Linux operating systems features

Operating System — Linux

Linux is one of popular version of UNIX operating System. It is open source as its source code is freely available. It is free to use. Linux was designed considering UNIX compatibility. Its functionality list is quite similar to that of UNIX.

Components of Linux System

Linux Operating System has primarily three components

• Kernel − Kernel is the core part of Linux. It is responsible for all major activities of this operating system. It consists of various modules and it interacts directly with the underlying hardware. Kernel provides the required abstraction to hide low level hardware details to system or application programs.
• System Library − System libraries are special functions or programs using which application programs or system utilities accesses Kernel’s features. These libraries implement most of the functionalities of the operating system and do not requires kernel module’s code access rights.
• System Utility − System Utility programs are responsible to do specialized, individual level tasks.

Kernel Mode vs User Mode

Kernel component code executes in a special privileged mode called kernel mode with full access to all resources of the computer. This code represents a single process, executes in single address space and do not require any context switch and hence is very efficient and fast. Kernel runs each processes and provides system services to processes, provides protected access to hardware to processes.

Support code which is not required to run in kernel mode is in System Library. User programs and other system programs works in User Mode which has no access to system hardware and kernel code. User programs/ utilities use System libraries to access Kernel functions to get system’s low level tasks.

Basic Features

Following are some of the important features of Linux Operating System.

• Portable − Portability means software can works on different types of hardware in same way. Linux kernel and application programs supports their installation on any kind of hardware platform.
• Open Source − Linux source code is freely available and it is community based development project. Multiple teams work in collaboration to enhance the capability of Linux operating system and it is continuously evolving.
• Multi-User − Linux is a multiuser system means multiple users can access system resources like memory/ ram/ application programs at same time.
• Multiprogramming − Linux is a multiprogramming system means multiple applications can run at same time.
• Hierarchical File System − Linux provides a standard file structure in which system files/ user files are arranged.
• Shell − Linux provides a special interpreter program which can be used to execute commands of the operating system. It can be used to do various types of operations, call application programs. etc.
• Security − Linux provides user security using authentication features like password protection/ controlled access to specific files/ encryption of data.

Architecture

The following illustration shows the architecture of a Linux system −

The architecture of a Linux System consists of the following layers −

• Hardware layer − Hardware consists of all peripheral devices (RAM/ HDD/ CPU etc).
• Kernel − It is the core component of Operating System, interacts directly with hardware, provides low level services to upper layer components.
• Shell − An interface to kernel, hiding complexity of kernel’s functions from users. The shell takes commands from the user and executes kernel’s functions.
• Utilities − Utility programs that provide the user most of the functionalities of an operating systems.

Источник

10 Best Features of linux Operating System [Linux Features]

Many of us are not aware of the best features of the Linux Operating System, though this article will have the best Linux features and why should you need to pick this as your secure operating system.

List of content you will read in this article:

Linux is a free and open-source Operating System whose source code is available for everyone to modify for commercial and non-commercial uses under the General Public License (GNU), Initially, it was designed for personal computers, but it has now expanded to include supercomputers, mainframe computers, servers, and other devices, as it does have a lot Linux features.

In the previous two decades, Linux has gained a lot of popularity and efficiency, with GNU Linux now powering most commercial servers. Now even regular users adopt Linux as their primary operating system, and various companies include Linux as a pre-installed OS on their devices because it is entirely free. In this blog, we will discover the 10 Best Features of Linux OS along with other required information. before understanding it just review the components of the Linux operating system.

Components of Linux OS

A typical Linux system contains the following components:

• Hardware layer: This layer comprises all the peripheral devices such as (RAM/ HDD/ CPU etc.).
• Kernel: It is Linux’s main component and is also in charge of many of the LINUX operating system’s functions. It communicates with hardware directly and delivers low-level operations to upper-layer elements.
• Shell/GCC: It is a user-to-kernel interface that hides the complexities of the kernel’s operations from users. Shell processes the user’s command and performs the kernel’s functions.
• Application Software: The desktop environment that comes with your Linux OS or that you choose to install will not be able to meet all of your application requirements; there are far too many. Therefore, individual applications are installed. Most Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, come with dedicated app stores to find and install the software.
• Bootloader: Computers go through a startup process known as booting. This boot process requires instruction, and your operating system is in charge of it. The bootloader for your operating system precedes the process when you turn on your computer.
• Background services: Also known as «daemons,» these small systems serve as workers in the background, assuring that critical tasks such as scheduling, publishing, and multimedia work properly. They begin to run once the user logs in to the computer or right after the system gets booted.

10 Best Features of Linux Operating System/Linux Characteristics

As everybody has questions while working with Linux OS, what are the features of Linux so we have enlisted the best characteristics of the Linux operating system.

1. Portable Environment

Linux software operates flawlessly on a variety of hardware platforms. Without the worry of incompatibility, individuals can use Linux operating system on any device. It runs the same way on both high-end and low-end hardware.

2. Free and Open-Source

Its source code is available for anybody to use and alter. Many developers collaborate in organizations to improve and strengthen Linux, and lots of developers constantly work on updating the Linux system.

3. Shell/ Command-line Interface

The Linux system includes essential programs that users can utilize in order to issue commands to the operating system for executing the design flawlessly. You may also direct it to carry out various forms of Linux commands for effectively carrying out the applications.

4. End-to-end encryption

Authentication can help you keep your data protected. Before you may access some critical files, the Linux Operating System requires you to enter a password. Furthermore, the Linux environment allows users to encrypt their data.

5. Graphical User Interface (GUI)

It comes with Graphical User Interface (GUI) abilities in the same way you can with Windows. Similarly, users can install the programs, and the computer graphics will begin to work in the same way that Windows does.

6. Configure Keyboards into Different Languages

Because it is available in various languages, it is simple to use it worldwide. As a result, you can change the language on your keyboard as per your preference.

Linux VPS

7. Frequent New Updates

Software updates are controlled by the users in Linux. Individuals have the option to pick and choose which updates are required, and there are a plethora of system updates accessible. These upgrades happen considerably more quickly than on other operating systems. Therefore, system upgrades can be deployed without difficulty.

8. Lightweight Infrastructure

It is a highly lightweight operating system. It has far fewer prerequisites than any other operating system, has a smaller memory footprint, and uses less storage space. Typically, you’ll find a Linux Distro with only 128MB of RAM and around the same amount of disc space.

9. Extremely Flexible

It is highly flexible, and a variety of desktop applications, embedded systems, and server applications can benefit from the same. It also offers a number of computer-specific limitation settings for admins to allow only essential components to get installed.

10. Best For Developers

It supports nearly every popular programming language, including C/C++, Java, Python, Ruby, etc. Furthermore, it provides a wide range of development-related applications.

A majority of developers all around the world prefer the Linux terminal over the Windows command line. On a Linux system, the package manager aids programmers in understanding how things are performed. It also comes with features like bash scripting and supports SSH which aids in the speedy management of servers.

Linux Trends

1. Linux-based Hardware

After hardware tools like Chromebooks and Rasberry Pi drew the attention of a particular audience, the Linux platform has been in the spotlight. These Linux-based components are breaking new ground as the days pass because of their ability to perform routine tasks with ease. Recently, Linux saw a number of advanced adaptations, and one of them is Purism Librem 5 .

It is an innovative take on mobile phones that focus solely on privacy. Looking at the new universe of customers these hardware solutions have tapped into, Linux will likely bring a slew of new hardware devices to market in the upcoming years.

2. Entrance Into Supercomputing

Sierra is expected to be the second-fastest supercomputer with 125 petaflops of processing power that runs on Linux. This generates a lot of interest in supercomputing advancements, with Linux being an integral part of the same.

The development and deployment of Linux-powered supercomputers is a trend that shows no signs of abating in the coming year. Given the flexibility and capability of Linux systems, the trend of Linux being adopted as the operating system for supercomputers is likely to continue.

3. Comeback of Ubuntu

Ubuntu has opted to make a strong comeback in 2020 after experiencing slight dips in popularity over the last ten years. It is modern and offers a safe working environment for users.

Ubuntu has improved on previous versions in a variety of ways, making it one of the most critical Linux trends. Faster Snap applications, easy connection with Android devices, proportional screen resizing, multitasking changes, and a new installer for streamlining the Ubuntu operating system inside machines are just a few of the anticipated features. Furthermore, future releases of Ubuntu are expected to undergo various graphical changes to make it more appealing and productive.

4. Linux in Cloud-based Computing

Despite the fact that Linux is already well-known for programming and development, it is expected to grow in popularity in the cloud. According to Gartner , 80% of internally produced apps use cloud computing or are cloud-native it is the most widely used operating system by enterprises in the cloud-based computing space b ecause cloud-based technologies and the Linux system are so intertwined, and it is expected to grow in lockstep with the popularity of cloud-based options. Because cloud computing is almost certain to remain the center of growth for the rest of the year, Linux is growing increasingly popular as a platform.

Conclusion

As nowadays many people say, it is one of the most powerful operating systems in the world and is recommended to many DevOps engineers and programmers but many of the beginners are not educated about the Linux OS features, So we hope that during this article they understand also about features of Linux, characteristics of Linux. With moderate or basic technical skills, the majority of difficulties in Linux may be avoided or solved.

If there are some features that we skipped and are one of the best features, you can suggest them via the below list comment box.

Keep Sharing and Exploring.

People Are Also Reading:

Источник