Section V

Desktop Computing
THIS CHAPTER INTRODUCES ANOTHER NEW TOPIC not included in last years edition
of handbook desktop computing. IT operations managers must understand the users desktop configuration in order to effectively provide enterprise-wide computing services to all PCs connected to central computers
through local area and wide area networks. In addition, IT managers are
typically responsible for centrally managing user desktop software configurations through network management tools. In this section, you will be
introduced to a wide range of desktop computing technology solutions
that will help manage this important investment.
Chapter 26, A Quick Overview of Linux, provides a quick overview of
Linux, listing the features and drawbacks of Linux, and providing sources
for additional information. Linux is a UNIX-type operating system, originally created by Linus Torvalds in 1991, which has been enhanced by
developers around the world. Enterprise IT managers should take a serious
look at Linux to determine if it will meet their desktop operating system
requirements. The software is free, or close to free, and it has all the functions of an operating system required by the enterprise, yet it also has
some drawbacks.
The ability to enable remote users to share resources on NT workstations and servers represents one of the major benefits of using the NT operating system, as explored in Chapter 27, Evaluating the Performance of
NT-Based Systems. By enabling employees in an organization to share
access to drives, folders, and files, you obtain the ability to significantly
enhance productivity. However, you also provide the potential for other
persons with access to your organizations network to either intentionally,
or unintentionally, read or modify existing data, as well as store new files
whose contents could have an adverse effect upon the operation of your
organization. Thus, IT managers must understand the importance of the
options associated with Windows NT resource sharing as they control
access to shares, as well as govern the level of security associated with network-based resources.
In Chapter 28, Configuring TCP/IP on a Windows NT Workstation, the
configuration of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
on a Windows NT workstation is discussed. With the widespread
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acceptance and use of TCP/IP in the industry today, IT managers must continue to increase their understanding of how TCP/IP can be leveraged to
increase performance and productivity in their environment. Windows NT,
which is already used extensively in the industry as a server operating system, is expected to soon also be the predominant desktop operating syst e m . A s T C P / I P b e g i n s t o re p l a c e t h e o l d e r I n t e r n e t P a c k e t
Exchange/Sequential Packet Exchange (IPX/SPX) protocol, IT managers
need understand how TCP/IP should be configured with Windows NT.
As indicated in the chapters above, the desktop interface is the users
window to any system. Although standard screen structure, the use of
icons and color, and sharper screen quality have all contributed to
improvements in the way systems are presented to a wide audience of
users, an interface encompasses far more than screen format. In
Chapter 29, More Productive User Interfaces, the general desktop interface is explored. Although flexible user interfaces help people accomplish
subordinate tasks more efficiently, gains in efficiency must be balanced
against the need to meet overall system goals. By identifying users and
their characteristics, collecting detailed information on user tasks and
goals, and involving users continuously in an iterative design process, IT
managers and designers will build interfaces which are productive, as well
as flexible.
The last two chapters in this section address the issue of graphical user
interfaces (GUIs). IT operations managers need to understand how these
interfaces impact the way end users access and use IT resources across
networks within an enterprise environment. In Chapter 30, Creating GUIs
Users Can Use: Usability Analysis, you will learn how to determine user
requirements for the development of highly usable interfaces. In
Chapter 31, Building GUIs Users Can Use: Usability Development, you will
learn how to take those requirements and translate them into a workable
design.

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Chapter 26

A Quick Overview
of Linux
Raj Rajagopal

LINUX IS A UNIX-TYPE OPERATING SYSTEM, originally created by Linus Torvalds in

1991, that has been enhanced by developers around the world. Linux is an
independent POSIX implementation and is compliant with X/Open and
POSIX standards. Linux is developed and distributed under the GNU General Public License. The GNU license specifies that the source code for
Linux plus any Linux enhancements should be freely available to everyone.
Vendors are free to charge for distributing Linux, and the availability of
source code does not apply to applications developed on top of Linux.
Linux features includes true multi-tasking, multi-user support, virtual memory, shared libraries, demand loading, proper memory management,
TCP/IP networking, shell, file structure, utilities, and applications that are
common in many UNIX implementations. A complete list of features is
included in Exhibit 26.1. Linux is a candidate operating system to be evaluated by enterprise and data center managers who have any flavor of (or are
considering acquiring) UNIX or Windows NT.
Sudden Surge of Interest in Linux
For an operating system invented in 1991, the interest in Linux has only
recently surged. Like many other computer- and Internet-related phenomena, Linux has again proved that there is strength in numbers. Linux has
reached the critical mass of users where vendors have started taking an
interest in the operating system. Exhibit 26.2 shows the number of Linux
users from 1993 to 1997. These numbers are estimates from Red Hat Software, one of the distributors of Linux.
The biggest customers for Linux include Internet service providers
that use Linux along with the free APACHE Web server, universities, and
Web developers. While Exhibit 26.2 shows cumulative numbers, analysts
expected Red Hat to ship about 400,000 CDs the same year. By contrast,

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Exhibit 26.1.

Linux features.

Feature

Description

Virtual memory

Possible to add swapping areas during runtime. Up to

16 swapping areas each of which can hold 128MB and
can be used for a total of 2GB swap space.
Supports most common languages including C, C++,
Java, Ada95, Pascal, FORTRAN, etc.
Commands include ls, tr, sed, awk, etc. Tools include
gcc, gdb, make, bison, flex, perl, rcs, cvs, and prof.
Compatible with most POSIX, System V, and BSD at the
source level. Through iBCS2-compliant emulation,
compatible with many SCO, SVR3, and SVR4 at the
binary level.
X11R5 and X11R6. Motif is available separately.
All three common shells.
GNU Emacs, Xemacs, MicroEmacs; jove; ez; epoch;
elvis; GNU vi; vim; vile; joe; pico; and jed.
Supports many localized and customized keyboards.
Supports Appletalk server and NetWare client and
server.
Supports TCP/IP networking including FTP, Telnet,
etc.
Linux file system supports file systems of up to 4TB
and names up to 255 characters long. Also supports
NFS and System V. Transparent access to MS-DOS
FAT partitions via a separate file system. Partition
looks like a normal UNIX file system.
CD-ROM file system reads all standard CD-ROM
formats.
Compliant. Linuxs 32-bit data representation should
handle dates until the year 2038.

Development languages
UNIX commands, tools supported
UNIX source/binary compatibility

Graphical environments
Shells
Editors
Internationalization
LAN support
Internet communications
File systems

CD-ROM
Y2K compliancy

Microsoft Corporation is estimated to have sold more than 100 million copies
of Windows that same year.
Vendor Support for Linux
The growth in users has resulted in renewed interest in Linux from many
vendors. Intel Corporation and Netscape Communications Corporation
have announced an investment in Red Hat Software. Two venture capital
firms, Benchmark Capital of Menlo Park, CA, and Boston-based Greylock,
have also made investments in Red Hat.
Besides financial support, vendors have also started providing product
support. Major vendors, including Sybase, Oracle, Netscape, Informix,
Computer Associates, Interbase, and Corel, have announced versions for
Linux. Some of the popular applications available for Linux are summarized in Exhibit 26.3.
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A Quick Overview of Linux

Exhibit 26.2.

Exhibit 26.3.

Linux user base.

Applications available for Linux.

Application Category

Popular Products

Office applications
PDF support
Backup
Video player
Database support

Star Office, Applixware, WordPerfect, XessL:ite4 spreadsheet

Adobe Acrobat Reader
Backup/9000, BRU 2000
MpegTV Player
Sybase Enterprise Adaptive Server, Oracle DBMS, InterBase,
Informix-SE
Apache Web Server, Netscape Communicator, Red Hat Web
Server

Web software

Linux Customers
Linux is used extensively at universities and by ISPs as Web servers. Linux
is also used in research and development environments and in government. The visual effects company Digital Domain used Linux in creating
visual effects for the movie Titanic. The U.S. Department of Defense uses
Linux for DNS platforms and SMTP mail relays.
OPERATING REQUIREMENTS FOR LINUX
Most Linux versions run on most Intel-based machines, although other
platforms are also supported (see Exhibit 26.4). Besides the Web pages of
specific Linux distributors, the Web pages http://www.linux.org and
http://sunsite.unc.edu/mdw/HOWTO/INFO-SHEET.html provide more
detailed lists of hardware, video cards, disk controllers, etc.
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Exhibit 26.4.

Linux operating requirements.

Component

Comments

Processor

Most Intel-based machines. Some implementations support

multi-processor such as SMP. Other processors supported
include Sun SPARC, Alpha, PowerPC, RS/6000, MIPS, and
Macintosh.
4MB required to install most distributions; 5MB to 10MB for
minimal setup; 8MB to 16MB required to run X. Requires swap
partitions.
Hard drive required. 8MB to 16MB for swap partition. 24MB for
basic installation with no X, development tools, or TeX. Most
installations require 40MB to 80MB minimum, including free
space. Complete systems need 60MB to 200MB.
Supports 386/486/Pentium machines with ISA, EISA, PCI, and VLB
buses. VESA local bus and PCI are supported. SCSI support is
available in some implementations.
Linux will coexist with DOS, MS-Windows, and OS/2 on the hard
drive. Partitioning the hard disk is required for each operating
system.

Memory

Hard disk

Bus

Coexistence with other

operating systems

LINUX SOURCES
Linux is freely available on the Internet (see Linux-related FTP sites) along
with the source. Linux is also available through distributors. There are
many different Linux versions, or distributions. A distribution is the compiled Linux software and source code usually combined with extra features
such as configuration, installation, Web, and other applications for the specific version. Most importantly, however, distributors provide support for
their version. Some distributions are available for download at no charge,
while others are available at prices typically in the range of $50 to $100 on
CD-ROM from Linux distributors/vendors/retailers.html worldwide. Keep
in mind that some of the distributors offer multiple distributions, which differ in price and features. When picking distributions, enterprise and data
center managers need to consider the features and other applications
besides evaluating the operating system itself.
Other options include purchasing Linux preinstalled on a computer, or
purchasing a book that includes a complimentar y CD-ROM (see
Exhibit 26.5).
Linux-Related Web and FTP Sites
There are a number of Web and FTP sites that provide the Linux code, as
well as applications for Linux. Some of the popular ones are shown in
Exhibit 26.6.

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Exhibit 26.5.

Linux distributors.

Organization

Product

Web Address

Features and Comments

Caldera

OpenLinux

www.caldera.com

Work Group
Solutions

Linux Pro

www.wgs.com

S.u.S.E. LLC

S.u.S.E. Linux

www.suse.com

Red Hat
Software

Red Hat Linux

www.redhat.com

Debian

Debian Linux

www.debian.org

Includes a new graphical desktop

called K Desktop Environment
(KDE), Sybase Enterprise Adaptive
Server.
The Linus Pro Plus package
includes a 7 CD-ROM set, a Linux
Encyclopedia, a 1600+ page
reference manual, etc. Linux Pro is
aimed at the professional
developer.
S.u.S.E. Linux package includes 4
CD-ROMs, a reference book, and
about 800 preconfigured,
compiled packages. It features a
menu-driven installation,
hypertext help, a X11R6.3-based
graphical interface, and source
code.
The Red Hat Linux Operating
System, which has won many
awards, can be used as a Web
server, e-mail server, DNS server,
or a news server for multiple sites,
with virtual hosting. The package
includes the Apache Web server,
sendmail, publishing, calendars,
Internet tools, X Window system,
Netscape Navigator, and Netscape
Communicator. The operating
system includes disk partitioning
with Disk Druid, autodetection of
hardware, configuration for
multiple window managers,
graphical tools, and sound
support.
Debian is not a company. Debian
Linux is produced by volunteers
and the primary focus is Intelbased machines. Although it is
only supported through e-mail/
third parties, support from the
volunteers is normally very quick.
Compared to other sources, the
software is probably the cheapest
(less than U.S. $5 for 2 CDs, or
download for free).

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Exhibit 26.6.

Linux-related Web and FTP sites.

Site

Comments

sunsite.unc.edu
tsx-11.mit.edu
ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu
ftp2.netscape.com
ftp.blackdown.org
sunsite.unc.com/mdw/linux.html

Free Linux implementation at /pub/linux

Free Linux implementation at /pub/linux
Mosaic Web browser and Web server software for Linux
Netscape Web Browser for Linux
Suns Java Development Kit for Linux
Linux Documentation Project Web page

LINUX DRAWBACKS
Popular products such as Microsoft Office and some common databases
will not run on Linux. Unless the Linux distribution is from a reputable vendor, support for Linux can sometimes be hard to come by. The support situation may be changing, at least for some major players. At a recent
Comdex show, Red Hat Software announced 24-hour enterprise support for
its Linux users starting in 1999. A similar service was also due in 1999 from
another Linux distributor, Pacific HiTech. Installations planning to use
Linux should be prepared to hire technically adept Linux pros to ensure
that problems can be handled in a timely manner. While there are a lot of
enthusiastic programmers working on the operating system itself, the situation is different when it comes to peripheral device support. Peripherals
typically need drivers, and details of the peripheral necessary to write the
drivers are not commonly available. It is up to the peripheral vendors to
come up with the drivers for the different platforms. Peripheral vendors do
not always make a Linux version and, even when they do, it may require
some effort to make the configuration work in an installation. Users accustomed to the Windows GUI may feel that the user interfaces available for
Linux are not that user friendly. While Linux is UNIX-like and follows
X/Open and POSIX standards, it has not been formally branded as UNIX 98
compliant. This is due, in part, to the fact that Linux is unlike a traditional
UNIX offering from one manufacturer that is responsible for paying for the
development and certification.
IMPLICATIONS OF LINUX
Windows NT has been able to make significant inroads into the low-end
server market because it is typically priced lower than many UNIX offerings and is, in general, easier to use. Although Linux is UNIX-like in terms of
ease of use, it does offer significant price advantages. This should appeal to
cost-conscious customers, particularly those who do not mind the potential drawbacks listed above. While the ability of Linux to make significant
inroads into the NT market is debatable, Linux is certainly bound to prove
a very strong challenger to low-end UNIX solutions that are priced significantly higher than Linux.
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Exhibit 26.7.

Linux usage guidance.

Situations for Which Linux Is a Good

Candidate

Situations for Which Linux Is Not a

Good Candidate

DP environment is very cost-conscious

DP environment has skills to make things work
Environment that has many UNIX users and
programmers
Linux-proven applications and environments
such as Web servers, universities, and R&D
establishments

DP environment requires UNIX branding

Mission-critical applications
Need a wide array of peripherals
Installations that need 247 support
(this may have changed for some Linux
vendors in 1999)

On the high end, applications tend to be more mission critical and customers are typically concerned about reliability, availability, and serviceability as much or more than the price. Hence, Linux may not have as
much of an impact on the high end, unless one or more of the distributors
establish themselves to the point that customers are comfortable about
the support.
GUIDANCE FOR LINUX USAGE
Exhibit 26.7 summarizes Linux usage guidelines for enterprise and data
center managers.
LINUX FUTURE OUTLOOK
The money from the venture capital and investments at Red Hat will most
likely go toward creating an enterprise server group within Red Hat. Linux
will follow the same path as other UNIX operating systems and Windows
NT and transition to a 64-bit architecture. Intel has already indicated that
the company intends to support a 64-bit version of Linux with their Merced
chip and is working on adding to Linux its Wired for Management features,
features that are aimed at making Linux easier to install in a corporation. In
addition, Intel has also already disclosed details of its universal driver initiative, which aims to make developing Linux applications much easier.
All these developments and the new interest by users and vendors bode
well for Linux. The potential downfall is that Linux may face the same problems as UNIX where there are multiple versions and applications are not
portable from one version to another.
LINUX RESOURCES
Help on Linux is available through a variety of sources such as newsgroups
(see Exhibit 26.8), publications such as the Linux Journal, and books. Linux
International is a nonprofit consortium of Linux users and vendors.
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Exhibit 26.8.

Linux-related newsgroups.

Newsgroup

Description

comp.os.linux.announce
comp.os.linux.devlopment.apps
comp.os.linux.devlopment.system
comp.os.linux.hardware
comp.os.linux.admin
comp.os.linux.misc
comp.os.linux.setup
comp.os.linux.answers
comp.os.linux.help
comp.os.linux.networking

Announcements of Linux developments

For Linux applications development programmers
For Linux operating system development programmers
Linux hardware specifications
System administration questions
Miscellaneous questions and issues
Installation/setup problems
Answers to problems
Questions and answers for particular problems
Linux network-related questions and issues

Books on Linux include:

1. Linux Unleashed by Sams. Over 1100 pages and includes a CD.
August 1998.
2. Running Linux by Matt Welsh and Lar Kaufman. OReilly & Associates. 650 pages, 2nd ed., August 1996.
3. Teach Yourself Linux in 24 Hours by Bill Ball, Stephen Smoogen, and
Ryan K. Stephens. Sams Publishing. 380 pages and includes a CD.
CONCLUSION
Linux is definitely worth a serious evaluation by enterprise and data center
managers who are looking for cost-effective solutions. It is a rich operating
system that is gaining momentum. It is free and is being used for some specific applications. The support situation is improving. It may not, however,
be appropriate for enterprise and data center managers who are considering mission-critical applications, who need a wide array of peripherals, or
who need UNIX branding.

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