Operating Systems > Linux and UNIX

Got a 3rd computer, gonna start with Linux

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Ctrl Alt Del 123:
Put together a 600 MHz, 256 MB RAM and 30 Gig HD computer and want to try something new and so I'm heading for Linux. I've already decided on mandrake to try first, and then will dual/triple whatever boot with more and more flavors some other time.

However, I hit a block. Bare with me, I'm completely new and don't want to start off wrong. So far this is what I know, don't know if it's right though.

From Unix comes Linux. Is Linux just a kernel or a full OS with no GUI? And, KDE and GNOME are 2 popular GUI's right? What is this X/X Windows?

TheQuirk:
From Unix comes Linux. Is Linux just a kernel or a full OS with no GUI?

-Linux, "strictly speaking" is just a kernel, but when you buy a distro/download it (in this case Mandrake) it will come as an OS, including a bunch of programs, and a "GUI" as you say. Mandrake comes with 11 different once, including Gnome and KDE, and you can choice which one you want to use when you load the computer/log out.


What is this X/X Windows?

**Copy from the XFree86 Project site**
-It provides a client/server interface between display hardware (the mouse, keyboard, and video displays) and the desktop environment while also providing both the windowing infrastructure and a standardized application interface (API).

[ May 08, 2002: Message edited by: TheQuirk ]

Ctrl Alt Del 123:
Thanks, 5 stars.

Calum:
careful though, linux is not unix and does not contain any unix code, since unix is a proprietary OS copyrighted to AT&T Bell, BSD is not unix either and it contains no unix code.

BSD is based on unix though, it has been changed so much internally that no Bell Labs code exists in current distros though. Linux is based on minix, though i think i am right in saying no minix code exists in linux. minix is a small OS written specifically to show students of computer science how an OS works. minix has no unix code, linux has no unix or minix code.

BSD, linux and unix apparently are all incredibly similar from the point of view of somebody using them though, i wouldn't know from first hand experience but from what i read, a lot of effort has gone into cloning as much as possible from one proprietary environment to another free, open source environment.

a round of applause for that i say!

voidmain:
No one actually uses "UNIX" these days. Everyone uses "UNIX Like" operating systems but usually refer to those OSs as "UNIX", even if incorrectly.  Linux is as much UNIX as BSD, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, SCO or any of the others. If you can get around in one you can get around in any of them (unless you are a Windows user of course, then you can't seem to get around in any of them).

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