08:16
GNU/Linux,
inspired from UNIX, has become the most widely adopted server operating
systems out there. Adopters of Linux includes tech giants like Google,
Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, Amazon, and the list goes on and on.. The
adoption rate of Linux in Desktop market cannot be calculated
accurately, because, unlike proprietary software, the sources from where
people get their copies are myriad and are various (hence getting a
true estimate is really difficult). Learning and exploring things in
Linux is quite fascinating and exciting. Thanks to the hard work of
millions of developers, who contributed to the development of Linux, and
have made it reach the place where it is today.
In this post, I will be discussing some of the amazing facts, about Linux, that are lessor known to most of its users.
When the initial code was uploaded to an FTP server (ftp://ftp.funet.fi/), the server administrator (Ari Lemmke) didn't like the name Freax, and he suggested the name Linux and gave a directory on the ftp server. The directory on the ftp server was called "linux". You can access this very directory here: ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/linux/
And if you want the first initial kernel package that was made available to the public, visit this link: ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/linux/kernel/Historic/
In fact by the early 90's a full GNU operating system was ready, aside from the kernel. A full operating system requires, compilers, text editors, X windows systems.
The GNU project even had a kernel of its own called "GNU Hurd", but was not yet completely ready. That main gap was filled by Linux kernel (from Torvalds) in 1992.
Refer the below link for more details on the GNU/Linux System from "Richard Stallman" (The man behind the free software movement.)
Read: Richard Stallman on Linux and GNU
Its roughly estimated that more than 10000 developers from many different countries and companies have contributed to its development till date. And are rapidly increasing in number. More and more features are being added on a regular basis. And most of this coding is from the contributors.
Do not think that Microsoft is contributing to kernel development for improving the kernel. Its for better support of Hyper-V hypervisor on Linux :)
More than 90 percent of the world's fastest computer's use's Linux. Linux has become a choice for high performance computing. It was only 1 to 2 percent adoption in 1998 and in the last 15 years it grew up to more than 90 percent, which is really phenomenal.
Community resources, ease of management, open source and freedom of use, security, compatibility etc, have contributed to level of adoption in high performance computing.
The very famous initial email from Linus Torvalds (during the release of the very first Linux kernel to the world) started with "Hello everybody out there using minix...."
In this post, I will be discussing some of the amazing facts, about Linux, that are lessor known to most of its users.
1. “LINUX”, is a directory name on FUNET’s FTP server (ftp://ftp.funet.fi/)Yes, you heard it right!. Linux Torvalds wanted to name his kernel "Freax". Well the name is a combination of words "freak" and "free", and then the final X to represent its similarity with the Unix operating system.
When the initial code was uploaded to an FTP server (ftp://ftp.funet.fi/), the server administrator (Ari Lemmke) didn't like the name Freax, and he suggested the name Linux and gave a directory on the ftp server. The directory on the ftp server was called "linux". You can access this very directory here: ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/linux/
And if you want the first initial kernel package that was made available to the public, visit this link: ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/linux/kernel/Historic/
2."Linux" is only the kernel, and is not the full system that you useWell Linux is just a part of the entire system. Its the program that allocates resources that other programs need during their operation. So, the system that is used is normally a combination of GNU system and Linux. Since 1984, GNU had been working to make a full operating system of its own, that was going to be a free Unix like operating system.
In fact by the early 90's a full GNU operating system was ready, aside from the kernel. A full operating system requires, compilers, text editors, X windows systems.
The GNU project even had a kernel of its own called "GNU Hurd", but was not yet completely ready. That main gap was filled by Linux kernel (from Torvalds) in 1992.
Refer the below link for more details on the GNU/Linux System from "Richard Stallman" (The man behind the free software movement.)
Read: Richard Stallman on Linux and GNU
3. More than 90% of current Linux source code is written by other developers (and not Linus Torvalds himself)The Linux project was adopted by so many programmers and the project grew very rapidly after 1996. The initial release from Torvalds was 10,000 lines of code and now it has reached many millions in total number.
Its roughly estimated that more than 10000 developers from many different countries and companies have contributed to its development till date. And are rapidly increasing in number. More and more features are being added on a regular basis. And most of this coding is from the contributors.
4. Even Microsoft Contributes to Linux Kernel Development!Yes the company whose main philosophy rests on proprietary software development, also contributes to Linux. It even went ahead of Canonical once, in the number of lines of code contributed to kernel. The top list of contributors includes Red Hat, Intel, etc.
Do not think that Microsoft is contributing to kernel development for improving the kernel. Its for better support of Hyper-V hypervisor on Linux :)
5. Most of the Super Computer's use Linux. And the numbers are growing on a yearly basisRead: Operating System's on Super Computers
More than 90 percent of the world's fastest computer's use's Linux. Linux has become a choice for high performance computing. It was only 1 to 2 percent adoption in 1998 and in the last 15 years it grew up to more than 90 percent, which is really phenomenal.
Community resources, ease of management, open source and freedom of use, security, compatibility etc, have contributed to level of adoption in high performance computing.
6. An operating System called Minix inspired Linus Torvalds for making LinuxMinix is very much similar to Unix. It was created by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Am sure you might have heard this name before during your college days. Most of the people know him by a very famous book he wrote on Operating System. The name of the book is Operating Systems: Design and Implementation
The very famous initial email from Linus Torvalds (during the release of the very first Linux kernel to the world) started with "Hello everybody out there using minix...."
0 comments:
Post a Comment