Operating Systems and Linux

Shrey Kumar Singh
Sep 7, 2018 · 3 min read

Around us, we are all surrounded by electronic devices. Among these, we have something called, “The Computer.” Everywhere we go, we will find one. Earlier, it was scarce as it used to be expensive and was used only for professional purposes. Years passed by, and the Computer became smaller and smaller. Not just the size, even the amount needed to purchase it became small, so little, that it is now available every here and there. Thanks to late British mathematician Charles Babbage that we have this beauty around us now.

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Going deeper and looking into the functioning of a computer, we will see there is something which helps us to make a connection with the hardware, the Operating System.

An operating system (OS), in its most general sense, is software that allows a user to run other applications on a computing device.

Technopedia

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Knowing this fact, we realize that it is a crucial part of a computer system. There are many operating systems:

  • Microsoft Windows
  • Mac OS
  • Linux
  • Many More…

Among these operating systems, the most used one is Microsoft Windows due to the simple interface and usability.


Released in 1991, Linux is another commonly used Operating System. Unlike Windows, Linux does not need a serial key to work. Being an open source software, it is a modifiable system, which means Linux allows users to customize it. Hence, it does not demand us a key to use it.

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Initially made for personal computers, Linux has been ported to many other devices, more than any other operating system. Even the Android smartphones we use nowadays have got a Linux based kernel in it. The question arises, why Linux? It has got reasons:

  • It is customizable.
  • It has a better programming environment to work with.
  • It has a lesser chance of virus attacking it.

It has found uses at many places, Desktops, Smartphones, Games, Embedded chips and Netbooks. As mentioned above, it is customizable. This property of Linux has given rise to the invention of many Linux Distros. A Distro is just customized distribution of Operating System by an individual or a group of people. Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, Redhat are some of the examples of Linux Distro. Ubuntu is the most popular one because of it’s simple user interface and the number of features it provides compared to some other distros. On regular basis, these features are improved via updates for both Operating System and Kernel. It provides many programming opportunities which other Operating Systems fail to deliver. That is why, for programming purposes, Linux is considered the best of all. But in the end, it is all up to the user how they want to use their computers.

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