Unix(BSD,Linux) |CP/M |DOS |Microsoft Windows |OS/2 |Mac OS

Linux^®, sometimes called GNU/Linux, is a free and open source operating system developed by a loosely knit collection of developers around the world. The Linux kernel was first created in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, a Finnish college student. It was built on top of the GNU tools which gave the GNU/Linux OS commonly called Linux. It was designed to imitate the behavior and inner workings of UNIX® while remaining free to all to use.

Linux appears in many commercial operating systems like Red Hat and Novell's SUSE, and also in many non-commercial varieties, like Debian, Gentoo, Knoppix and others. In all, there are hundreds of 'distributions', or Linux based operating systems, available for download on the internet, free of charge. Some are discussed in more detail below. If you find a distribution that's not listed below, check if it's based on one that is. These derivatives generally have one or more areas they are intended to be different, but otherwise they will be similar. An extensive timeline graphic for currently functioning distributions and also for those which are no longer active can be found here: futurist.se/gldt.

Linux^®[edit]

Linux is the leading UNIX clone. The system generally consists of the Linux Kernel, User interface, development tools, Office Software and other utilities.

Linux consists of Open Source software. This means users have the right to receive the source code of the operating system. They are also free to study, modify and redistribute the source code. The GNU Public License is used for about 2/3 of a typical Linux system.

Generally, Linux refers to a group of open-source operating system distributions built around the Linux kernel. In the strictest sense, Linux refers only to the presence of the kernel itself. Linus Torvalds first released the Linux operating system kernel in 1991 as an alternative to Unix, a proprietary operating system which also served as the. Ubuntu comes with everything you need to run your organisation, school, home or enterprise. All the essential applications, like an office suite, browsers, email and media apps come pre-installed and thousands more games and applications are available in the Ubuntu Software Centre. Linux is a UNIX-base operating system. Its original creator was a Finnish student named Linus Torvalds, although being ‘open source’ it has changed a great deal since its original conception. It belongs to nobody and is free to download and use. ●Linux is an O/S core originally written by Linus Torvalds. Now almost 10,000 developers including major technology companies like Intel and IBM. ● A set of programs written by Richard Stallman and others. They are the GNU utilities. Oracle Solaris (formerly SunOS) is a commercial product that provides users with an integrated and full featured server-oriented platform that combines the powerful OpenStack open source cloud computing software with a stable and reliable enterprise-class operating system. Availability, supported.

Linux is a result of sustained effort of a huge community of programmers all over the world. Many of them are volunteers working on various projects in their free time. A number of companies also pay developers to work on the software. Linux is available in a variety of different distributions (flavors) including Ubuntu, Redhat, Slackware, Gentoo, SUSE, Mandriva and Debian.

One of the keys to the success of Linux is its open development model. This allows the users to contribute to improving the Operating System. The code submitted by individual developers undergoes a rigorous peer review process. This allows only high quality code into the OS. This review process weeds out bugs and security holes. The huge community of programmers (about a million) are able to fix bugs very quickly. Because of this, Linux is considered a very secure and high quality OS.

Linux is easily the most versatile operating system in the world. In addition to desktop computers, Linux is used in tiny 'embedded devices'. Archived from the original on 2012-12-09. http://archive.is/mvBm., all sorts of network equipment, large servers and even in super computers. In all these environments Linux provides robust performance, powerful networking, and a high degree of reliability. Linux is in general considered more secure than the Windows alternatives. Viruses, worms, trojans etc. are not as prevalent in Linux environments. This is because of a secure design which does not allow any single user/virus to disrupt the whole system. All normal Linux distributions come with solid firewall abilities. Users generally don't have to install anti-virus software.^[1]

Traditionally, Linux desktops have not been considered very user friendly. In recent time Linux desktops have significantly improved. GNOME and KDE are two very popular Linux desktops that feature a very user-friendly environment and plenty of useful software. Some distributions come with all the software that a typical user will ever use packaged with the operating system itself, eliminating the need to purchase extra software as one must do for typical proprietary operating systems. Maintaining and managing Linux desktops can also be very simple.

Linux is free to download in most cases. Product support is available from the commercial Linux vendors and others. Linux often has low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) because of its increased reliability, low software costs, and low administrative costs. This is particularly true for small businesses that are unable to negotiate low Windows costs, and for the very large businesses that can devote people to taking advantage of Linux. However, Linux is also the subject of a very complex copyright dispute. Service disruptions from viruses and annoyances from spyware are almost unheard of for Linux users.

In recent times Linux has proliferated to cell phones, telecom equipment, data centers and biometrics computation. Linux is expected to become the operating system of choice for consumer electronics and entertainment industries in future.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Live CDs / Live USB[edit]

See also: Live distro and Full Linux Install

People who are entirely new to Linux should try a distribution (ISO image) on a LiveCD or Live USB which is a full Linux system with video, ethernet and Wifi networking, web browser, flash player and sound that will run entirely from the CD/USB and will not modify their current operating system. These live CDs/USBs often run slowly but they will give the user an indication of whether that distribution will run on his/her machine, and the user is likely to see that Linux is a user friendly environment with high quality applications, multimedia functions, and network access.

This helps new users to test out how Linux looks before installing it into their system. These live CD also make excellent emergency boot disks, if the system using some other operating systems does not boot up correctly. Many can even install a complete Linux system while running the live CD, making the installation very simple.

For this, open an ISO image with UltraISO or similar choose 'Bootable'- 'Write disk image' to burn onto a bootable USB / CD-DVD.

Knoppix[edit]

Knoppix was one of the first live CDs. It has better hardware detection than most distributions, and many Linux users keep a Knoppix disk since it makes a nice rescue and demo system. Knoppix also allows you to test-drive several popular desktop environments, including KDE, IceWM, Window Maker, Fluxbox, Lars, TWM and Xfce.The book Knowing Knoppix/Knoppix for the first time has more details.

Fedora[edit]

Fedora distributes a popular live CD that uses GNOME and another one that uses KDE.

Ubuntu[edit]

The standard 'desktop version' of Ubuntu is a LiveCD.The book Using Ubuntu Linux/Live Boot has more details.

Distributions for New Users[edit]

See also: Live distro and Full Linux Install

People who have chosen to use Linux and need a desktop distribution should try a Live distro (Live DVD/USB) and easy-to-use. Each of the following distros help new users by providing a lot of hand-holding. In fact, the default installation will install and configure software such that any new user can immediately become productive.

Fedora[edit]

Fedora is a fast paced development that is updated every six months with new version, although the previous version is kept updated for the following 18 months. The Fedora system is tightly connected with RPM packages, and many open-source programs come ready made for Fedora (such as Mplayer, Gnutella etc..) Fedora is a completely free Linux distribution, meant to be developed with the most cutting edge versions of programs, that are updated with either Yum or Red Hat Networks. Users can choose between the GNOME desktop and the KDE desktop at login time.

Mandriva Linux[edit]

Mandriva Mandriva Linux was the first distro to focus on ease of use.

Puppy Linux[edit]

Puppy Linux is for beginners and runs fast on old hardware. It also takes up little space on the CD, DVD, or USB flash drive. It makes it easy to modify and add to the basic distribution. When one is combined into a disk image it is called a puplet. Users can upload their puplets to the project's website.

Puppy is a single-user system. That is, the user always has root privileges. This is the same poor security model that gets Windows 9x users in so much trouble.

A slightly more difficult distribution that also has low system requirements is Damn Small Linux. DSL has a better security model than Puppy.

Ubuntu Linux[edit]

Ubuntu is based on Debian and produces a new release every 6 months rain or shine. Ubuntu provides free Ubuntu Linux CDs to anyone who asks for them, which makes Ubuntu free-as-in-pizza even if you don't have a high-speed Internet connection.In the default configuration, you cannot log in as root, or use the 'su' command to become the root user.Instead of the traditional root superuser, Ubuntu uses sudo to give certain users administrative privileges.Although one may enable the root account, it is not recommended[1][2][3].

Ubuntu only officially supports a subset of the packages in Debian, but you can access the rest of the packages with a little work. The default setup includes GNOME, but there's also a KDE version of the distribution called Kubuntu.

There are also other versions of Ubuntu available such as Edubuntu (suited for educational use) and the lightweight versions (in early development) Xubuntu and UbuntuLite. Even though the different Ubuntu versions are available as different installations, the only difference between them is what software they have included. So basically they are all the same distribution, and they all have the same software packages available on-line.

openSUSE[edit]

openSuSE is focused on desktop Linux for Business users. Most of the configuration is done YaST, an open source tool.

Moblin[edit]

• Moblin at Wikipedia.

Moblin ('mobile Linux internet') is a project developing a version of Linux and applications for netbooks and mobile internet devices.

Others[edit]

• Linux Mint at Wikipedia.

Distributions for Power Users[edit]

Regular users of Linux, generally called power users, may prefer distributions like Debian or Slackware to the others due to the easy customization and power these distributions give. Due to this, they also make excellent distributions for servers. New users are encouraged to read the extensive documentation available before trying to use these two distributions unless they have some one who is nearby to help them in case of trouble, or if they have some experience in Linux and want to learn more. Both Debian and Slackware have many derivatives, some of which are also for advanced users. Users considering either one should look into the derivatives as well.

Debian GNU/Linux[edit]

Introductioncylon Linux Operating System Linux

Debian is a non-commercial distribution known for its package management system and strict requirements of its packages and releases.

Debian comes in three branches: stable, testing and unstable. New packages to be included in the distribution are initially pushed to the unstable branch. Once the package has been shown not to cause too many crashes it is pushed to testing where it will stay for several months while thousands of users test it and work out bugs. Once most release critical bugs are solved, the package will be a candidate for the stable branch.

An advantage is that the Debian stable branch is very stable indeed and almost bug free but at the price of being a bit outdated. Debian stable often does not include support for the latest hardware and software features desktop users like to see. Therefore, most desktop users of Debian prefer some kind of mix of Stable, Testing and sometimes even Unstable for their final desktop configuration.

Debian also has a very good package management system, quite possibly THE best package management system of any OS in the world.

Debian is also known for being a completely free (as in freedom) operating system, and unless you include the 'non-free' branch in your sources file, everything will be Free Software. The word Free does not pertain to cost (you can sell these things) but to freedom: every package in Debian gives you the right to use, distribute, and modify the software (even for money).

See Using Debian in a Graphic environment.

Slackware[edit]

Slackware is one of the oldest distributions. Its emphasis is on simplicity of design and following Unix conventions. The result of this focus on design simplicity is that configuration is often left to the user.(development source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slackware)

Arch[edit]

Arch tries to provide a stable and functional minimal core of software and then provide a lot of flexibility for users to customise on top of this. Arch operates a 'rolling release' policy, so you can install once and then keep up to date, rather than having to wait for periodical releases and then doing a major upgrade.

Source-based Distributions[edit]

Some distributions allow you to build a Linux system starting with just source code. These distributions are not recommended for new computer users, since it is more complicated and everything has to be compiled. Installation is slow, but some people find it worth the trouble, as when installation is completed you are left with a powerful, high-performance system. Additionally it is a great learning experience.

Gentoo[edit]

The aim of Gentoo is to provide an up-to-date, customizable, and high performance GNU/Linux distribution.

Gentoo is a non-commercial source-based distribution, which means that when installing programs for Gentoo, scripts will download the source code for the program and then compile it to fit your computer configuration (CPU optimizations). Gentoo uses Portage, a very sophisticated and advanced package manager, to achieve all of this. The inspiration for Portage came from the BSD Ports packaging system.

Installing a complete system can take quite some time, so it is also possible to install Gentoo with pre-compiled packages, at the cost of some speed optimizations. Gentoo users claim that the optimizations and configuration options (USE flags) make their computers noticeably faster, but critics of Gentoo argue that the optimizations are overrated and that the increased speed from optimizations are lost when you consider the amount of time the computer has to spend compiling programs. Also, excessive optimization can lead to instability.

Compared to other distros, Gentoo software tends to be more bleeding edge, which means it is newer and has more features, but is less stable.

Linux From Scratch[edit]

Linux From Scratch is not a distribution at all. Instead, it is an online book that guides a user through the process of downloading, compiling, installing, and configuring each component of a typical GNU/Linux system. Although it tends to be impractical for most desktop users, setting up a Linux from Scratch system can be a great learning experience.

SourceMage[edit]

SourceMage is derived from Sorcerer, probably the first source-based distribution with a good package manager. It uses Sorcery, a powerful package manager with full dependency resolution and featuring a lot of innovative features, completely written in bash.

Perhaps the main difference between Gentoo and SourceMage is the ease of use and installation, which is faster because of the project's emphasis on speed.^[2]

It's mainly targeted at Linux From Scratch users bored from the process of maintaining their systems manually, and will look somewhat familiar for Debian users, as its package manager shares some concepts with Apt, but is far more flexible. Also, SourceMage has a Social Contract similar to the Debian Social Contract.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ↑'Do I Need an AntiVirus Program on Linux?';Wikipedia: Linux malware
2. ↑'FrequentlyAskedQuestions: DiffGentoo' See Speed under 'Other Distinctions'

External links[edit]

While 99% of us were going through the ordeal of trying to work with either the Microsoft horizontal monopoly or the Apple vertical monopoly, there has been a third option growing in the weeds. Free open source tools, such as Linux, began in the early 1990s when some very forward thinking computer programmers insisted on freedom from the rigid patent structure imposed by commercial outfits like Microsoft and Apple. The free software movement began in 1984 when Richard Stallman left MIT and founded GNU in order to create free software programs. GNU is an acronym for “Gnu is Not Unix.” Richard Stallman stated that GNU is a “technical means to a social end.” The social end was freeing knowledge from the clutches of private corporate monopolies – much like Thomas Jefferson advocated for our public schools as being an essential foundation of our Democracy.

Richard was also following the example of Henry Ford, who challenged the patents that were used in 1911 to monopolize the development of the automobile. After overcoming this patent restraint on innovation, the automobile was able to develop rapidly. Richard Stallman argued that the same freedom from patent restrictions would lead to innovation in the software industry which would benefit everyone. Richard argued that scientific advances were best accomplished in a process of openness and cooperation rather than corporate secrecy. Richard’s goal was to bring a free software operating platform into existence. Stallman wanted computer users to be free to study the source code of the software they use, free to share the software with other people, free to modify the behavior of the software, and free to publish their modified versions of the software. In 1989, GNU published the first General Public License (GPL) under which software is legally shared freely.

Linus Torvalds Provides the Missing Link

One thing missing from the GNU project was a stable “kernel” or core which is at the heart of the operating system. The kernel can be thought of as the foundation of a house. GNU made all the components of the house, such as the walls and the roof and the plumbing and electrical devices. But the foundation they built it on – a kernel called HURD – was too complex and too unstable. In 1991, a simple, stable kernel was created by Linus Torvalds. The kernel was called Linux since it was based in part on the Unix operating system. The Unix operating system was a private system owed by AT&T which for many years had allowed folks to use their program for free, but in 1979 AT&T decided to start charging to use their UNIX program. Most programmers paid the fee. But some, including Linus Torvalds, decided to create their own operating system.

The proper name for the Linux operating system is GNU/Linux. However, as this is difficult to say and remember, most people simply refer to it as Linux and refer to the project which supports much of what goes into it as the GNU project.

Richard Stallman protests that calling GNU/Linux just Linux fails to recognize the role that GNU plays in building the entire operating system. However, in this book we will use the simple term Linux as our goal is to spread the use of this operating system and a simple term is more likely to spread usage than a complex term.

BSD, another free open source operating system is developed – and also paid for by the public

While Linux was the world’s first free open source operating system, it was soon joined by another free operating system called BSD which stands for the Berkeley Software Distribution. This project started in the 1980s with a nearly finished free open source operating system released in June 1991. It was also based in part on the Unix operating system and therefore was a cousin of the Linux operating system. However, lawsuits by similar commercial operating systems, held up release of BSD until 1994 when a court decision held that over 99% of the BSD system did not violate any patents. There are currently several versions of the BSD free operating system.

What is important to understand about both the Linux and BSD operating systems is that both of them were initially funded primarily by public tax payer dollars. The BSD project was at the University of California at Berkeley. Nearly all the funding therefore came from taxes paid by the citizens of the State of California with some help from the US federal tax payers. Linux Torvalds also points out that the only reason he was able to devote several years to creating the Linux operating system was that the citizens of Finland paid for his college education. In Finland, citizens can attend college for only $500 per year. Linus spent 8 years getting his Master’s Degree (and working on the operating system). So we really should thank the citizens of Finland for the fact that we all can now benefit from the world’s safest operating system.

Microsoft and Apple take advantage of free open source operating systems

While Microsoft and Apple have both accused each other of violating each others patents, the irony is that they have both used free open source components to improve their own operating systems. The Apple operating systems in particular is based almost entirely on the BSD operating system. Thus, Apple is a close cousin of the Unix and Linux operating system. Because BSD and Linux are shared over the Internet, both projects had a strong interest in developing the Internet networking portion of their free operating systems. As the importance of the Internet grew in the 1990s, Microsoft adopted most of this free open source networking code into its own commercial operating system. Therefore, regardless of the operating system you are currently using, you are already using some free open source code.

There are many other examples of technological development paid for by the public. The entire Internet was built by public universities with public taxpayer dollars. The wireless Wi-Fi system was also created using public taxpayer dollars. Even current development of open source programs is done largely by programmers at public universities who want to share code with programmers at other public universities. The only question is why any of us should continue to pay for products which were all created by our tax dollars. When products are created by the public, they ought to remain free and in the public domain. There is clearly something wrong with the current system: the public pays the costs of technology development but private monopolies take the profits.

Open Source Initiative versus the Free Software Foundation

Despite the fact that the GNU/Linux operating system was free and was the safest and most versatile operating system in the world, adoption and refinement of the GNU/Linux operating system grew slowly. The first complete version, Linux 1.0, was not released until 1994. Ironically, there is a drawback to the word “free.” Businesses and the general public tend to think of the word “free” as in no cost or “cheap” or “not very good.” Richard Stallman tried valiantly to clarify that the term “free” meant free as in “freedom” and that freedom from patent restrictions is important. But businesses and the public failed to recognize that their freedom was being taken away by the Microsoft and Apple monopolies. Unfortunately, many business owners thought that free open source programs meant a communist attack which threatened their belief in capitalism.

To encourage wider adoption of the Linux operating system, a group split off from the Free Software Foundation in the mid-1990s and formed the Open Source Initiative. Instead of emphasizing the fact that the software was free, they pointed out the benefits of the software being open source – meaning that the source code was free of patent restrictions and could be freely shared. This change in focus led to businesses such as Google, Amazon and Facebook adopting version of the Linux open source operating system. These groups then devoted some funds back to the further development of open source operating systems. However, the emphasis on this new open source transparent code (rather than freedom) led to a split between Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds – a difference of opinion which still exists today.

Two Desktop Interfaces… The First Fork in the Road

One problem with the Linux operating system in 1992 was that you had to know computer programming to use it. Therefore several groups began working on open source Graphic User Interfaces or GUIs so that a person could simply click on a series of buttons with a mouse rather than typing a bunch of computer programming with a key board – thus making Linux more user friendly. The interface appears on a computer screen which is also called a desktop. At some point, this interface became called a “Desktop Environment” or DE.

The first open source desktop interface, called KDE for K Desktop Environment, was started in 1996. However, because some parts of KDE were not open source, a second and fully open source operating system, called GNOME, was started in 1997. GNOME stands for GNU Object Modeling Environment. This was the first major fork in the road for the Linux operating system. Even today, there are still Linux Systems based on GNOME and others based on KDE. A branch off of the Linux tree is called a fork:

Linux takes over the Web Server Market

Because any computer programmer can do whatever they want with Linux, there quickly became many forks of Linux. Most of these forks were special branches intended to run servers. Servers are special computers that host websites and control traffic on the Internet. The main reason most servers use the Linux operating system is that it is safe and dependable. Unlike a personal computer, which is usually on only a few hours a day, web servers are typically on 24 hours a day. You therefore need an operating system that does not crash regardless of what it is confronted with. You also need an operating system which is safe from viruses and hacker attacks. Because servers are built and run by experienced computer programmers, most of them chose to use Linux. But they also forked Linux into highly specialized versions which are not that appropriate for the average person to use to run their own personal computer.

GNOME 1 and 2 Shells

The GNOME project developed a free open source graphic user interface which is used to display the free open source Linux operating system on a normal personal computer. Gnome 2 was started in about 2002 to improve the appearance and structure of Gnome 1. These incredibly smart people were interested in long term cutting edge innovation more than short term quarterly profits. For years, Linux had been a tool used mainly by Geeks and computer programmers who would build their own computers from scratch. It is actually easier than you might think to throw together a few computer components and create a low cost high powered computer. Because they wanted freedom, they would also install their own operating systems – which were nearly all offshoots of Linux. But to use these early Linux operating systems, you pretty much had to be good with computer programming. While some of the computer could be controlled using the GNOME interface, many functions still required entering computer commands into a portion of the GNOME interface called the “terminal.” Think of terminal as in deadly illness. Requiring any computer programming at all eliminates 99% of us who will never learn computer programming. I personally know several computer programming languages and have taught computer programming. So I am not really talking about myself. I am talking about my students. It takes real focus and dedication to get good at computer programming and most people simply do not have the time or interest to really learn it.

Distributions – also known as Distros

Distributions are packages of free open source programs that are built on top of the Linux foundation. The package includes a word processing program, an image processing program and any of thousands of other possible programs. Some distributions use the Gnome Shell, some use the KDE shell and/or several different shells. When you download a Linux operating system, what you are really downloading is one of the many distributions of Linux. The oldest of these distributions is Debian – which began in 1993 using a very early version of the Linux operating system. Fedora was introduced a couple of years later. This distribution is sponsored by a commercial Linux based company called Red Hat which has revenue of over one billion dollars per year. Below is a 2017 November list of the five most popular distributions (or open source software packages) based on number of page hits per day according to distrowatch.com:

Linux Mint is the first Linux distribution to average over 2,500 page hits per day. It has been the leading Linux distribution for the past two years. Ubuntu is a fork of Debian that was started in 2004 to offer a consistent release and update cycle. It was the most popular distribution until about 2011 when it was replaced by Mint. Mint is a fork of Ubuntu that was started in 2006 to offer users a more Windows-like operating system.

Linux Distributions Family Tree

Linux Ubuntu

Ubuntu was started in 2004 by a South African businessman named Mark Shuttleworth. His company is called Canonical and his goal was to create a more user friendly operating system. He chose the “Debian” version of Linux as his base and added more friendly user interfaces over time. Like Debian, Ubuntu is based on the Gnome shell.

Introductioncylon Linux Operating System Software

While Ubuntu and Mint are technically called “distributions” or “distros”, they can also be thought of as “skins” with Linux as the brain. Ubuntu released a version called Warty Warthog in 2004. This was the first widespread public adoption of an operating system other than MS Windows and Apple Mac. The main benefit of Ubuntu back in 2005 was that it was free. It was therefore used in cheap computers in schools and in poor countries, which often could not afford hundreds of dollars per student every year for Windows based operating systems and related software. Sadly, Ubuntu was not very stable and it crashed a lot. It was also not very easy to use. Many of the functions are hidden and the file structure is not very logical. Worst of all, to really use it, you still had to learn a series of computer programming commands to operate their “terminal.” This meant that Ubuntu was not a good choice for most beginners. But the worst aspect of Ubuntu is its blatant promotion of a mega corporation - Amazon. In October 2012, Ubuntu released version 12.10 which, for the first time, featured a link to Amazon.com in its main menu. Below is the Linux Ubuntu Start Screen:

It is easy to delete this link. But what angered many Ubuntu users is that Ubuntu now collects data on user desktop activity and forwards it to Amazon. Many Ubuntu users are now bombarded by ads from Amazon after using the Ubuntu Search Box (which is now linked to Amazon).

Richard Stallman has described the integration of Ubuntu with Amazon as “spyware.” See the following 6 minute Youtube video for a fuller explanation of Richard Stallman’s concerns about the Amazon/Ubuntu invasion of your privacy:

One of the advantages of free software is that users historically have been able to protect themselves from malicious features. To recover our right to privacy, we have to either convince the Ubuntu developers to stop spying on us - or we need to move away from Ubuntu towards a project like Linux Mint which does not spy on us. I should add that even if Ubuntu stopped spying on us, I would still recommend Linux Mint because it has a much better file manager. Also Ubuntu has a problem in that, like Windows 8, many important commands are hidden from view. You can navigate the Dash with your mouse, but it is incredibly complicated for beginners, hiding a lot of your apps under expandable menus and small icons. That means browsing for apps is a pretty bad experience when you are using Ubuntu.

The Linux Mint Project starts in 2006

In 2006, a group of programmers, led by Clem Lefebvre, split off from Ubuntu and began the Linux Mint project. The Mint interface and file structure are much more like the Windows interface and file structure. This was a huge improvement over Ubuntu – but nowhere near as mature as Windows XP, which had a 10-year lead over Linux Mint. Just as Rome was not built in a day, it took several years for the Linux Mint team to create a stable reliable product. Development, appearance and user friendliness accelerated in 2009 with the introduction of the Ubuntu Software Manager. This new tool, used by both Ubuntu and Mint, would eventually put open source operating systems ahead of commercial operating systems which lack this feature. Their latest version, Linux Mint 18 Cinnamon, featuring Libre Office 5, is in many ways substantially better than Windows 10. We will review these benefits in the next section on Linux Mint. Even ignoring the fact that Mint is free, it is better than Windows – and can work with either Windows based programs – or with thousands of free open source programs, such as Libre Office, which easily converts Microsoft Office documents.

Linux Mint comes in four different flavors or versions.

Bridge baron 28 softwareeverdownloads. In addition, Linux Mint is available in two more versions. These are the KDE project’s version of Linux and the XFCE version of Linux:

For many years, I had recommended Mint Mate over Mint Cinnamon because Mate was less cutting edge and therefore more stable. However, Cinnamon has improved greatly in the past six years and is now very stable. It also offers many features not available on any other Linux distribution. I therefore now recommend Mint Cinnamon for any computer that has at least 2 GB of RAM. Mint XFCE is not very good because its file manager is limited. However, Mint KDE is interesting in that it is similar to Mint Mate. If this sounds confusing, it is. One of the drawbacks of Open Source is that anyone is free to do whatever they want. So there are lots of options and you will need to get use to a diversity of options and opinions if you want the benefits of open source programs.

Understanding Linux Diversity

One of the perceived drawbacks of Linux is complexity. Linux comes in many different flavors which are called distributions (or distros for short). This is actually a good thing since there is strength in diversity and because diversity helps promote innovation. There are also many versions of Windows and Mac Operating Systems. But with Windows and Mac, the main purpose of their version changes seems to be to force their customers to pay them for the update to the new version – which is often worse than the old version. With Linux, diversity is more related to meeting different needs – not to create more profits.

Below are just a few of the many branches off of the Linux tree:

A key difference between the various Linux options is the Graphic User Interface. Other differences include the File Manager (each has a different one) and the other free programs that come packaged with each option. We will handle this complexity by recommending what is currently the simplest, most stable and most powerful interface – Linux Mint Cinnamon.

Introductioncylon Linux Operating System Ubuntu

Its screens look quite similar to Windows 7 and Windows XP screens – so if you have been using Windows 7 or XP, you will feel right at home. In my opinion, Linux Mint Cinnamon is currently the best and most stable operating system in the world. It uses a very easy file manager called Nemo.

Introductioncylon Linux Operating System Command

Reasons to Choose Linux Mint Cinnamon

What is important to understand about Linux operating systems is that there is really no need to upgrade or get updates unless you really want to. Some folks have expressed concerns about the rapid release cycles with open source programs such as Linux Mint Cinnamon. New versions are released about every six months. Novices fear it will be difficult keeping up with all the updates and new versions. However, unlike Windows, which leaves the back door open to hacker attacks, Linux does not leave the back door open. Thus, there is no need for a monthly “update” and there is no need for an annual “upgrade” just to have a safe and secure operating system.

Linux Mint Cinnamon Desktop with Start Menu open

The only reason to upgrade is if you want some new features. Because a lot of people want the most recent version, Linux Mint Cinnamon offers a way to back up and copy all of your data whenever you want to update to a newer version. While free open source operating systems like Linux Mint are still less than 3% of all current personal computer users, the trend is clearly going in their direction.

Free Software

Another huge advantage of Linux Mint is there free Software Center which allows us to download any of hundreds of programs with just the click of a button:

Linux Mint Community Forum

A final reason to choose Linux Mint over other Linux distributions is the Linux Mint Forum. Because Linux Mint was developed specifically for those who were used to the Windows operating system - but wanted to move away from Microsoft, the Mint Community Forum is run by people who are kind, understanding and aware of the challenges that a Linux novice faces in making the jump from Windows to Linux.

Spend some time reading the questions and answers on this forum and you will quickly see that Linux Mint is not merely an operating system. It is a community. Feel free to ask them any questions you have about Linux or Linux Mint. Here is a link to the Linux Mint Community Forum. https://forums.linuxmint.com/

Linux Mint Cinnamon is Easy to Learn

In our books and courses, we recommend Linux Mint Cinnamon mainly because it looks and works much like the Windows XP and Windows 7 operating systems. It is thus a very easy way for Windows refugees to learn and use Linux. Mint also has an excellent community of supporters who answer questions asked by “nu bees” on the Linux Mint forum. We also recommend Mint because it can be easily customized into a powerful tool for writing books, courses and websites.

Tipping Points and the Structure of Scientific Revolutions

In the book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Thomas Kuhn explains that revolutions do not happen gradually. People are highly resistant to change. They cling to existing beliefs until something drastic, a triggering event, forces them to consider something new. That triggering event may be the Double Whammy of Microsoft ending support for Windows XP and at the same time trying to force users to adopt the fundamentally flawed Windows 10 operating system. Once 10% of the people become aware that there is a better option – which is also free – and an option where they can continue to safely use their current computers and current Word documents, change can spread like wildfire to the rest of the population.