6 Part I . Linux First Steps (Space web hosting) .
6 Part I . Linux First Steps . Memory Linux tries to keep processes with the most immediate need in RAM, while managing how processes that exceed the available memory are moved to swap space. Swap space is a defined area on your hard disk that s used to handle the overflow of running processes and data. When RAM is full, processes are placed in swap space. When swap space is full (something that you don t want to happen), new processes can t start up. . Devices Linux supports thousands of hardware devices, yet keeps the kernel a manageable size by including only a small set of drivers in the active kernel. Using loadable modules, the kernel can add support for other hardware as needed. Modules can be loaded and unloaded on demand, as hardware is added and removed. (The kernel, described in detail a bit later on, is the heart of the Linux operating system.) . File systems File systems provide the structure in which files are stored on hard disk, CD, DVD, floppy disk, or other media. Linux knows about different file system types (such as Linux ext3 and reiserfs file systems, or VFAT and NTFS from Windows systems) and how to manage them. . Security Like UNIX, Linux was built from the ground up to enable multiple users to access the system simultaneously. To protect each user s resources, every file, directory, and application is assigned sets of read, write, and execute permissions that define who can access them. In a standard Linux system, the root user has access to the entire system, some special logins have access to control particular services (such as Apache for Web services), and users can be assigned permission individually or in groups. Recent features, such as Security-Enhanced Linux, enable more refined tuning, and protection in highly secure computing environments. What I have just described are components that primarily make up what is referred to as the Linux kernel. In fact, the Linux kernel (which was created and is still managed by Linus Torvalds) is what gives Linux its name. The kernel is the software that starts up when you boot your computer and manages the programs you use so they can communicate effectively and simply with your computer hardware. Other components, such as administrative commands and applications, are added to the kernel from other open source projects to make Linux a complete operating system. The GNU project, in particular, contributed many components that are now in Linux. (GNU, Apache, KDE, GNOME, and other key open source projects in Linux are discussed a bit later.) Those other projects added such things as: . Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) Consisting of a graphical framework (typically the X Window System), window managers, panels, icons, and menus. GUIs enable you to use Linux with a keyboard and mouse combination, instead of just typing commands (as was done in the old days). . Administrative utilities Including hundreds (perhaps thousands) of commands and graphical windows to do such things as add users, manage disks, monitor the network, install software, and generally secure and manage your computer.
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