- #LIGHTWEIGHT LINUX DISTRO FOR HOME LABS PORTABLE#
- #LIGHTWEIGHT LINUX DISTRO FOR HOME LABS SOFTWARE#
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Try thinking about, for example, how moving the mouse translates to the cursor moving across the screen or how a file is stored on your solid-state drive. A detailed explanation of how all the modules work is beyond the scope of this article.
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#LIGHTWEIGHT LINUX DISTRO FOR HOME LABS SOFTWARE#
The modern operating systems we use every day, such as Windows and macOS, are made of many, many different (and very technical) components, including kernels that help software communicate with hardware and the graphical user interface (GUI) elements you see on screen. The histories of these projects could fill many books (the Linux kernel has been around for 30 years now after all), but this brief summation should be enough to contextualize some terms you may come across. For instance, FreeBSD uses its own kernel and software. Other UNIX-like operating systems exist, too. For the purpose of this guide, I'll use GNU/Linux. The same argument can be applied to the idea of GNU as an OS, since it can not be considered a complete OS without a kernel (Linux in this case). Others tend to focus on the fact that Linux (with no prefix) has become a more mainstream term and the logic behind the GNU/Linux nomenclature could expand ad nauseam to GNU/Linux/Windowing System Name/Desktop Environment Name/Etc. GNU purists argue that references to Linux as the complete operating system that exists today should instead be written as GNU/Linux, in acknowledgment of the pair's symbiotic relationship. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself it can only function in the context of a complete operating system." According to GNU: "Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. This is where Linux, a kernel developed by Linus Torvalds (among others), entered the picture. I'll go deeper into what makes up an operating system in a minute, but the plot thickened when, essentially, the GNU's development of a very important low-level component called the kernel (GNU Hurd) did not fully materialize.
#LIGHTWEIGHT LINUX DISTRO FOR HOME LABS FREE#
Stallman also launched the related Free Software Foundation (FSF) on the principle that "any user can study the source code, modify it, and share the program" for any participating software. As a result of a long and complicated legal history involving AT&T, Bell Labs, and the federal government, UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems grew in popularity, as did Thompson's influential philosophy of a modular, minimalist approach to software design.ĭuring this period, Richard Stallman launched the GNU Project with the goal of creating "an operating system that is free software." GNU, confusingly, stands for "GNU's Not UNIX." This project is responsible for the UNIX-like GNU OS.
#LIGHTWEIGHT LINUX DISTRO FOR HOME LABS PORTABLE#
UNIX is coded almost entirely in the C programming language (also invented by Ritchie) and was originally intended to be used as a portable and convenient OS for programmers and researchers. UNIX is a proprietary, command-line-based operating system originally developed by Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson (among others) at AT&T's Bell Labs in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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I'll start with a brief history of the big three: UNIX, Linux, and GNU. What Are UNIX, Linux, and GNU?īefore diving headfirst into the wonky world of GNU/Linux systems, it's important to understand how they came about and some of the terms you may encounter while researching and using them. Note that using a GNU/Linux system to run a server is an entirely different use case and one not covered here. This guide for nontechnical home users can help you get started. However, if you're looking for a change of pace, don't want to pay for your software, and don't mind rolling up your sleeves, switching to GNU/Linux may not only be worthwhile, but could also make you a convert for life. To be honest, aside from the Chrome OS platform, GNU/Linux systems are typically not best for people who rely on big-name software or don't like dabbling with a customizable, hands-on interface. Few have ever considered any of the open-source alternatives found under the umbrella of GNU/Linux, though some may have done so without even knowing it-for instance, Google's Chrome OS uses the Linux kernel. Most consumers can, with a little effort, name two desktop and laptop operating systems: Microsoft's Windows and Apple's macOS.