What is Linux?

What is Linux?

Here in this article we are going to define Linux, its core constituents and uses.

Linux is an operating system in the same way Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Mac OS X are. A whole array of operating systems for mobile and smart devices like smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and automobile connected systems uses Linux as their core operating system. Many of the world’s leading OS platforms, most notably Android, Firefox OS and Tizen are based on Linux. Thanks to the unparalleled proliferation of Android as a dominant smartphone platform, Linux enjoys the status being the operating system with largest base of installation.

Although Linux is only used in a miserly 2.3% of desktop PCs worldwide when it comes to big computing machines and servers, Linux is the leader.  For years, Linux remained to be the leading operating system for servers and for big computing and storage systems like mainframe computers and high-paced supercomputers.
Linux is made up of the following constituents.

• Bootloader: This manages the booting process of the computer.
   
• Kernel: Kernel refers to the core of the OS that is responsible to manage the CPU, memory, and other peripheral connected devices.
   
• Daemons: Daemons refer to all the background services required for actions like printing, sound, scheduling, etc.
   
• Shell: Shell refers to the Linux command line that allows controlling the computer through typing commands into a text interface. The users need to know the command line structure to make the OS work. This makes this OS harder to manage by the average users without having any knowledge of archaic command line.
   
• Graphical server: This sub-system within the Linux OS helps monitors displaying graphic output.
   
• Desktop environment: The users of a Linux run PC interact with any of the desktop environments available with the OS like Unity, GNOME, KDE, XFCE, Cinnamon, Enlightenment, etc. Every one of these desktop environments offers an array of built-in apps like web browsers, file managers, configuration tools, etc.
   
• Apps: Linux offers robust volume of software apps for a wide variety of usage. Majority of Linux distributed systems today offer tools to find apps in one place just the way app stores work.

Today, Linux operating system has a big stake in our digitized life. Besides being the main OS for big computing machines like supercomputers Linux is pretty much everywhere. From the world’s leading mobile operating systems like Android to  smart home gadgets and solutions for connected devices in home and automobile to advanced security systems, Linux remains at the core of multitude of software, hardware and networking solutions.