will ALWAYS be freely available
  • Can be developed by anyone

History Of Linux

• Developed and maintained by Linus Torvalds
  • Inspired by, and initially developed on Minix
  • Initially supposed to be the Hacker's Minix
  • 5 October 1991 - First Official Release 0.02
  • Developed in two streams x.y.z - y even and odd

• Development Epochs
  • March 1992 - 0.95 - Approaching Official Release
  • December 1993 - 0.99pl14
  • March 1994 - 1.0 (1.1, 1.2, 1.3)
  • June 1996 - 2.0 (2.1)

Uses For Linux

• Unix Workstation
  • X Windows
  • NFS

• Software Development
  • GNU Development Environment
    • C, C++, Ada
  • Java
  • Many others

• File Server
  • Unix, Windows and Netware

• Internet
  • Web Server
  • News Server
  • Firewall

Supported Platforms

• Major platforms
  • Intel (386, 486, Pentium & SMP)
  • Sparc (sun4 hardware, Ultra underway)
  • DEC Alpha

• Other platforms, including
  • MIPS
  • Motorola 68000
  • Motorola PowerPC

• On different platforms either 32 or 64 bit

• Networking
  • Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Arcnet, ATM, modems, Packet radio, X.25, ISDN, Token ring, Parallel

Linux Connectivity

• Network Filesystems
  • NFS
  • SMB
  • Netware
  • Appletalk

• Local Filesystems
  • Native (e2fs)
  • DOS FAT, VFAT, FAT32
  • UFS, System V
  • ISO 9660
  • HPFS, Amiga FFS

Software

• Native Software
  • Commercial Software - Corel, MS ActiveX
  • Java Applets
  • SCO and SVR4 software - iBCS2

• Emulated
  • SunOS and Solaris software
  • Windows 16 bit software - WABI, Wine
  • DOS software - DOSEMU

Linux Resources

• In Print
  • Linux Journal
  • SysAdmin Magazine

• On The Internet
  • Linux International
    • http://www.li.org/
  • SSC
    • http://www.linux.org/
  • LDP
    • http://www.sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/LDP/

• Software Archives
  • Sunsite
    • ftp://sunsite.anu.edu.au/pub/Linux/
  • TSX-11
    • ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu/pub/linux/

What is LinuxSA?

• What?
  • User Group
  • Promotes Linux In South Australia

• Who?
  • Any experience level
  • Professionals and Hobbyists

• When & Where ?
  • 7:00 pm, Third Tuesday of the Month
  • 38 Greenhill Rd

LinuxSA History

• Reason For Forming
  • Wanted support with Linux
  • Wanted to share ideas about Linux

• Creation and Start up
  • End of 1995/start of 1996
  • First meeting April, 1996
  • Three more meetings in 1996

• 1997 and the Future
  • InstallFest April, 1997
  • Numbers increasing, resources becoming available

Contacting LinuxSA

• LinuxSA Homepage
  • http://www.linuxsa.org.au/

• LinuxSA Mailing List
  • linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au

• LinuxSA Organisers
  • organisers@linuxsa.org.au
  • mtippett@linuxsa.org.au
  • geoffrey@linuxsa.org.au

• Telephone
  • Matthew - 8285 7804
  • Geoffrey - 8370 3650

Questions?