[...]... its database platform to Linux, when SGI adopted Linux as its primary desktop operating system, and when even Dell made Red Hat Linux a preinstallation option on servers… well, that’s what started the real buzz Who Should Read This Book The title of this book says it’s a Beginner's Guide, ” and that’s mostly true What the title should really say is that it’s a Beginner's- to -Linux Guide, ” because the... the next is the value-added tools that come with each one For example, Red Hat includes a very useful tool called redhat-config-xfree86 that makes configuring the graphical interface a very straightforward task Asking “Which distribution is better?” is much like asking “Which is better, Coke or Pepsi?” Almost all colas have the same basic ingredients—carbonated water, caffeine, and high-fructose corn... individual packages, and as long as the packages are protected under the GPL, everything is legal Of course, this means that packages released under the GPL can be resold by other people under other names for a profit (and can in turn be resold again ) In the end, what makes a package from one person more valuable than a package from another person consists of the value-added features, support channels,... Describing Linux and Linux Distributions Usually people understand Linux to be an entire package of developer tools, editors, GUIs, networking tools, and so forth More formally, such packages are called distributions You may have heard of the Linux distributions named Red Hat, SuSE, Mandrake, and Caldera, which have received a great deal of press and have been purchased for thousands of installations Noncommercial... coolness factor, but because the features and capabilities of Linux fit the needs at hand It’s somewhat validating to see some large corporations that only slowly move from their comfort zone starting to adopt Linux xxiii Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Click Here for Terms of Use xxiv Red Hat Linux Administration: A Beginner’s Guide So, when IBM started porting DB2 to Linux, when Oracle... many people feel that GNU /Linux is too awkward to use as the primary name for an operating system In any event, the choice is up to you: Linux or GNU /Linux, it’s all good Linux is Red Hat, right? Red Hat s Linux distribution is very popular, especially in the United States However, many other excellent distributions exist, and none has the exclusive rights to Linux I use Red Hat Linux, and presumably... In addition to Turbolinux, determine which companies are members of UnitedLinux (http://unitedlinux.com) Can you identify the primary objective of UnitedLinux? 5 1 Technical Summary of Linux Distributions and Windows Red Hat Linux Administration: A Beginner’s Guide 5 Look at http://www .linux- mandrake.com and find the kernel version used in the latest Mandrake release 6 Consider which hardware platforms... shipping can be more expensive than developing the software A programmer carrying out a weekend lark to fix a problem with a tiny, kluged program lacks the interest, time, and backing money to turn that hack into a profitable product When Linus Torvalds released Linux in 1991, he released it under the GPL As a result of its open charter, Linux has had a notable number of contributors and analyzers This participation... their programs, allowing their redistribution with source code By and large, these tools are also available on other variants of UNIX, and some of them are becoming available under Windows as well The makers of the distribution simply bundle them up into one convenient package that’s easy to install (Some distribution makers also develop value-added tools that make their distribution easier to administer... taking advantage of these references, no matter how advanced you think you’re becoming, because there is always more to learn What’s in This Book Red Hat Linux Administration: A Beginner’s Guide is organized into four parts Part I is targeted at folks with no experience in Linux who want a hand installing it and getting rolling You’ll be introduced to some of the basic differences between Windows and .