Mastering Red Hat Fedora Linux 5
Chapter One
Introducing Red Hat Linux
Linux is a better way to run your computers. It is reliable, secure, and flexible. It's surprisingly
easy to install. It's easier to use than most people think. It's highly customizable. It's built for
networking. And because you can download the latest complete Linux operating system for free, the
price is right.
For many people, Red Hat Linux is Linux. That isn't quite right. Linux is based on software
developed by a worldwide community of volunteers. Much of the initial work was spearheaded by
the Free Software Foundation (). Originally it was developed as a clone of the Unix
operating system. Today, it is so much more. It's evolving to meet the needs of a wide variety of
people, such as aerospace engineers, movie makers, theoretical physicists, and consumers. Yes, consumers.
Even Wal-Mart is selling computers with a version of Linux.
Strictly speaking, Linux is just the kernel, the part of the operating system that allows your
software and hardware to communicate. But oh, what a kernel! You can customize it in thousands
of ways and update it for new features. Properly configured, it can optimize the effective speeds
on your computer.
... read full excerpt from Mastering Red Hat Linux 9 ebook
