Linux -: The Future Power

[vinod1975]

Enterprise Linux

Oracle Unbreakable Linux is a support program that provides enterprises with industry-leading global support for Linux. For less than half the cost, Oracle's Basic Support is equivalent to Red Hat's best service level. And Oracle's Premier Support provides the same level of enterprise-class support that Oracle provides for its database product.

Oracle Unbreakable Linux support customers also have free access to the Oracle Management Pack for Linux, which delivers comprehensive provisioning, patching, monitoring and administration capabilities.

Oracle Unbreakable Linux: FAQ, Indemnification, Consulting
Partners: Certify Your Applications with Oracle Enterprise Linux 4
Endorsements: Partner Solutions, Customers
Unbreakable Linux Network: Data sheet, white paper, subscribe

Oracle Products on Linux
Oracle's Linux commitment began in 1998 with the first commercial database on Linux. Today, Oracle Database is #1 on Linux with more than 80% market share. Many other popular Oracle products such as applications and middleware also run on Linux. Oracle Validated Configurations provide easier, faster, and lower-cost deployment of Linux solutions in the enterprise with pre-tested, validated architectures—including software, hardware, storage, and network components—along with documented best practices.

LEARN MORE
Data sheets: Oracle Unbreakable Linux, Unbreakable Linux Network, Oracle on Linux
Webcasts: Larry Ellison unveils Oracle Unbreakable Linux , Discover enterprise-class Linux support
Technical resources: Visit the Linux Technology Center page on the Oracle Technology Network
Free magazine: Read the Oracle Magazine Special Edition for Linux (2006)
NEWS & EVENTS
Analysis: Forrester says APAC customers should consider Oracle Unbreakable Linux (February 2007)
Partner endorsement: Emulex Offers Third-Party Solution for Oracle Unbreakable Linux (January 2007)
Press release: Oracle Unveils World-Class Management Solution for Unbreakable Linux Users (January 2007)
Analysis: Read the Gartner First Take on Oracle Unbreakable Linux
ZDNet: Oracle Unbreakable Linux Deemed Best Thing for Open Source and Enterprises (November 2006)
Press release: Oracle joins the Free Standards Group (October 2006)

 

[DurkaDurka]

Wht are you posting press releases for Enterprise Oracle support? I would imagine 90% of the users here excluding the techies don't even know what Oracle is.

 

[vinod1975]

I will take care of the same in my next post and would explain what oracle is in the mean time let me find whether YAHOO -> Yet Another hierarchical Official Oracle , is true or not...:wave:

 

[earth_as_one]

I'm a certified HPUX System and Network administrator. (version 11.x)

I play a little with Linux. You might be interested in this version of Linux:

http://www.gentoo.org/

Unlike windows where you have to buy a new OS every couple of years, gentoo linux automatically updates itself and I'm not just talking about patches. It would be like automatically going from Windows 2000 to 2003 automatically. You set the level of ato-updates to your level of comfort (from conservative to bleeding edge.)

I'm also VCP on VI3 (Vmware certifed professional version 3.x). The vmware's ESX server runs a modified version of RedHat Linux to manage the vmkernel.

Also I am certified on OpenView Network Node Manager (7.x), Operations(8.x) and DataProtector (5.x).

Feel free to ask me questions about these products.

Kind of a clue about what I do for a living...

 

[DurkaDurka]

I'm a certified HPUX System and Network administrator. (version 11.x)

I play a little with Linux. You might be interested in this version of Linux:

http://www.gentoo.org/

Unlike windows where you have to buy a new OS every couple of years, gentoo linux automatically updates itself and I'm not just talking about patches. It would be like automatically going from Windows 2000 to 2003 automatically. You set the level of ato-updates to your level of comfort (from conservative to bleeding edge.)

I'm also VCP on VI3 (Vmware certifed professional version 3.x). The vmware's ESX server runs a modified version of RedHat Linux to manage the vmkernel.

Also I am certified on OpenView Network Node Manager (7.x), Operations(8.x) and DataProtector (5.x).

Feel free to ask me questions about these products.

Kind of a clue about what I do for a living...

Earth, do you personally use Gentoo? Last linux distro I ran was slackware, about 2 years ago. The one thing holding me back on linux is gaming... no directx sdk = minimal games and drivers for ati & nvidia are pretty weak.

 

[earth_as_one]

Not yet. But I have installed SUSE and Red Hat Versions. One of my collegues uses gentoo and swears by it. The idea intrigues as I think computers should be as easy to use as a toasters.

 

[vinod1975]

Linux is an [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]operating [COLOR=blue ! important]system[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] that was initially created as a hobby by a young student, Linus Torvalds, at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Linus had an interest in Minix, a small UNIX system, and decided to develop a system that exceeded the Minix standards. He began his work in 1991 when he released version 0.02 and worked steadily until 1994 when version 1.0 of the Linux Kernel was released. The kernel, at the heart of all Linux systems, is developed and released under the GNU General Public License and its [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]source [COLOR=blue ! important]code[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] is freely available to everyone. It is this kernel that forms the base around which a Linux operating system is developed. There are now literally hundreds of companies and organizations and an equal number of individuals that have released their own versions of operating systems based on the Linux kernel. More information on the kernel can be found at our sister site, LinuxHQ and at the official Linux Kernel Archives. The current full-featured version is 2.6 (released December 2003) and development continues.
Apart from the fact that it's freely distributed, Linux's functionality, adaptability and robustness, has made it the main alternative for proprietary Unix and Microsoft operating systems. IBM, Hewlett-Packard and other giants of the computing world have embraced Linux and support its ongoing development. More than a decade after its initial release, Linux is being adopted worldwide as a server platform primarily. Its use as a home and office [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]desktop[/COLOR][/COLOR] operating system is also on the rise. The operating system can also be incorporated directly into microchips in a process called "embedding" and is increasingly being used this way in appliances and devices.
Throughout most of the 1990's, tech pundits, largely unaware of Linux's potential, dismissed it as a computer hobbyist project, unsuitable for the general public's computing needs. Through the efforts of developers of desktop management systems such as KDE and GNOME, office suite project OpenOffice.org and the Mozilla web browser project, to name only a few, there are now a wide range of applications that run on Linux and it can be used by anyone regardless of his/her knowledge of computers. Those curious to see the capabilities of Linux can download a live CD version called Knoppix . It comes with everything you might need to carry out day-to-day tasks on the [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]computer[/COLOR][/COLOR] and it needs no installation. It will run from a CD in a computer capable of booting from the CD drive. Those choosing to continue using Linux can find a variety of versions or "distributions" of Linux that are easy to install, configure and use. Information on these products is available in our distribution section and can be found by selecting the mainstream/general public category.
Additional Information

If you're interested in learning about Linux, need help with some aspect of its use or are enthusiastic about it and want to help foster its adoption, you may want to get in touch with a Linux User Group in your area. There are groups in practically every country, region and city in the world, so there is likely to be one near you.
Each day, Linux use is increasing in every sector of our society. We have information about Linux deployments in government, industry and the arts.
Linux has an official mascot, Tux, the Linux penguin, which was selected by Linus Torvalds to represent the image he associates with the operating system. Tux was created by Larry Ewing and Larry has generously given it to the community to be freely used to promote Linux. More information on use of the image can be found on his webpage. More links to variations on the image and alternative logos can be found on our logo page
Many people are not sure of the pronunciation of the word Linux. Although many variations of the word exist, often due to native language factors, it is normally pronounced with a short " i " and with the first syllable stressed, as in LIH-nucks. You can hear how Linux creator Linus Torvalds pronounces the word in Swedish and in English .
More information on Linus Torvalds, can be found on our short biography page.

 

[vinod1975]

In order to understand the popularity of Linux, we need to travel back in time, about 30 years ago...
Imagine computers as big as houses, even stadiums. While the sizes of those computers posed substantial problems, there was one thing that made this even worse: every computer had a different operating system. Software was always customized to serve a specific purpose, and software for one given system didn't run on another system. Being able to work with one system didn't automatically mean that you could work with another. It was difficult, both for the users and the system administrators.
Computers were extremely expensive then, and sacrifices had to be made even after the original purchase just to get the users to understand how they worked. The total cost of IT was enormous.
Technologically the world was not quite that advanced, so they had to live with the size for another decade. In 1969, a team of developers in the Bell Labs laboratories started working on a solution for the software problem, to address these compatibility issues. They developed a new operating system, which was

• simple and elegant
• written in the C programming language instead of in assembly code
• able to recycle code.

The Bell Labs developers named their project "UNIX."
The code recycling features were very important. Until then, all commercially available computer systems were written in a code specifically developed for one system. UNIX on the other hand needed only a small piece of that special code, which is now commonly named the kernel. This kernel is the only piece of code that needs to be adapted for every specific system and forms the base of the UNIX system. The operating system and all other functions were built around this kernel and written in a higher programming language, C. This language was especially developed for creating the UNIX system. Using this new technique, it was much easier to develop an operating system that could run on many different types of hardware.
The software vendors were quick to adapt, since they could sell ten times more software almost effortlessly. Weird new situations came in existence: imagine for instance computers from different vendors communicating in the same network, or users working on different systems without the need for extra education to use another computer. UNIX did a great deal to help users become compatible with different systems.
Throughout the next couple of decades the development of UNIX continued. More things became possible to do and more hardware and software vendors added support for UNIX to their products.
UNIX was initially found only in very large environments with mainframes and minicomputers (note that a PC is a "micro" computer). You had to work at a university, for the government or for large financial corporations in order to get your hands on a UNIX system.
But smaller computers were being developed, and by the end of the 80's, many people had home computers. By that time, there were several versions of UNIX available for the PC architecture, but none of them were truly free.
1.1.2. Linus and Linux

Linus Torvalds, a young man studying computer science at the university of Helsinki, thought it would be a good idea to have some sort of freely available academic version of UNIX, and promptly started to code.
He started to ask questions, looking for answers and solutions that would help him get UNIX on his PC. Below is one of his first posts in comp.os.minix, dating from 1991:
From: torvalds@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Gcc-1.40 and a posix-question
Message-ID: <1991Jul3.100050.9886@klaava.Helsinki.FI>
Date: 3 Jul 91 10:00:50 GMT
Hello netlanders,
Due to a project I'm working on (in minix), I'm interested in the posix
standard definition. Could somebody please point me to a (preferably)
machine-readable format of the latest posix rules? Ftp-sites would be
nice.
From the start, it was Linus' goal to have a free system that was completely compliant with the original UNIX. That is why he asked for POSIX standards, POSIX still being the standard for UNIX.
In those days plug-and-play wasn't invented yet, but so many people were interested in having a UNIX system of their own, that this was only a small obstacle. New drivers became available for all kinds of new hardware, at a continuously rising speed. Almost as soon as a new piece of hardware became available, someone bought it and submitted it to the Linux test, as the system was gradually being called, releasing more free code for an ever wider range of hardware. These coders didn't stop at their PC's; every piece of hardware they could find was useful for Linux.
Back then, those people were called "nerds" or "freaks", but it didn't matter to them, as long as the supported hardware list grew longer and longer. Thanks to these people, Linux is now not only ideal to run on new PC's, but is also the system of choice for old and exotic hardware that would be useless if Linux didn't exist.
Two years after Linus' post, there were 12000 Linux users. The project, popular with hobbyists, grew steadily, all the while staying within the bounds of the POSIX standard. All the features of UNIX were added over the next couple of years, resulting in the mature operating system Linux has become today. Linux is a full UNIX clone, fit for use on workstations as well as on middle-range and high-end servers. Today, all the important players on the hard- and software market each have their team of Linux developers; at your local dealer's you can even buy pre-installed Linux systems with official support.

1.1.3. Current application of Linux systems

Today Linux has joined the desktop market. Linux developers concentrated on networking and services in the beginning, and office applications have been the last barrier to be taken down. We don't like to admit that Microsoft is ruling this market, so plenty of alternatives have been started over the last couple of years to make Linux an acceptable choice as a workstation, providing an easy user interface and MS compatible office applications like word processors, spreadsheets, presentations and the like.
On the server side, Linux is well-known as a stable and reliable platform, providing database and trading services for companies like Amazon, the well-known online bookshop, US Post Office, the German army and such. Especially Internet providers and Internet service providers have grown fond of Linux as firewall, proxy- and web server, and you will find a Linux box within reach of every UNIX system administrator who appreciates a comfortable management station. Clusters of Linux machines are used in the creation of movies such as "Titanic", "Shrek" and others. In post offices, they are the nerve centers that route mail and in large search engine, clusters are used to perform internet searches.These are only a few of the thousands of heavy-duty jobs that Linux is performing day-to-day across the world.
It is also worth to note that modern Linux not only runs on workstations, mid- and high-end servers, but also on "gadgets" like PDA's, mobiles, a shipload of embedded applications and even on experimental wristwatches. This makes Linux the only operating system in the world covering such a wide range of hardware.

 

[westmanguy]

Linux isn't practical for the average computer user. I always associate Linux with very technically savy people. So Windows is for me and 90% of other computer users.

 

[blugoo]

For those who talk about useability as a drawback to Linux, Ubuntu is a pretty good distro that doesn't require a ton of technical knowledge, and works pretty well "out of the box". Just don't expect it to be exactly like Windows...it's a different type of OS that takes a little getting used to. The security and level of control you have over your system is much more than what Windows gives you, though.

If gaming is your main thing though, either stick with Windows or dual boot. Gaming is a joke on anything else.

 

[vinod1975]

The user interface

Is Linux difficult?

Whether Linux is difficult to learn depends on the person you're asking. Experienced UNIX users will say no, because Linux is an ideal operating system for power-users and programmers, because it has been and is being developed by such people.
Everything a good programmer can wish for is available: compilers, libraries, development and debugging tools. These packages come with every standard Linux distribution. The C-compiler is included for free, all the documentation and manuals are there, and examples are often included to help you get started in no time. It feels like UNIX and switching between UNIX and Linux is a natural thing.
In the early days of Linux, being an expert was kind of required to start using the system. Those who mastered Linux felt better than the rest of the "lusers" who hadn't seen the light yet. It was common practice to tell a beginning user to "RTFM" (read the manuals). While the manuals were on every system, it was difficult to find the documentation, and even if someone did, explanations were in such technical terms that the new user became easily discouraged from learning the system.
The Linux-using community started to realize that if Linux was ever to be an important player on the operating system market, there had to be some serious changes in the accessibility of the system.

Linux for non-experienced users

Companies such as RedHat, SuSE and Mandrake have sprung up, providing packaged Linux distributions suitable for mass consumption. They integrated a great deal of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), developed by the community, in order to ease management of programs and services. As a Linux user today you have all the means of getting to know your system inside out, but it is no longer necessary to have that knowledge in order to make the system comply to your requests.
Nowadays you can log in graphically and start all required applications without even having to type a single character, while you still have the ability to access the core of the system if needed. Because of its structure, Linux allows a user to grow into the system: it equally fits new and experienced users. New users are not forced to do difficult things, while experienced users are not forced to work in the same way they did when they first started learning Linux.
While development in the service area continues, great things are being done for desktop users, generally considered as the group least likely to know how a system works. Developers of desktop applications are making incredible efforts to make the most beautiful desktops you've ever seen, or to make your Linux machine look just like your former MS Windows or MacIntosh workstation. The latest developments also include 3D acceleration support and support for USB devices, single-click updates of system and packages, and so on. Linux has these, and tries to present all available services in a logical form that ordinary people can understand.
The screenshot below shows how each item in the Channel list (RH 7.2, StarOffice, Opera, Ximian Gnome, Loki games and CodeWeavers) can be updated with one mouse click. Adding or removing software packages or keeping the system up to date is simple with tools like this one, called Red Carpet:
Figure 1-1. Ximian Red Carpet: automated package management

 

[allen_p]

dude, forget cut n paste stuff.
Lets talk specific issues.

 

[earth_as_one]

Linux comes in many flavors.

People use what they know. Most people know Windows. But that doesn't mean Linux is harder or easier than windows.

Learning French is harder than learning modern English even if all you knew was an old version of English. But if you didn't know French or English, both languages would both be equally hard to learn.

Concept wise, a computer is a computer. The hardware is the same. Most modern versions of LINUX are easy to install. Both are Operating Systems but folders are directories, users and file permissions work differently, explorer is a file manager, config files are in /etc directory not registry keys....

Users launch applications like Firefox and Adobe from their desk top or popup menus.

Since LINUX is much more efficient than windows, Linux can run on your old windows box if it doesn't have the power to carry the lastest Microsoft behemoth (VISTA). Also you'll have an easier time finding drivers for the older hardware.

So the time to try Linux is when you buy a new computer.

Back up all your windows files from your old machine and restore onto your new windows machine. When you are sure you are ready to move on with your new computer, load a version of Linux on your old computer.

Who knows you might decide you like linux better than windows.

http://www.linuxforum.com/

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/suse-linux-help/

http://forums.gentoo.org/

 

[vinod1975]

dude, forget cut n paste stuff.
Lets talk specific issues.

that was just the definations and about linux so really dont matters whether you copy paste or write them in your own words till the time you wont talk about some specific issues

 

[allen_p]

typos "defination"

that was just the definations and about linux so really dont matters whether you copy paste or write them in your own words till the time you wont talk about some specific issues

typos "defination"

Meaning : "the act of defining or making definite, distinct, or clear"

If cutting and pasting would have made things clearer - Please paste links - and credit orginal author who could "DEFINE" things. We could always go to that website and check out errata as well.

 

[DurkaDurka]

Linux comes in many flavors.

People use what they know. Most people know Windows. But that doesn't mean Linux is harder or easier than windows.

Learning French is harder than learning modern English even if all you knew was an old version of English. But if you didn't know French or English, both languages would both be equally hard to learn.

Concept wise, a computer is a computer. The hardware is the same. Most modern versions of LINUX are easy to install. Both are Operating Systems but folders are directories, users and file permissions work differently, explorer is a file manager, config files are in /etc directory not registry keys....

Users launch applications like Firefox and Adobe from their desk top or popup menus.

Since LINUX is much more efficient than windows, Linux can run on your old windows box if it doesn't have the power to carry the lastest Microsoft behemoth (VISTA). Also you'll have an easier time finding drivers for the older hardware.

So the time to try Linux is when you buy a new computer.

Back up all your windows files from your old machine and restore onto your new windows machine. When you are sure you are ready to move on with your new computer, load a version of Linux on your old computer.

Who knows you might decide you like linux better than windows.

http://www.linuxforum.com/

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/suse-linux-help/

http://forums.gentoo.org/

I might add, that if you are somewhat technically proficient, you can parition your hard drive so that you can duel booth both windows and linux. Or you can always run a live cd or boot up a vm image.

 

[vinod1975]

typos "defination"

Meaning : "the act of defining or making definite, distinct, or clear"

If cutting and pasting would have made things clearer - Please paste links - and credit orginal author who could "DEFINE" things. We could always go to that website and check out errata as well.

Ok Allen lets start from you , as I respect you a lot now so , I give you the owner of describing what is Linux and the difference between Linux and windows vista...:wave:

 

[DurkaDurka]

I give you the owner of describing what is Linux and the difference between Linux and windows vista...:wave:

Besides the obvious?

 

[allen_p]

@ vinod1975 :

I can explain a lot about a few things apart from Linux and Vista,
But that will defeat the purpose of "Linux : Copy and Paste" Thread

Moreover I am a firm believer of RTFM and STFW .
BTW if you are really keen try Wikipedia.

And from now - I will refrain from this thread . No More replies from me in this thread (I will avoid temptation ). Since I thought you had some academic research and related experience/background in Linux. I thought discussing issues would have helped us further our knowledge domain. Entirely my mistake, dude.

 

[vinod1975]

IBM will not use Windows Vista - but will move to Linux desktops
William Henning - Monday, March 6th, 2006 | 1:13PM (PST)
[FONT=&quot]
IBM switching to Linux desktops in Germany according to a Linux Forum 2006 presentation by their head of open source and Linux sales in Germany.
[/FONT] Interesting news from LinuxForum 2006
During a presentation on IBM's involvement with Open Source, Andreas Pleschek from IBM in Stuttgart, Germany, who heads open source and Linux technical sales across North East Europe for IBM made a very interesting statement...
"Andreas Pleschek also told that IBM has cancelled their contract with Microsoft as of October this year. That means that IBM will not use Windows Vista for their desktops. Beginning from July, IBM employees will begin using IBM Workplace on their new, Red Hat-based platform. Not all at once - some will keep using their present Windows versions for a while. But none will upgrade to Vista."
The question is, does this only apply to IBM in Germany, or IBM world wide?
If ALL of IBM switches to Linux desktops and OpenOffice... that would be a very significant loss to Microsoft; not only in direct licensing revenues, but also in speeding adoption of Linux by other companies. After all, if IBM can run on Linux desktops...


Source: [FONT=&quot]LinuxForum Day 2http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060305214231974[/FONT]