20060905 What Is Linux? Awesome Apps Linux is an independent Unix-like operating sys- tem that can be freely modified and redistributed. It works on all major 32-bit and 64-bit computer hardware platforms and is an implementation of the POSIX specification with which all true ver- sions of Unix comply. Linux uses no code from proprietary Unix sources, and much of the soft- ware available for Linux is developed by the Free Linux applications focus on doing one job well Software Foundation’s GNU project. The result of with necessary communications between applica- efforts by thousands of programmers coordinating tions implemented using standard file formats such via the Internet, Linux is now recognized as one Work#: @ as the Open Document Format (ODF) and stan- Country: of the most stable and flexible operating systems Province: dard protocols such as TCP/IP. This modular de- available at any price. sign has a number of advantages including flexi- bility, simplicity, and stability. A particular ap- plication can be replaced by any equivalent which What Systems Run Linux? Please Print Clearly follows the same rules. The resulting freedom of Desktops choice leads to friendly competition between differ- Linux desktops such as GNOME or KDE replace ent development teams and often results in Linux Mac and Windows on the desktop for most users’ applications that are best-of-breed through Dar- needs. Many applications are now available, in- winian selection. http:// cluding complete office suites such as OpenOffice and KOffice. City: Name: What Applications Run on Linux? MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM Servers E-mail: Home#: Address: Linux is an important part of the computer server The short answer is lots! Your distribution of Company: Home Page: market. It runs the large majority of the Web choice will generally have many thousands of pop- Postal Code: through the Apache server and provides email, ular Linux applications which you can optionally FTP, SSH, file, printer, and proxy servers with install including the Firefox web browser, Apache efficient and scalable solutions. Linux also sup- web server, OpenOffice suite, GIMP image manip- ports many different databases (e.g., MySQL, ulation program, XMMS audio player, xine video PostgreSQL, and Oracle) which are the engines of player, FooBillard suite of 5 different pool games, enterprise-level servers. and PySol package of 200+ solitaire games! The following sites will help you find additional apps Development Systems you might need: Linux provides a powerful software development platform, with all standard languages being freely • General apps: freshmeat.net/ available. Since the source code to the OS, devel- • General apps: www.linux.org/apps/ opment tools, and most applications can be freely • General apps: icewalkers.com/ modified and redistributed, Linux is the perfect en- • Free development site: sourceforge.net/ vironment for developers. • Linux-Windows equivalents: Other Systems linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html • VLUG – Victoria Linux Users185-911 Group Yates St. Suite #660 Victoria British Columbia Canada V8V 4Y9 An eclectic mix of systems all run on Linux includ- KDE apps: kde-apps.org/ • Membership costs $20.00 per year,benefits and include discounts at certain local stores (see vlug.org for details). Please send this completed formwith along your payment to: ing wristwatches, consumer electronics, point-of- GNOME apps: gnomefiles.org/ • sale terminals, Google, Hollywood animation stu- Games: happypenguin.org/ dios, mainframes, and supercomputer clusters. Dream Distros Resources An introduction to Linux; Below are some of the key resources to help you a secure, powerful, and free with your Linux questions. operating system for computers Resource websites of all types. • Victoria Linux Users Group (VLUG) vlug.org/ • CLUE – Canadian Linux Users Exchange linux.ca/ A Linux distribution consists of the Linux kernel • Loads of Linux Links and a combination of other software to make a com- loll.sourceforge.net/linux/links/ plete Unix-like environment. Most distributions • Freshmeat – Linux Applications are available for free download via the Internet or freshmeat.net/ can be purchased in supported form. VLUG infor- • Linux Documentation Project mation on distributions is given at: tldp.org/ • LinuxQuestions.org • vlug.org/linux/where.html linuxquestions.org/ • YoLinux Information Portal yolinux.com/ Some of the more popular distributions are: • Linux Brochure Project (LBP) lbproject.sourceforge.net/ • Ubuntu (amd64, i386, ppc) ubuntu.com/ News websites • Fedora (i386, x86 64, ppc) • LWN fedora.redhat.com/ lwn.net/ Linux In Victoria • Debian GNU/Linux (i386, IA64, Alpha, Sparc, • LXer: Linux News m68k, PPC, Arm, HPPA, Mips, S390) lxer.com/ Brought to you by the debian.org/ • Slashdot: News for Nerds; Stuff That Matters • Mandriva Linux (i586, x86 64) slashdot.org/ mandriva.com/ Victoria Linux Users Group: • SUSE Linux (i586, x86 64, ppc) The Association of Linux opensuse.org/ Online Zines Users in Victoria. • Yellow Dog Linux (PPC) • Linux Journal yellowdoglinux.com/ linuxjournal.com/ Linux is an operating system initially created in • Smoothwall – Internet firewall/router (i386) • Linux Gazette 1991 as a hobby project by a young student, Linus smoothwall.org/ linuxgazette.net/ Torvalds, at the University of Helsinki in Finland, • OpenWRT – Wireless Router Distribution • Linux Magazine: Open Source, Open Standards and then released to the Internet as an Open openwrt.org/ www.linux-mag.com/ Source project. • LinuxDevices.com – Embedded Linux Resource linuxdevices.com/ Since then thousands of programmers have con- Complete distribution lists can be found at: tributed to make Linux one of the most stable and full-featured operating systems available in the Newsgroups • distrowatch.com/ world. • • lwn.net/Distributions/ groups.google.com/groups?group=comp.os.linux • vlug.org/linux/newsgroups.html vlug.org.