Welcome to Linux and Mac OS X

What is an Operating System?

• Manage file system
• Manage CPU
• Manage memory
• Provide interface to user
• Utilities added onto base OS for easier use
• Now GUI

History

• 1975 Unix - Bell Labs
• BSD - Berkeley
• Other versions
• 1983 - GNU
• 1991 - Linus Torvald

Advantages of Linux

• Portable
• Free
• Not proprietary
• Uses C programming language
  Ken thompson, 1969, AT&T Bell Labs

Overview

• Multi-user
• Multi-Tasking
• Utilities such as sort
• Different Shells (Command Interpreter and Programming Language) - bourne, C korn
• Kernel system calls, e.g., write
• Hierarchical File Structure - treelike, links
• Security for private and shared files
• Filename generation using patterns (bourne has more)
• Device independent I/O
• Job Control - ps, jobs, fg, bg, &
• Filters (Interprocess Communication)
• GUI
• Networking - e-mail, httpd, ftpd, ...

All work herein is subject to copyright. Original content to Dr. Deborah Whitfield, text content (Practical Guide to Linux) to Prentice Hall publishing.