Linux Questions & Answers

This page answers several questions people have about Linux.  If you have additional questions, send me an e-mail. 

• What is Linux?
• What is an Operating System?
• Is it really free? How can companies stay in business if it's free?
• Why should I use Linux instead of Microsoft Windows?
• What's a "distribution" or "distro"?
• What's a GUI?
• Which is the best Linux distribution?
• Do I have to give up Windows to run Linux?
• Can I access Windows file and print servers?
• more to come!

What is Linux?

Linux is an Operating System developed by an informal worldwide cooperative of individual and companies.  Most versions of Linux are free to download and install on as many computers as you wish.  Or, you can buy it from a variety of on-line and traditional stores such as Best Buy and CompUSA.  Many applications (office suites, graphics editors, development tools, ...) are available for Linux at no cost. 

What is an Operating System?

An Operating System is a program that runs on a computer.  In fact, you can think of it as the program that runs the computer.  It is in charge of communicating with all of the hardware on the computer and controls how programs talk to each other  For example, your word processor or internet browser call on the operating system to access the files on the computer's disk, read keystrokes from your keyboard, talk to the modem, etc.  Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux, Unix, etc. are examples of Operating Systems. 

Is it really free? How can Linux companies stay in business if it's free?

Linux and most of the programs distributed with it are developed and made available under the GNU General Public License, or GPL.  The GPL requires that the source code be freely distributed and available to the general public.  The GPL does not prevent anyone from charging money for the product, but since anyone could get it free if they really wanted to, there's not much point in charging for it.  This is just fine with most of the Linux community, since they tend to believe that software should be freely available. 

Although the underlying source code is free, many consumers see the benefit of having it neatly packaged and ready to install, so many are willing to pay to buy the CD's from an on-line merchant or pay a local merchant for a nicely boxed distribution with a printed manual.  Businesses, realizing that time is money, are generally willing to pay someone to set up and maintain their computer systems.  They would pay these IT costs regardless of which operating system they use.  Therefore, there is money to be made supplying and supporting free software.     

Why should I use Linux instead of Microsoft Windows?

There are lots of reasons (too many to cover here), but the three leading reasons are security, flexibility, and cost. 

• Security:  Most of the viruses, trojans, and worms circulating on the internet take advantage of flaws in Microsoft Windows and Microsoft applications.  Many of these flaws are unintentional and get fixed sooner or later.  However, some flaws are the result of well-intentioned attempts to make the operating system more flexible or easier to manage.  Microsoft is *very* slow to change these flaws because they are considered "features" rather than bugs.  (One example of this is allowing programs to run directly from e-mails --  You know, the messages that say "click on this attachment to see pics of your favorite star", but launch a virus when you click on them.  After many years of grappling with this same problem, Microsoft eventually changed Outlook Express to warn people of potentially dangerous attachments.)  A better solution is to use a entirely different (non-Microsoft) web browser and e-mail program such as Mozilla, which has several built-in security and privacy features. 

• Flexibility:  Microsoft licensing policies are becoming more restrictive with every new release.  The cost of complying with the license terms (license tracking, purchasing upgrades, etc.) can become quite significant for businesses with multiple licenses and multiple licensed products.  With Linux and other Open Source Software there is no time or effort lost tracking licenses and there is no barrier to moving the software from one machine to another.  In fact, you can install Linux and Open Source Software on all of your systems so that they all have a standard configuration -- everything you might need is on every system.  You're also free to upgrade the operating system and software whenever it's appropriate to do so, without cost barriers.

• Cost:  "Cost" is usually spoken of in terms of "initial cost", "recurring cost", and "total cost of ownership". 

  Since Linux is free, it easily wins on initial cost.  In fact, since some PC companies don't give you the option of buying a PC without Microsoft Windows, you can think of that as a $75-$200 tax on every system you buy!  Furthermore, since major Linux distributions come with office productivity software, you're saving hundreds of dollars per system by not having to buy office software from Microsoft, Adobe, etc. 

  Recurring costs include license renewals and cost of software upgrades.  With Linux and Open Source Software, these costs are zero.  With Microsoft software, you'll have the choice of paying to upgrade your operating systems and software, or incurring the cost of supporting old and new versions as you buy additional systems that come with new software. 

  Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) includes all of the previous costs plus the cost of support over the life of the system.  Studies of TCO vary depending on the rate of pay assumed for Linux vs. Microsoft support staff.  In most studies, Linux has a lower TCO due to lower initial and recurring costs, lower impact of viruses, and labor savings for supporting fewer, standardized software configurations. 

What's a "distribution" or "distro"?

A Linux "distribution" (or "distro") is a packaged set of Linux and related utilities.  Some distributions are designed for end-users, some are designed to run servers, some are designed for certain hardware, for example for Intel processor (and compatible) PCs vs. Apple Macintosh computers.  Most popular Linux distributions also include one or more Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) and free programs such as internet browsers, word processors, e-mail programs, etc.   

What's a GUI?

A GUI, short for Graphical User Interface, is the layer of softare that hides the nasty internals of the operating system from computer users.  It's "graphical" in the sense that we control the computer using graphical icons on a computer "desktop" instead of typing in obscure, complex commands to get things done.  The Microsoft Windows Operating System (in its various versions) comes with a single GUI, which you may have noticed looks a little or a lot different with each version of the operating system.  A variety of GUIs are available for Linux, with names such as KDE and GNOME.  In fact, most Linux distributions come with several GUIs, allowing you to choose which one you like best. The most popular GUIs are being developed by different groups of talented programmers, each working to make their favorite GUI more friendly and more capable.  We, the consumers, are the beneficiaries of this friendly competition. 

Which is the best Linux distribution?

This is a lot like asking, "Which is the best automobile?"  The answer depends on what you're going to do with it, and it depends on personal preference. 

My personal opinion is that Red Hat Linux is the best distribution for the corporate data center because it is specifically geared toward those kinds of applications and because so many IT professionals are trained to support it. 

For someone new to Linux, it's hard to beat Mandrake Linux for completeness and ease of installation. 

If you just want to try out Linux without actually installing anything on your computer, check out Knoppix.  Knoppix boots and runs entirely from a CD and doesn't write anything to your system unless you specifically tell it to.  This makes it the ideal demonstration distribution.  You can download Knoppix here and burn it to CD yourself, or go to your local Linux user group; they may have copies they'll give you, plus lots of advice! 

Do I have to give up Windows to run Linux?

No.  Most Linux distributions give you the option of installing into the free space on your current Windows system without removing your current operating system.  (Your disk is "partitioned" into space for your old operating system and for Linux.)  When you power up your system, you get to choose whether you want to run your old operating system or the new Linux system.  (This is called "dual boot"ing.)

You can read files on your Windows partition(s) from Linux.  You can write files to your Windows partition(s) from Linux if your Windows partitions use the FAT16 or FAT32 file system (FAT16 is typically used by Windows 95, FAT32 is typically used by Windows 98, Me, and XP Home Edition.)  As of 2004, Linux can read from Windows NTFS partitions but not write to them.  Most people who run both Windows and Linux on the same PC use a FAT32 partition to transfer files between the two operating systems, or they simply use the Windows C: drive.  You can also transfer files using floppies, USB memory devices, CD-ROMs and CD-RW's.

Can I access Windows file and print servers?

Yes, the capability to access Windows servers is included with most Linux distributions. 

You also have the option of running Linux instead of Windows on your file and print servers.  (This is made possible by a package called Samba, which is included with most Linux distributions)  Either way, you can access the servers and printers from both Windows and Linux systems.