What is Linux?

Linux is an operating systems that runs the hardware on your computer. It is used in place of the better known Microsoft Windows operating system. It has a graphical interface, like Windows, with menus and icons so it's easy to navigate around the various packages. It basically looks and does what Windows can do but only better once you get used to the way it works. The Linux operating system is "free". You can download it without paying for the software, but you will pay for the bandwidth you'll use to download 14 GB files as is the case for Debian Linux.

Open Office is included in most of the Linux distributions, which is equivalant to MSWord, etc. An average Linux version like Debian for instance contains thousands of packages (applications in Windows terms) "free", no shareware, no added costs, no need for anti virus programs either. So for normal everyday use, Linux can basically do all that Windows can. The latest top of the range printer for example might not have drivers supplied by your Linux distro. But as millions of people all over the world buy the new stuff, the printer will very soon be supported. You will find that most of your Microsoft Office documents can easily be read by OpenOffice, a Open Source quivalent.

Linux excels as a multi-user platform. For any business, school or lab this is good news, as Linux will enable effortless communication and a virus-free environment with absolute security and private folders for all the users, no matter how many there are. This means that for e.g. schools, each class would be a user group with certain files, folders and even programs only visible to them. Each learner in this class will be able to have their own private documents and own desktop. The teacher can use the same computer without fear of the pupils getting access to his/her files. In the same way can the teachers be part of a group with their own files and even the science or language teachers can form their own groups with the needed privacy and secure access.

Networking, multi-user support, virus immunity and software are all included by default, meaning you will not have to get anything else to be able to use this powerfull system. Of course you would want multimedia support, pdf and maybe postscript readers. You may be surprised that instead of only one pdf reader (Adobe Acrobat) under Windows, you have a choice of more that five pdf readers under Linux. OpenOffice writes to pdf format out-of-the-box.

No matter what field of research you do, subject you teach or interest you have, you may find that Linux has the software to support you. Want to start a school newspaper or other Desktop Publishing needs? Linux have Xaralx, Inkscape, Scribus, GIMP and OpenOffice to help you.

What about Programming? Pascal, C, C++, Fortran, Logo, Perl, Python, etc. etc.

What about mathematics and science exampapers? You will not find anything better than the LaTeX standard - we use it for everything, from DTP to letters. Have a look here to see what can be done. What about education software? Name it -- mathematics, science, electronics, architecture, music, etc. etc. are all available for free!

Who else uses Debian?

Most scientists, astronomers, as well as the people in our offices. :) So you see, you will not be alone! In fact, what better way to help your learners to be ready for the future? Recent news stories seen on the net in 2008:

• Jan 29 Linux PCs Replacing Microsoft in Philippine Schools
• Jan 30 French Police Make Breakaway from Windows to Linux
• Feb 13 Linux deployed as OS for Army's Future Combat Systems
• Feb 22 Metropolitan Bank Group Switched to Linux (Illinois)
• Mar 05 Cisco's \$250 Million Routing Platform Based on Linux
• Mar 31 Linux Survives Hacking Contest. The three way hacking challenge at the CanSecWest conference, pitted the MacBook Air, a Fujitsu Laptop running Vista, and Ubuntu Linux on a Sony Vaio against each other. In the end only the Ubuntu Linux was left standing.
• Apr 07 9000 Swiss Education Computers Drop Windows for Linux
• May 14 Verizon Dials in Linux as Primary OS for Mobile Phones

A very brief history leading to Linux

• 1969 Unix is developed for mainframe computers
• 1973 Ritchie and Thompson develop the programming language C
• 1974 Unix is widely used as the first universal computer code
  it only uses 100kb RAM -- but IBM wants to use 64kb RAM for a new personal computer
• Bill Gates, brilliant entrepeneur, sees the gap and develops MSDOS. IBM was happy!
• Various companies develop various *inx versions -- System V later unites these
• the PC market is relatively small, but is growing slowly.
• late 70's Video becomes more important, Unix develops XWindows
• 1980's PC's are used more and more.
  Not connected to the development of PC's, GNU is developed. This is a free software foundation, that supports the idea of free software with source code available for all to use and modify.
• Bill Gates sees the popularity of XWindows and Apple Mac's Windows systems.
• 1982 Microsoft launches Windows 1.0.1.3 -- a nice menu system.
• 1991 Linux Torvalds, a Unix user, wants to have Unix available for PC's, and develops Linux - a kernel for GNU software.
• Linux is marketed under the General Public Licence (GPL), so to ensure that it will forever be free to use and develop.

Want to keep Windows?

Linux is very accommodating. You can even keep Windows with Linux on one computer and choose at startup which operating system you want to use. Linux will read all your Windows files, but unfortunately Windows will not even see the installed Linux on your hard drive.

If you keep your Windows and Linux machines on different computers, they can communicate with each other via shared folders. Your Windows machine will not even notice that there is a Linux machine on the other end. And your Linux machine will know its talking to a Windows machine.

You will find that Linux is more productive, and jobs can be done faster with most applications available for most tasks at hand.