Linux is an operating system created by university student Linus Torvalds in October 1991. Linux is a generic name for all UNIX systems running on the kernel of the same name. At the beginning of its history, Linux was quite demanding on user knowledge. We needed a deep understanding of the basics of Linux, but in the process of evolution of the operating system, many distributions appeared that simplified the work in it.
Differences between Linux and Windows
The basics of working in Linux with a graphical environment are no different from Windows. But Linux needs to be configured for the correct operation.
The most significant differences:
- Linux is for advanced users, Windows is a "system for all."
- Linux is superior to Windows in stream and data processing.
- When using Linux, you can not be afraid to violate any license agreement.
- Any application has its own address space, independent of the kernel address space, which makes it easy to create embedded systems based on Linux.
And this is not an exhaustive list of benefits.
Linux Benefits
Today, many Linux programmers are improving the system by developing new versions and its variants. Among the advantages are:
- Free - the operating system itself and most programs for it are completely free and fully functional.
- The absence of viruses - the very configuration of the kernel of the operating system excludes the work of harmful programs. This allows you to do without antiviruses that slow down your computer.
- Open source - which allows you to use and modify the code as you like. Also, this creates a huge number of embedded systems based on Linux.
Linux distributions
In its original form, Linux does not provide such familiar things as a graphical interface, installing or removing programs.
Distribution is a form of software distribution. They are needed to add additional components to the OS kernel, which will allow users to easily install, configure, the operating system.
Thanks to the open source code, the number of distributions is in the hundreds, but most of them are not worthy of attention, since they have a slight difference from each other. Users need stability without bugs and long-term technical support. The following is a list of distributions that are suitable for beginners to learn the basics of Linux.
List of the best distributions:
- Debian is stable and undemanding to resources. It has a huge number of packages to install. Absolutely free.
- Ubuntu is a less conservative version of Debian. Considered one of the best for home use.
For beginners, getting to know Linux is best suited to Ubuntu, since this operating system is most similar to the familiar Windows.
Install and configure Ubuntu
There are two different versions of Ubuntu distributions: LTS and Regular. The main difference between LTS is stability and long-term support. This version comes out every five years.
Regular versions come out much more often, but at the same time various problems with compatibility of these or those components can appear.
At the time of writing, the latest LTS version is 18.04 Bionic Beaver.
Installation will not cause any difficulties. The user only needs to click the "Next" button at the right time.
The last step before starting the installation you will be asked to enter information identifying you as a user. This information is useful not only at the start of the system, but also at the launch of some applications.
Linux Basics
On the Ubuntu desktop are located: control panel, dock-panel, as well as the application menu.
The notification panel is a translucent strip at the top of the screen, on which are located: date and time, a system tray with notifications, an activity menu that allows you to manage the desktop.
Dock-panel is a kind of analogue of the Windows taskbar, which displays frequently used and running applications.
The application menu displays all installed applications.
The Ubuntu distribution comes with a Nautilus file manager. This file manager makes it easy to manage files and directories.
Most of the manager’s interface is occupied by the central panel, where the folders and files themselves are located. On the left is a sidebar, which in general terms is similar to a similar panel in Windows Explorer.
Linux file and directory names must follow certain rules. Those who actively use other operating systems (since there may be several differences) are presented with the rules for naming files and directories:
- The name must not exceed 255 characters.
- Linux is a case-sensitive system, therefore, "example.txt" and "Example.txt" are different files, even though they may be in the same directory.
- If the name of the file or directory begins with "." - such a file or directory will be marked as hidden by the system.
- Since the basis of Linux is UNIX, it fully supports the UTF-8 encoding; national layouts are allowed.
Linux Terminals
Graphical environments provide a convenient and familiar way to work with components of the operating system. But still there are several tasks for which you need to use a text terminal.
There are two ways to work with the terminal: full-screen mode and window console. In the first case, the graphical shell is ignored, and the result of the programs is displayed on the screen in the form of text.
To work with the terminal does not require knowledge of the basics of programming in Linux, as it might seem at first glance. You only need to know certain commands. Since there are many of these commands, remembering them is very difficult even for people who are well versed in Linux. Therefore, all these commands can be found on the Internet or you can use the internal help by entering "find --help" in the terminal.
Add or Remove Programs Using Synaptic
Synaptic is a GUI program used by Debian and Ubuntu distributions for locating, installing, and uninstalling programs.
Synaptic allows you to search for programs using special filters. They are located in the lower left corner and are divided into criteria. Also in the upper corner is a quick search field, the entered text will be searched in the program name.
After the desired program is found, you can perform its installation. To do this, right-click on the name of the program and select "Installation". Similarly, uninstall and update programs.