Introduction to Linux and Open Source Technology

This page provides a very brief overview of Linux and Open Source technology. Many websites exist which provide further details and resources, a selection of which can be accessed using the links provided. All links in this page will open in a new window.

What is Linux?

In a nutshell, Linux is an operating system. It is similar to the Unix operating system in many aspects of its appearance and operation, although it shares no common code with Unix. Linux was originally created in the mid-1990s as an academic project, but over the last decade has grown into a world-class commercial product. Almost half of all servers worldwide are powered by Linux, including popular websites such as Google and BBC News Online. Linux is also growing in popularity as a desktop operating system for business and home users, although its share of this market is currently quite small.

What is Open Source Technology?

Software is considered to be Open Source if its code is freely available for anyone to examine, redistribute and modify. Free availability does not necessarily mean free of charge many Open Source solutions, including commercial distributions of Linux, are provided for a price.

Although Linux and Open Source are often mentioned in the same context, they are not synonymous. Linux itself started life as (and, to a large extent, remains) an Open Source project, but plenty of proprietary software (i.e. where the source code is not available) is produced for Linux, just as Open Source software exists for Windows and other proprietary platforms.

The Open Source development model enables developers all over the world, from hobbyists to multi-national corporations, to collaborate in developing innovative software solutions.

To learn more about Open Source technology, click here.

What are the benefits of Linux and Open Source?

The relative advantages and disadvantages of Linux and Open Source solutions compared to proprietary solutions are a subject of ongoing debate. As Linux and Open Source advocates, we believe that advantages are available in terms of cost, security and reliability. It is certainly true that Linux is immune to viruses designed to attack Windows systems, which is a growing concern for organisational and home users alike.

To learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of Linux in comparison with Windows click here to read an overview by Michael Horowitz, or click here to download тАЬWindows vs. LinuxтАﾝ, a white paper by David Cartwright (Note: registration is required in order to download this report).

Try Linux

To try Linux for yourself at no cost, visit linuxiso.org. Here you can download many popular Linux distributions in ISO format and create your own Linux CDs. The site also provides guidance on working with ISO images. We recommend Knoppix for those trying Linux for the first time.

You can also download Linspire, or the evaluation version of SuSE 9.3 Professional. All of these distributions can be run directly from CD/DVD without making any changes to your existing system or installing any files on your hard drive.

Note: ISO images are very large (around 650MB for CD images) and take some time to download. If you are running Knoppix, Linspire or SuSE directly from CD/DVD, performance may be quite slow. This is a result of running from CD/DVD, and is not a reflection on the performance of Linux when properly installed on your hard disk.

Try Open Source solutions for other platforms

To experience a flavour of Open Source solutions available for other platforms, visit our Supported Browsers page and download Firefox or Opera, or visit openoffice.org to download the leading Open Source office suite, which offers features and functionality equivalent to Microsoft Office. Firefox, Opera and OpenOffice are available for Windows, Mac, Linux and other platforms.