What is an Operating System

The computer program that allocates the system resources and coordinates all the details of the computer’s internals, such as scheduling tasks and controlling peripherals, is called an Operating System.

Linux, computer operating system created in the early 1990s by Finnish software engineer Linus Torvalds and the Free Software Foundation (FSF). While still a student at the University of Helsinki, Torvalds started developing Linux to create a system similar to MINIX, a UNIX operating system. The problem with MINIX was that users could not modify or freely distribute the code. Linux is a Unix-like operating system based on the Linux kernel.

Using almost exclusively the C programming language, Linus developed the Linux kernel using the foundation laid by Richard Stallman’s work on the GNU project. Work was completed on the project over the next few years, and Linus released version 1.0 of Linux in 1994. Not long after that, Red Hat and Suse became the first Linux distributions based on the original kernel.

Linux explodes in popularity over the next few years. Within a decade, Linux was ported to thousands of different types of devices and received the support of major companies like Compaq, HP, and Dell. Dell became the first manufacturer to offer Linux across its entire product line.

• Linux is free and open source.

• Linux is compatible with millions of digital devices.

• Linus Torvalds originally created Linux in the early 1990s.

• Linux is used on servers, data centers, and even in supercomputers.

• Linux is written using almost exclusively using the C programming language.

Linux is used everywhere, from your phone to your smart TV. The Linux kernel can be found powering the software on millions of devices. When referring to Linux, most people are talking about GNU Linux, which is the operating system. Much like Microsoft Windows and Mac OS, Linux is used mainly as a computer operating system. The difference is that Linux is free and open source and, by nature, compatible with a much wider range of devices.

Linux Architecture

1. Kernel

The kernel is the heart of the operating system. It is the lowest level of the operating system and is responsible for translating the command into something that can be understood by the computer. It interacts with the hardware and most of the tasks like memory management, task scheduling, and file management.

2. Shell

The shell is the utility that processes your requests. When you type in a command at your terminal, the shell interprets the command and calls the program that you want. So basically, you communicate with the kernel through this program. C Shell, Bourne Shell, and Korn Shell are the most famous primary shells.