Understanding the Linux Operating System
The Linux kernel has found its way into an incredible number of diverse systems. It can now be found in everything from automobiles to rockets, watches to televisions, and netbooks to the fastest supercomputers. Since Linux has now become so ubiquitous, even those who plan on working primarily with systems not utilizing the Linux kernel can benefit from having a basic understanding of the terminal.
Linux only accounts for a relatively small percentage of the operating systems found on desktop computers, but has gained widespread use in servers, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, networking equipment, smartphones, and many other devices you may not think of as even being computers. From the home router providing your Internet connection to the server this course is hosted on, it is likely that multiple Linux powered devices are currently enabling you to read this page.
Linux operating systems come in many forms. There is a variety of distributions available to fit the needs and demands of many IT sectors. For example, cybersecurity professionals may use Linux Kali, developers may use Linux Ubuntu, regular users may use Linux Mint, and enterprise servers can run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Some of the values of Linux are that it is free, easy to install, open source, and there is an active Linux community available for support.
The Linux kernel originated in 1991, as a project of Linus Torvalds, while a university student in Finland. He posted information about his project on a newsgroup for computer students and programmers, and received support and assistance from volunteers who succeeded in creating a complete and functional kernel.
A GUI displays icons and images that you can select to tell your device what you want to do or use. Behind the GUI, is a code that a programmer developed.
The CLI terminal is a powerful tool that is often the primary method used to administer small low-power devices, extremely capable cloud computing servers, and everything in between. A basic understanding of the terminal is essential to diagnosing and fixing most Linux based systems. When you type in a command, a process is run by the operating system that can read input, manipulate data and produce output. A command runs a process on the operating system, which then causes the computer to perform a job.
Linux commands are software programs that are executed on the CLI in order to perform a process on the computer. Commands on the CLI are run by the operating system which performs the job. Executing commands in Linux is a simple process. In a Linux command line window, you will type the name of the command you're attempting to run (case sensitive).
Typically options alter the behavior of the command and arguments are items or values for the command to act upon.
Most commands follow this syntax:
command [options…] [arguments…]
You can use Linux Survival to develop knowledge of essential Linux commands.
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