Q. What are the operational differences between Linux and UNIX? Why would a programmer choose one over the other? What about software selection and ease of programming (with already basic knowledge of programming, and wanting to dive in to open source)?
In terms of Linux, what makes things like Red Hat cost money and things like Ubuntu not? Is pay-for OS based on Linux better quality than freely distributed OS? What is the best choice for Linux-or-Unix OS for a budding programmer?
A. What is Linux
http://www.
linux.org/info/
What is UNIX
http://www.unix.org/what_is_unix.html
Why Linux is Better
http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/
Linux is open source therefore in most cases free of charge with the exception of enterprise releases such as SUSE Linux and Red Hat
http://www.novell.com/linux/
http://www.redhat.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source_software
What is Ubuntu
Ubuntu is a community developed operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. Whether you use it at home, at school or at work Ubuntu contains all the applications you'll ever need, from word processing and email applications, to web server software and programming tools.
Ubuntu is and always will be free of charge. You do not pay any licensing fees. You can download, use and share Ubuntu with your friends, family, school or business for absolutely nothing.
We issue a new desktop and server release every six months. That means you'll always have the latest and greatest applications that the open source world has to offer.
Ubuntu is designed with security in mind. You get free security updates for at least 18 months on the desktop and server. With the Long Term Support (LTS) version you get three years support on the desktop, and five years on the server. There is no extra fee for the LTS version, we make our very best work available to everyone on the same free terms. Upgrades to new versions of Ubuntu are and always will be free of charge.
http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu
Here are some options for installing or trying out Linux
Option One (Full installation)
I thoroughly recommend Linux Mint 8 Main Edition which is built upon Ubuntu 9.10 Its easy to install and easy to use plus it comes with much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled
Linux Mint 8 Download
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=44
The Perfect Desktop - Linux Mint 8 (Helena) Installation
http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-linux-mint-8-helena
Linux Mint 8 Helena User Guide
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23787138/Linux-Mint-8-Helena-User-Guide
You download the ISO. image of Linux Mint 8 then you need to create a Bootable LiveCD for installation
Linux Mint 8 can also be run direct from the LiveCD from Booting up without touching your Hard Drive
Option Two (Install Linux inside Windows)
Installing Ubuntu as a dual-boot with Windows without partitioning
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/wubi
You keep Windows as it is, Wubi only adds an extra option to boot into Ubuntu. Wubi does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader, and does not install special drivers. It works just like any other application.
Wubi keeps most of the files in one folder, and if you do not like it, you can simply uninstall it as any other application.
Boot in to windows insert the Ubuntu 9.10 LiveCD and you will offered the option of installing inside windows which is where the Wubi installer comes in, you will be asked how many gigabytes you wish to allocate to Ubuntu (I recommend 8gb) then you set a password for your installation then click install and thats it.
Once Ubuntu is fully installed upon starting your PC you will be given a choice of which operating system you want to use Windows or Ubuntu
Ubuntu 9.10 Download
http://releases.ubuntu.com/9.10/
Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) User Guide
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Karmic
Linux Mint 7 has a similar feature called mint4win and the directions given above for Wubi can be followed (XP and Vista only)
http://duncsweb.com/2009/09/27/mint4win-a-wubi-based-installer-of-linux-mint/
Linux Mint 7 Download
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=38
Linux Mint 7 Gloria User Guide
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15884753/Linux-Mint-7-Gloria-User-Guide
Ubuntu 9.10 and Linux Mint 7 can also be run straight from the LiveCD without touching your Hard drive
At present I do not recommend Ubuntu 10.04/Linux Mint 9 owing to multiple stability issues
Option Three (LiveCD)
Here the possibilities are endless as you can try out as many different Linux distros. until you find the one thats right for you DISTROWATCH.COM gives full listings (second lists the major distributions)
http://distrowatch.com/
Major Linux Distributions
http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major
LUg.
where to download red hat Linux Enterprise?
Q. is red hat enterprice is free? where to download it? for learning purpose?
A. You should go to :
http://distrowatch.com/search.php
and use the search engine to filter which distro would be best for you. You can select a version for beginners, or multimedia, or a special purpose. They are all free to download. You can read reviews and articles about each distro. You can select a distro for ease of use, needs little ram or hard drive space, popularity, most software packages available, amount of customization,etc.
I would also suggest that you go to that distros website to read their documentation, especially if you are new to linux. They have tutorials on how to install, how to setup various hardware, and tips and tricks. I would also recommend using their forum to search/ask for info/help.
What's the difference between Linux operating systems?
Q. Linux has a lot of operating systems, I'm not even going to bother to list them. I was wondering, it there a difference between them? Does each type of Linux operating system hold a specific purpose? For example, Red Hat holds a different functionality to Ubuntu, or something like that.
A. Linux has many distros but all versions of Linux are the same OS.
Linux is extremely customizable. So much so that it'd be impossible for one person to do all the tweaks necessary to have what most people consider a polished and functional operating system. On top of that many Linux distros are heavily customized for specific purposes. Robotics, hardware appliance (routers for example), Real time OS (traffic lights, microwave ovens, unmanned aircraft), Music studios, Network security, Home theatre, Cash register, various industrial and scientific specialties, generic servers and so on.
There are also distros that are specialized to fit on a 1.44 floppy, thumb drives and a few distros specifically designed to run on CDs rather than be installed on a machine. There are distros that mimic other operating systems such as Mac OS and Windows so closely that at a glance you wouldn't know that you were not using those OS's. Other's are branded such as Dell's version of Ubuntu which is customized for Dell hardware.
There are also commercial versions of Linux. Red Hat Enterprise for example which is designed for high end servers and IBM's SUSE which has customizations for running on IBM virtual servers/being the host OS for the virtual servers, a desktop version which much of Europe's governments uses.
Distros often come with sub distros that are customized for various purposes. For example most major distros have a KDE and a Gnome version These are customized to people's favorite window managers and some distros support up to 5 or 6 window managers with sub-distros. Most support at least 2 or 3. Long term support, special purpose sub-distros like Ubuntu Studio which is geared for musicians are also common with widely used general distros.
The majority of distros however are shortcuts for Linux users to get what they want/need without spending the thousand of hours personally making those customizations. For example some like myself do too much customization and install too much software to upgrade a machine every 2 years. So long term support versions appeal heavily to me. I need and use a large variety of applications so it's important to have very large software repositories. Other people choose high performance bare bone distros. Some people want total control over their sytem and choose primitive distros that give you the bare min necessary, anything else the user installs themselves and customize as they see fit. (not recommended for anybody but an expert).
There are philosophical choices involved in choosing a distro. One big split for example is RH vrs Debian based systems. The RH fork (RHE, SUSE, Mandriva, CentOS) and Debian fork (Ubuntu, Debian) have some small differences in the way they are built. For example RH systems use YUM for software installation while Debian based systems use Apt-Get. You can install and use YUM on Debian systems and Apt-Get on RH systems. It's just a matter of defaults. Same with how root privileges are handled, and other minor details. The average user won't notice such subtle differences.
I've included a link to distro watch which gives details about specific distros as well as release cycles and where to download them.
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