Download Introduction to Linux

Introduction to Linux
Tux the penguin, mascot of Linux
Introduction to Linux
1-History
2-Is Linux difficult?
3-Properties of Linux
4-Linux and GNU
5-Open Source
6-Unix system Architecture
7-Which distribution of Linux
8-Setup Linux for scientific purpose
start with Linux (tutorial session)
History
UNIX
Travel back in time, about 30 years ago ... in those days, every
computer had a different operating system
In 1969, a team of developers in Bell Labs laboratories started
working on this problem
They developed a new OS (UNIX) :
1-Simple and elegant
2- Writting in the C programming language instead of in assembly
code
3-Able to recycle code (for recycling: change only kernel)
UNIX and Linux
Linus Torvalds, a young man studying computer science at the university
of Helsinki, thought it would be a good idea to have some sort of freely
available academic version of UNIX, and promptly started to code.
Linux history
July 1991: Linus Benedict Torvalds from Helsinki
starts his hobby : Linux
October 1991: version 0.02
2004 : version 2.2
today : look at www.kernel.org
current application of Linux systems
modern Linux : workstation-gadets like mobiles
Is Linux difficult ?
Linux is an ideal operating system for programmers (Everything a
good programmers can wish for is available : compilers, libraries,...
Linux for non-experienced users
Linux distributions like as windows: RedHat, SuSE, Mandrake,...,
Scientific Linux(Fermilab,CERN)
KDE : (http://kde.org)
Beautiful desktop :
Gnome(http://www.gnome.org)
office : openoffice ( www.openoffice.org)
web browser : mozilla (www.mozilla.org)
Properties of Linux
Linux advantages
1-Linux is free
2-The Linux OS and quite some linux applications have very short
debug-time
3-Open sources
4-Flexibility(especial for HPC)
Linux disadvantages
1-There are far too many different distributions
2-Linux is not very user friendly and confusing for beginners
3-Is an open Source product trustworthy?
Linux and GNU
The GNU project was lunched in 1984 to develop a complete UNIX style
operating system which is free software (GNU: Gnu's Not UNIX)
Variants of the GNU operating system, which use the Kernel Linux, are
often referred to as “Linux”, they are more accurately called GNU/ Linux
systems
A list of common GNU software :
Bash : The GNU Shell
GCC : The GNU C Compiler
Gnome: the GNU desktop environment
Emacs : a very powerful editor
The Gimp : GNU Image Manipulation Program
Open Source
Open Source means
user can see binary and
source
Closed source means:
User is only given binaries
user cannot read source
user encouraged to read and
understand source code
user can debug and recompile
source
...
user cannot recompile code
...
UNIX system Architecture
------------------------------------hardware
------------------------------------kernel
------------------------------------shell+ X windows
------------------------------------application
Programs can access to hardware via the kernel
Which distribution of Linux
The amount of linux distributions can be frightening, or ridiculous
Don't worry too much about that : all releases contains more or less
the same set of basic packages
Suggestions:
Fedora Core
RedHat
SuSE
Mandrake
Scientific Linux (keep it in your mind for the future)
Ubuntu
Distribution Watch Linux: http://distrowatch.com/
Setup Linux for scientific purpose
Start with Linux
Graphical mode
Login
Text mode
Don't log in as root
<CTRL> <ALT> <F1> from graphics to text
<CTRL> <ALT> <F7> from text to graphics
[alaei@node65 tutor]$
username
name of machine
prompt
Basics
1-commands
$ command options argument(s)
--
the object on which you want
the command to take effect
[alaei@node65 ~]$ ls -a
[alaei@node65 ~]$ ls --all
(long options)
2-directories
directories are separated using forward slashes.
[alaei@node65 ~]$ cd linux/
3-some techniques
commands
Tab
directories
Tab Tab
Ctrl+A: Move cursor to the beginning of the command line
Ctrl+C : End a runing program and return the prompt
Ctrl+D: Log out of the current shell session, equal to typing exit or
logout
Alt+F2 , Alt+F1
Getting help
1-The man pages
Browse to the next using the space bar, Go back to previous page
using the B-key, Type q to leave
structure of man pages
NAM
E
SYNOPSI
S
DESCRIPTIO
N
OPTIONS
.
.
SEE ALSO
AUTHO
R
2-info pages
These usually contain more recent information and are somewhat
easier to use
3-The whatis command
A short index of explanations for commands
4- The apropos command
Search the whatis database for strings
5- The –help option
Most GNU commands support the --help
Graphical help
Type konqueror ( the defult KDE file manager )
use konqueror as help browser
in location bar
man : cat
Type gnome-help ( lifeguard icon )