Linux operating system overview and key characteristics

Linux Operating System

Analyzing and Accessing the Linux Operating System

Linux continues to redefine the operating system landscape and is having a very significant effect on enterprise computing globally today. Linux today is supported by over three hundred different distributions and pervasive adoption on enterprise server platforms including HP, IBM, Oracle (Sun Microsystems), NEC and many others (Natarajan, 2009). The intent of this report is to define Linux, providing insights into its different distributions. This analysis will also define how Linux systems are used today, with specific focus on common file editors and how they compare with each other. The advantages and disadvantages of Linux compared to Windows is provided in addition to an assessment of command line vs. graphical interfaces for Linux itself. Directory services in Linux and the three common operating functions of storage management, file system creation and networking are also defined as well.

Defining What Linux Is and the Role of Its Distributions

Linux is an open source operating system whose design and components are based on the foundations of UNIX, GNU, Berkeley System Distribution (BSD) of UNIX and several other engineering-oriented operating systems (Bitzer, Schroder, 2007). There are many differences between UNIX-based operating systems and their Windows-based counterparts, with the most significant being the structure of the operating system kernel itself (Ebert, 2008). The Linux kernel can be iteratively modified and customized on the fly by programmers and development teams, while the Microsoft kernel cannot and is locked per the licensing agreement enforced for this operating system (Lai, Gralla, 2008). Linux distributions vary in terms of their platform, design criteria, and inclusion or exclusion of features, all being defined by the users' anticipated needs and expectations. The Linux kernel is much more agile than closed-source or proprietary operating system structures as a result, and has led to a proliferation of distributions, many unique to the needs of a specific segment of users (Ahmed, Gokhale, 2009). Of the over three hundred distributions the most popular are Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, Red Hat and Ubuntu, a derivative of Debian (Ahmed, Gokhale, 2009). The adoption rate of these distributions on servers throughout global enterprises is faster and more pervasive in 2011 that proprietary operating systems (Natarajan, 2009).

Factors that are enabling greater adoption rates of Linux is the pricing model, which doesn't require high maintenance fees be paid yearly to have access to the maintenance or bug fixes (Ahmed, Gokhale, 2009). Proprietary operating systems and applications from Microsoft and many others often require a year maintenance fee be paid as high as 22% of the total cost of the software. An additional factor that is leading to the widespread adoption of and continued proliferation of Linux distributions is the flexibility and creativity enterprise have in tailoring this operating system to their unique needs over time (Ebert, 2008). The use of Linux on the desktop is evidence of this agility and flexibility of the operating system, as the majority of distributions are specifically designed for this platform and its users' needs (Weiss, 2008). The many uses of Linux operating systems and the applications developed to are discussed in the next section.

Applications or Uses of Linux Systems

Linux systems are used across all applications areas in computing today, from the highly scientific and technical to the enterprise-wide computing platforms companies rely on to keep their businesses operating efficiently (Weiss, 2008). Linux has become the most pervasively adopted throughout enterprise-wide server platforms due to the greater levels of security, the agility and flexibility of modifying the kernel and related components, and its proven performance on processing calculations (Ebert, 2008). The most popular Linux server-based applications include Apache Server, a very popular e-commerce and content management database and application platform, in addition to NoSQL and FreeSQL, two open source databases that are challenging oracle's dominance of the enterprise software market (Natarajan, 2009).

Desktop applications delivered on the Linux operating system include StarOffice, OpenOffice, and Google Apps, which is delivered over the Internet from Google.com (Weiss, 2008). These desktop applications are the three most dominant office productivity suites available on the Linux operating system today. There are thousands of others that are specifically designed to user's unique and often very specific needs (Bitzer, Schroder, 2007).

In addition to these application categories on servers and the desktop, there are also over fifty different programming languages supported on Linux and its distributions (Ebert, 2008). The most popular of these include GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), Ada, C++, Java, Fortran, BASIC and its many variants, Java, and XML (Morgan, 2005). The popularity of these development platforms are the most powerful catalysts of Linux' widespread adoption (Natarajan, 2009).

Analyzing Common File Editors in Linux

In completing this analysis, the Linux file editors of EMACS, ViM, and MEdit have been compared on the following three features. These include line editing, string and concatenation editing, and use of shell scripting. Each of these takes a UNIX-based approach to managing line-based editing, relying on a series of keystroke and in the last several editions, graphical user interface (GUI) commands as well to complete tasks. The EMACS editor is the most UNIX-like in how it uses a keystroke command to replace both entire lines and also supports concatenation. The other two editors are more recent in development than EMACS and therefore have more GUI-based as a result with a drag-and-drop interface. On concatenation, the two GUI-based platforms are very similar to each other as they allow for drag-and-drop editing of strings. EMACS allows users the flexibility of choosing one or the other interface. This is because EMACS is heavily taught in many colleges and universities where keystroke commands are heavily relied on as part of the instruction of this utility. On the last area of shell scripting, EMACS is the most cumbersome and difficult to use, and it is easy to delete the shell script. On the more GUI-based and later editions of file editors, shell scripts can be exported into XML or HTML with one click. This would take a transformation process at the command line with previous-generation EMACS editors, slowing down the programming process.

Comparing the Advantages and Disadvantages of Linux vs. Windows

Comparing the Linux and Windows operating systems delivers useful and interesting insights for anyone considering a system based on either of these platforms. The advantage of Linux compared to Windows include the lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), greater flexibility in modifying the core functionality of the system through re-programming the kernel, and a greater number of distributions or version to choose from. The flexibility of re-programming and recompiling the kernel also makes Linux more adaptable to frequent application updates, include those focused on making it more secure (Weiss, 2008).

Conversely Windows has a greater level of stability in how it manages memory and supports integration to third-party systems. As the Linux platform and architecture supports a wide variety of options for its configuration, it is often not as stable as Windows when integrating systems together (Ebert, 2008). Windows is also superior in its consistent use of memory threading and fault tolerance as this is also a standardized process in the Windows architecture (Ahmed, Gokhale, 2009). Windows is well suited as a stable enterprise platform where data integration is a core system requirement. Linux however is well suited for Web server use as its security on HTTP and XML is considered more extensive than Windows (Ahmed, Gokhale, 2009).

Comparing the Value of Command Line vs. Graphics Interfaces in Linux

The command line interface for Linux is ideally suited for two critically important tasks in the use of any computer system. The first is the development of shell scripts that call each of the command lines as part of their execution, and the second is the concatenation of long command line strings that are called as part of applications based on object-oriented programming standards (Ebert, 2008). The graphical interfaces are ideally suited for training Linux to new users, and also for completing tasks that are more complex. It does not however provide the agility and speed that command lines have, as they can be automated and also included as part of programs.

Defining Directory Services in Linux

A directory service is the center or unifying element of any operating system, as it defines the connection points across the many operating system components. Directory Services in Linux are called from the kernel and are used for streamlining common file operations. A Directory Service also defines the data and file structures that will be used by the operating system. The Linux Directory Services are called through APIs, which allows developers flexibility in defining how data will be integrated into their applications (Ebert, 2008). This flexibility is greater in Linux than Windows given the architectural decisions made in developing the open source operating system.