Info about Linux

Any Linux distro can be purchased from ebay or from amazon. Linux is free if you download it and create the disc yourself, however some have special software and can only be bought. Once you get the disc, you put in your computer. Then restart the computer and the computer should boot from the cd. There is usually a installation screen that asks you language, keyboard (typically USA), time zone and then it asks where to install it.

By default, it should let you dual boot with your other operating system and does not touch it. Of course, you want you can wipe your entire hard drive and then install Linux and use your whole hard drive. Once it is done, you reboot the computer and you will have a choice between Linux and Windows or whatever operating system you have.

You can install additional software by going to synaptic and type what software you want. Click on it and hit install and then apply. You can also go in the terminal and sudo apt-get install (name of software) and hit enter. Ubuntu has a software application called Ubuntu Software Center which you simply search and hit the install button. Linux is the only operating system you install software without going on your web browser and spend time to trying to find software.

Linux was originally just a kernel based off of MINIX. Linus Torvalds was trying to develop a open source operating system and he wanted a very secure kernel. Other people eventually became interested in his work and then started to create other open source to make the experience better. There were people who wanted to create a GUI and KDE and Gnome were born.

Communities eventually developed and Linux became a full blowed operating system. It is has became so powerful it is on more then 90% of the super computers and and more then half off of server market. Linux became famous of being the most secure operating system and the operating system with the highest scalability. Linux can run virtually on any hardware

Linux is most commonly found in server since it is cheaper, faster and more efficient then other operating systems. About 70% of all the servers in the world use Linux. Linux servers typically run web servers and also used as a database server with software like Oracle.

In setting up a web server, people typically install what is called a LAMP server which is an acronym that stands for Linux Apache Mysql Php server. Those are the three software that any web server will have. Apache is protocol that allows you to host the website. Without any modification it uses your ip address. Mysql is for databases and is used to track login information and is also used heavily in forums. Php is the scripting for you web pages.