What Is Linux and Its Main Functions & Application Areas [MiniTool Wiki]
Like Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Mac OS X, Linux is an operating system too. Linux operating system is a clone system evolving from the UNIX operating system. It was released on October 5, 1991 (the first time formally announced to the public). In MiniTool, you can acquire some manage skills on Windows Linux.
It has become the most popular UNIX-like operating system through Internet network and joint efforts made by computer enthusiasts across the world, and the number is still rapidly increasing.
Linux penetrates into every part of your life in fact, ranging from mobile phone, car, refrigerator to Roku device. Before Linux became the platform to run desktop, servers and embedded system in the world, it had become (and still is) one of the most reliable, secure operating systems.
If you would like to know how to create Linux partition, you can take this post as a reference: How to Create Linux Partition in 4K Hard Drive under Windows?
Linux is well-known for its high efficiency and flexibility. Linux’s modular design structure enables it to run both on expensive workstations and inexpensive PCs achieving full UNIX features with multi-tasking and multi-users capabilities.
Linux can be acquired under GNU public permission and it’s an operating system that satisfies POSIX standard. The Linux operating system software includes a complete Linux operating system and application software such as text editors and advanced language compilers.
It also includes an X-Windows graphical user interface with multiple window managers, as we use Windows NT, allowing us to manipulate the system using windows, icons and menus.
What Can You Do with Linux
Linux can be used as a foundation in nearly all kinds of IT plans, including containers, cloud-native applications and security. It is the core of some largest fields and companies from knowledge sharing websites like Wikipedia and New York Stock Exchange to mobile devices running Android.
Linux has developed into the factual standard for running high availability, reliability and critical workloads in data centers and cloud deployments. With multiple use cases, distributions, target systems, devices and features, it can satisfy your demand and workload to a maximum extent.
Microsoft has accepted Linux and open source in other ways, and generated SQL Server for Linux and opened the .NET Framework (.NET Core / Mono) so that any platform can run it. Opening up the application of the framework in this way for developers using Linux. program.
By 2025, all SAP customers will transfer to SAP HANA — Memory Relational Database Management System — the system runs only on Linux. As of 2017, 50% of the SAP market is Windows customers.
Linux is still the operating system used in the future. More and more systems depend on their stability and extensibility.
The Application of Linux
The above introduced you what can you do with Linux, so some use skills will be talked in this section. If you are not clear about it, you can pay attention to the text. Linux is primarily used as an operating system of Servers because of its low price, flexibility and UNIX background.
In tradition, the Linux-based «LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, Perl/PHP/Python combination)» technology is popular among the developer community, providing the most commonly used platform for web service suppliers.
Now you can run Pengwin, a new Linux distro in Windows 10 thanks to Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). Read this post to learn more about the new system.
Besides, Linux is often applied to the embedded system based on its low-costs and high flexibility, such as set up box, mobile phones and other mobile devices. Among mobile phones, Linux has become the leading competitor of Symbian OS, while among mobile devices it’s a third choice besides Windows CE and Palm OS.
Additionally, there are many hardware-type network firewalls and routers, such as some LinkSys products, which are internally driven by Linux and use the firewall and routing functions offered by the operating system.
With the implementation of OLPC’s XO-1, ASUS’s Eee PC and other low-cost computers, many people are optimistic as Linux’s market share is growing rapidly in the low-end PC market.
However, the market share of Linux fell rapidly after Windows entered this market. At present, Windows systems now have an absolute advantage in all PC markets.
Application Areas of Linux: Understanding the Structure of Linux Apps
Of course there is a reason why Microsoft sees Linux as a bigger threat than Apple. Linux is everywhere: servers, desktops, netbooks, laptops, cell phones, mobile internet devices… and you are using, or at least communicating, with Linux powered computers every day. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the application areas of Linux.
Servers
Linux has conquered the server market. Apache is a powerful web server. Postfix, Sendmail, QMail, and Exim are all powerful e-mail server applications that are built to run on Linux. SpamAssassin anti-spam server software was built originally for Linux and then ported to Windows. The examples are almost endless.
Have you wondered why this is the case? Because Linux has what every server wants: stability, reliability and a high uptime rate. While proprietary anti-spam programs have certain lists that they check to determine whether a certain message is spam or not, SpamAssassin checks with other servers to figure out if the message is classified as spam in other locations. Server security is one reason why many companies prefer to run Linux.
And have you ever wondered what system is behind Google, the world’s most well-known search engine? Linux. There is no Microsoft product designed to handle this amount of load. Sorry Redmond.
Desktops, Laptops, Netbooks
Linux had a bad reputation of being hard to install at first. But the open source developers quickly addressed the situation to improve installation and hardware detection, and eventually they surpassed the Windows operating system in terms of desktop experience. If you have not heard of CompizFusion and the 3D desktop, I suggest you to do a quick search on Google to see the results.
Linux has carried its stability, reliability, and uptime features to consumers in the desktop, laptop, and netbook markets. Linux is designed to work with very low hardware and memory requirements (such as netbooks, or down to 486 processors) and it performs outstandingly on the high performance computers.
If you prefer, you can even make your Linux computer a Media Center or a controller for your digital home.
Cell Phones
Is that a Motorola RAZR you are using? Or is it a ROCKR? Maybe it’s a T-Mobile G1? I am sorry, but you are already using Linux in your cell phone. Shocked? Please don’t be. While you have to close all your programs to free up memory on your cell phone in Windows devices, your Linux handset takes care of it automatically, and brings that famous server reliability to your handset. When you close a program in a Linux device, it is “closed” and not “pushed under the rug” as in Windows Mobile devices, so you do not experience slow-downs when you are using your cell phone.
Mobile Internet Devices
Yet another area Linux has conquered are the mobile Internet devices or MIDs, such as the Nokia’s N800 and N810, in which Intel sees a lot of prospects for the future. They actually run Ubuntu. So instead of getting a MID on which you can only use what you are given, you can install a program from the Ubuntu repositories and customize it as you want. How about opening up an SSH connection or VPN to the server at your workplace?
Conclusion
Yes, Linux is everywhere — from high-performance servers to mobile handsets, and even airport kiosks where you can quickly get some news or arrange your travel. There are in essence hundreds of application areas of Linux, making the giants consider it a threat.
I recommend you to take your part in the Linux revolution and at least give it a try [with a Live CD, such as Knoppix](https://Yes, Linux is everywhere — from high-performance servers to mobile handsets, and even airport kiosks where you can quickly get some news or arrange your travel. Linux is going forward step by step, making the giants consider it a threats I recommend you to take your part in the Linux revolution and at least give it a try with a Live CD, such as Knoppix, that requires no installation.), that requires no installation.