Ubuntu Unleashed 2017 Edition (2017)

While it is really the kernel itself that is most appropriately referred to as “Linux,” colloquial language uses the term to refer to more than just the kernel. Most people who say they “use Linux” are referring to, at a minimum, a suite of software that includes several things. I have listed some of the more necessary ones here in the order in which they are loaded into your computer’s memory during the boot cycle, after your computer’s BIOS or UEFI firmware, which was included by the manufacturer of the motherboard and which runs from where it is stored on the motherboard, has run to get things started:

A bootloader, like GRUB2, which is described in Chapter 1, “Installing Ubuntu and Post-Installation Configuration”

The Linux kernel, which is described in Chapter 22, “Kernel and Module Management”

Daemons, which are background processes that the system itself runs to perform tasks like logging or listening for attempted network connections and so on; daemons may be more easily understood as programs that are not run or invoked directly by a user, but which lie dormant until any of a specific set of conditions occurs

The Shell, which is a command processor that most people know best because it is what they see when they login to the terminal; the shell is described in Chapter 14, “Automating Tasks and Shell Scripting”

Shell utilities, such as most of the commands in Chapter 10, “Command-Line Beginner’s Class,” Chapter 11, “Command-Line Master Class Part 1,” and Chapter 12, “Command-Line Master Class Part 2”

A graphical server, such as the X Server, which is described in Chapter 3, “Working with Unity”

A desktop environment, such as Unity, which is also described in Chapter 3, “Working with Unity,” and others such as those discussed in Chapter 7, “Other Ubuntu Interfaces”

Desktop software, such as web browsers, office suites, media players, games, and so on

A Linux distribution, like Ubuntu, collects all of these together, packages them, and makes them available to end users as a convenient set.

Why Use Linux?

Millions of clever computer users have been putting Linux to work for more than 20 years. Over the past year, many individuals, small office/home office (SOHO) users, businesses and corporations, colleges, nonprofits, and government agencies (local, state, and federal) in a number of countries have incorporated Linux with great success. And, today, Linux is being incorporated into many information service/information technology (IS/IT)environments as part of improvements in efficiency, security, and cost savings. Using Linux is a good idea for a number of reasons, including the following:

Linux provides an excellent return on investment (ROI)—There is little or no cost on a per-seat basis. Unlike commercial operating systems, Linux has no royalty or licensing fees, and a single Linux distribution on CD-ROM or network shared folder can form the basis of an enterprise-wide software distribution, replete with applications and productivity software. Custom corporate CD-ROMs can be easily crafted or network shares can be created to provide specific installs on enterprise-wide hardware. This feature alone can save hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in IS/IT costs—all without the threat of a software audit from the commercial software monopoly or the need for licensing accounting and controls of base operating system installations.

Linux can be put to work on the desktop—Linux, in conjunction with its supporting graphical networking protocol and interface (the X Window System), has worked well as a consumer UNIX-like desktop operating system since the mid-1990s. The fact that UNIX is ready for the consumer desktop is now confirmed with the introduction, adoption, and rapid maturation of Apple Computer BSD UNIX—based on Mac OS X—supported, according to Apple, by more than 3,000 Mac OS X-specific programs that are known as native applications. This book’s disc contains more than 800 software packages, including Internet connection utilities, games, a full office suite, many fonts, and hundreds of graphics applications.

Linux can be put to work as a server platform—Linux is fast, secure, stable, scalable, and robust. The latest versions of the Linux kernel easily support multiple-processor computers, large amounts of system memory, individual file sizes in excess of hundreds of gigabytes, a choice of modern journaling file systems, hundreds of process monitoring and control utilities, and the (theoretical) capability to simultaneously support more than four billion users. IBM, Oracle, and other major database vendors all have versions of their enterprise software available for Linux.

Linux has a low entry-and-deployment cost barrier—Maintenance costs can also be reduced because Linux works well on a variety of PCs. Although the best program performance will be realized with newer hardware, base installs can even be performed on lower-end computers or embedded devices. This feature provides for a much wider user base; extends the life of older working hardware; and can help save money for home, small business, and corporate users.

Linux appeals to a wide audience in the hardware and software industry—Versions of Linux exist for nearly every CPU. Embedded-systems developers now turn to Linux when crafting custom solutions using ARM, MIPS, and other low-power processors on platforms like Raspberry Pi. Linux is also available for Intel’s Itanium CPU, as well as the AMD64 group of CPUs.

Linux provides a royalty-free development platform for cross-platform development—Because of the open-source development model and availability of free, high-quality development tools, Linux provides a low-cost entry point to budding developers and tech industry start-ups.

Big-player support in the computer hardware industry from such titans as IBM now lends credibility to Linux as a viable platform—IBM has enabled Linux on the company’s entire line of computers, from low-end laptops through “Big Iron” mainframes. New corporate customers are lining up and using Linux as part of enterprise-level computing solutions. It has been used on some of the world’s fastest computers. Companies like HP and Dell also certify Linux across a large portion of their hardware offerings.

Look forward to even more support as usage spreads worldwide throughout all levels of business in search of lower costs, better performance, and stable and secure implementations.

What Is Ubuntu?

Ubuntu is an operating system based on the Linux kernel; created, improved, refined, and distributed by the Ubuntu Community at www.ubuntu.com/. Ubuntu, sponsored by Canonical Ltd. (www.canonical.com), is an open-source project supported by a worldwide community of software developers.

Ubuntu is one of the newer Linux distributions currently available today, having released its first version in October 2004. It quickly gained a reputation for ease of installation and use, combined with the slightly wacky code names given to each release. However, Ubuntu itself is based on Debian, which is a much older distribution steeped in respect from the wider Linux community. Ubuntu describes Debian as being the rock on which it is founded, and this is a good way to describe the relationship between the two.

Sponsored by Canonical Software and with the formidable resources of Mark Shuttleworth, Ubuntu got off to a great start with version 4.10, the Warty Warthog. From the start, Ubuntu specified clear goals: to provide a distribution that was easy to install and use, that did not overly confuse the user, and that came on a single CD (now one DVD image). Releasing every 6 months, Ubuntu made rapid progress into the Linux community and is now one of the most popular Linux distros across the world.