Introduction to Linux

Linux for Beginners

It’s an operating system that is built around the open-source Linux kernel. Linux kernel is used by different operating systems and those are called Linux distributions. I based on the idea of free and open-source software. We can change, edit to suit our needs, and Linux is developed and maintained by thousands of developers worldwide. It can be used to run huge global networks to control electronic projects like a Raspberry Pi. It can run one of the world's largest supercomputers as well.

These applications share the same basic components as,

• Kernel
• User Space
• Resources

People with many different job roles used Linux. Writers, Video editors, Analysts, and all kinds of professionals use this for many purposes. Software developers use Linux for their coding and development works. Also, many services on the internet are hosted on Linux servers.

What are the fundamentals?

The Linux Kernel

All operating systems have kernels, but mostly when talking about the OS, we don’t talk about kernels as much as Linux kernels. It is the core of Linux distributors and open-source programs. It is originally released by Linux Torvalds (1991). A kernel is software that gives the ability to communicate with computer software. This can run on its own and it’s required to run software on a computer. The kernel is a part of a working operating system.

Linux Architecture

• Linux kernel can run on a wide range of hardware.
• It can be built to include support for specified software or varied hardware.
• A kernel is not interacted with directly by most users.
• Programmers or system administrators may interact with the kernel directly.

How to interact with a Linux System?

· Graphical desktop environment

· Text-based shell

Graphical desktop environment

It can install and switch between various desktop environments. GNOME Shell, KDE, MATE, and Cinnamon are the most popular desktop environments. Even though many people use Linux with a desktop environment to accomplish their tasks, sometimes we need to do those things differently. Therefore, we have to move to the other primary method that interacting with the console.

What is a console?

It is a text-based interface where an interactive shell runs. We type commands in the shell and it returns what we need to know in a text form.

· Linux kernel can run on a wide range of hardware.

• It can be built to include support for specified software or varied hardware.
• The kernel is not interacted with directly by most users.
• Programmers or system administrators may interact with the kernel directly.

What is Linux Shell?

• It is software that we use to type commands and as a result, it will return text.
• Bash, Zsh, csh, and fish are popular shells.
• A shell can run in text mode as a console or inside of a terminal emulator in a GUI.
• This can be used locally or remotely.

What are GNU Coreutils?

It is a package of GNU software consisting of implementations for many of the basic tools, such as cat, ls, chmod, and rm. Those commands are used on Unix-like operating systems.

What do you know about the BusyBox?

• There are some systems that are used BusyBox instead of the GNU Coreutils.
• It is often found in embedded or lightweight systems.
• car, sp, mkdir, sleep, and stty are some examples of BusyBox commands.

What is the Linux file system?

• Directories and files are make up this system.
• File System Hierarchy(FSH) describes how the file system is organized and it helps to ensure consistent locations across distributions.
• The root is the top level of the file system and it is represented by a slash(/).

What are the user accounts on Linux?

Linux can be used by multi-users since it is supported by more than one user. It will be not efficient and it is a security nightmare.

• Standard users

Humans, programs, or services can have their own accounts. They can work on their own files but they are not allowed to access files that belong to others until they give permission to do so.

• Superuser (root)

These users can access any file on the system. Standard users can use root’s privileges with su or sudo commands. Standard users borrow root’s privileges to install or maintain software.

What are the Linux distributions (Distro)?

Linux distributions take care of the heavy lifting for you, compiling all of the code from open-source projects and integrating it into a single operating system that you can boot up and install. They also make decisions for you, such as the desktop environment, browser, and other software to use.

• Distributions are unique and those are preinstalled tools.
• Distro maintainers take decisions about how the system will be configured and how it operates.
• Each distro is different from the other based on what software is available through repositories, how long a distro is supported and which variation of the Linux kernel is used.
• Distros’ comes with GNU Corutils, BusyBox, and or other toolkits.
• Those have some purpose-specific tools like servers, utilities, desktop, and configuration.

It is important to know your distro and version when working with Linux. If you have no idea what you running you can use this command to find it.

cat/etc/*//release

If you are a beginner who has no idea to choose a distro I recommend choosing Ubuntu since it is easy to use.

So I hope you get a good understanding of Linux. If you have any questions please comment. So happy coding!!