Philosophy & Concepts

Knowledge Base

Linux

In a narrow sense Linux refers only to the OS kernel: the basic program that underlies everything else that communicates with the hardware (such as CPU, memory and attached devices) and the applications that run on the computer.
Open Source Computer OS

Linux was inspired by UNIX, but it is not UNIX.
In 1992, Linux was re-licensed using the General Public License (GPL) by GNU (a project of the Free Software Foundation or FSF, which promotes freely available software).
By combining the kernel with other system components from the GNU project, numerous other developers created complete systems called Linux distributions in the mid-90’s.

borrows heavily from the well-established UNIX OS.
Files are stored in a hierarchical file system, with the top node of the system being the root or simply /.
Linux makes its components available via files or objects that look like files.
Processes, devices, and network sockets are all represented by file-like objects, and can often be worked with using the same utilities used for regular files.
is fully multitasking, multi-user OS, with built-in networking and service processes known as daemons in the UNIX world.

Boot Loader
Service
X Window System
Kernel : The basic program that underlies everything else that communicates with the hardware (such as CPU, memory and attached devices) and the applications that run on the computer.
Distribution : Collection of Software making up a Linux based Distro.
Boot Loader : Program that boots the OS.
Service : A program that runs as a background process
File system : Method for storing and organizing files. Ex. ext3, ext4, FAT, NTFS, and Btrfs
X Window System : Standard toolkit and protocol to build graphical user interfaces on all Linux systems.
Desktop Environment : GUI on top of OS.
Command Line : Interface for typing command on top of OS.
Shell : Command line interpreter that interprets the command line input and instructs the OS to perform any necessary tasks and commands. Ex: Bash, tcsh, zsh, etc.

The Linux kernel is the core of the operating system. A full Linux distribution consists of the kernel plus a number of other software tools for file-related operations, user management, and software package management.