Introduction to Linux

Introduction :

Hey lads, welcome to the Linux section of Hackerzhome. Here, we will be posting articles about Linux basics, Terminologies, Tools reviews, how to work with tools, and some advanced tutorials. As we mentioned, This is a beginner-friendly blog so we will be covering everything from scratch. So, If you are about to start learning Linux then you are in the right place. Alright, let’s discuss the introduction to Linux.

In this introductory article, we will be giving you a brief intro to Linux and its distributions. Check out the table of content for a quick overview of what we are going to see in this article.

What is Linux?

Before getting into Linux, let’s talk about an Operating system and a kernel.

Operating system:

• We all know what an operating system is. It is a program that manages the software & hardware resources and acts as an intermediary between the user and hardware. 

Kernel :

• A kernel is the core component of an operating system, which is responsible for the communication between hardware and software. It sits on top of the operating system and manages the communications/requests that happen between software and hardware components like CPU, I/O, Memory, etc. Simply, it translates the user query into machine language.

So, a kernel is one of the components of an operating system and an operating system is a complete package that consists of a kernel, API, system utilities, etc. Okay, let’s keep this aside.

If you ask anyone what is Linux? they’ll probably say, It’s an operating system or they will refer to kali Linux or ubuntu. Hmmm Okay.. let’s get back to Linux

Linux:

Actually, Linux is a kernel and not an operating system. 

• Linus Torvalds is the person Who created the Linux kernel when he was a student at Helsinki University. 

• He intended it to be a replica of the popular UNIX system which is used in many universities at that time. 

• After developing the Linux kernel, he made it an open source and allowed anyone to edit/modify/copy the kernel and produce a new distribution out of it. 

When you search for Linux on google it will mention Linux as an operating system. Do you know why? You will get it after reading the next section.

What are Linux distributions (distros) :

Well, As you know, Linux is an open-source and free-to-use kernel. It is used by many companies and programmers around the world to create their own operating systems based on their requirements and needs. 

(I hope you remember the difference between a Kernel and an operating system)

So, the operating systems which are created using the Linux kernel are called Linux distributions or distros. In other words, the operating systems with Linux kernels are called Linux distributions.

Some of the popular Linux distributions are Debian, Red hat, Fedora, Slackware, etc. Also, These are called the core distribution of Linux. 

Okay, then what about Ubuntu, kali Linux?

These Ubuntu, Kali Linux, Parrot OS are all the flavors of that core distributions. For example, let’s take Debian OS. Debian is a core distribution of Linux and this Debian is further modified to produce Ubuntu OS, kali Linux OS, Parrot OS, etc.

So, this ubuntu is referred to as Debian-based Linux distribution or Debian-derived Linux distribution. i.e, They too have a Linux kernel and developed based on Debian OS. 

Simply Let’s say, chefs, add cocoa powder to Debian and serve it as Ubuntu, adds chili powder to Debian, and serve it as Kali Linux. 

Likewise, there are many RedHat-based, fedora-based, and Slackware-based Linux distributions available. Thus, these second-level distributions are called specialized Linux distributions. 

Overall, there are a variety of distributions available for Linux, and those varieties of Linux-kernel based operating systems are commonly referred to as Linux operating systems.

Hence, the operating systems which have a Linux kernel are commonly referred to as Linux operating systems. I hope you got your answer!  

Why Linux :

• Do you believe if I say Linux is everywhere? Yes, From Desktops to servers, Smartphones to websites, home appliances to supercomputers, cars to the refrigerator, it is everywhere. 

• Furthermore, The most popular Android is powered by Linux.

• Security: It is one the most secured and reliable OS. 

• Are you tired of malware? Then Linux is best for you because Linux systems are rarely infected by malware, viruses, etc. And there is no need for anti-virus software.

• Free and open source.

Installation:

• Firstly, Choose the type of distribution you want to install. For example, We are going to choose Kali Linux.
• Then, Choose the type of installation you need. Want to install it on Virtual machines? or are you going to dual-boot? or Going to use it as the main OS? likewise, there are some options available for Kali. choose the type.
• To begin with, we recommend you install it on virtual machines as they don’t harm our main OS even if anything crashes.
• Here is the complete and step-by-step guide to installing “Kali Linux” on a virtual machine (How to install Kali Linux on a virtual machine).

Conclusion :

we hope from this article, You got a clear view of Linux and its distributions. Furthermore, we believe we taught you the right things about Linux and broke the misconceptions most people had. So from here on, when anyone says Linux is an operating system, give them your answer. Happy learning!