TCS IPA LINUX UX SESSION

ORIGIN OF LINUX

Here's a summary of the origins of Linux, highlighting key points:

- **Popularity and Pervasiveness**: Linux is one of the world's most popular operating
systems, powering over 1.3 billion devices. Many people unknowingly interact with Linux
daily via Android, routers, Chromebooks, e-readers, and many internet servers.
- **Relationship with Other OS**: Android is based on Linux, while iOS is based on BSD Unix,
a similar system. Many mobile and web-based OS platforms, like Samsung's and Mozilla's,
also use Linux.
- **Open Source Movement**: In the 1980s, Richard Stallman began the GNU Project to
create a free Unix-like OS. GNU aimed to replace proprietary Unix by developing open-
source modules for Unix components, driven by Stallman’s advocacy for software freedom.
- **Philosophy of Free Software**: Stallman emphasized "free software," focusing on user
freedom over proprietary constraints. He didn’t use "open source," believing it neglected
the importance of user freedom.
- **Linux Kernel Creation**: In the early 1990s, Linus Torvalds, a student at Helsinki
University, created a kernel inspired by Unix for his own use. He combined it with GNU's
tools and licensed it under the GNU General Public License, enabling free distribution.
- **Community and Contribution**: Torvalds shared Linux as open source, expecting
community contributions would improve it, which led to the rapid growth and success of
Linux.
- **Commercialization and Expansion**: Red Hat Linux, launched in 1994, was among the
first commercial Linux distributions and became a billion-dollar company.
- **Current Usage**: Linux dominates enterprise and mobile environments but hasn’t
matched that success on PC desktops, though it’s freely available and compatible with most
hardware, making it easy to try out.

 Linux's Popularity: Linux is the foundation for many widely-used

operating systems, including Android, and is integral to many companies'
operations, such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook.
 Open Source Movement: Richard Stallman and the GNU Project aimed
to create a freely distributable Unix clone, emphasizing software freedom.
 Creation of Linux: Linus Torvalds developed the Linux kernel and
combined it with GNU tools, releasing it as open source to encourage
collaboration and improvement.
 Commercial Success: One of the first commercial distributions, Red Hat
Linux, became a billion-dollar corporation, showcasing Linux's potential in
enterprise markets.

Open source software allows users to access, modify, and distribute the source code freely.
In contrast, closed source software restricts modifications and distribution to only the
original developers. Linux is highlighted as a prime example of open source software,
benefiting from a community of contributors who enhance and create various versions,
known as distributions. Understanding open-source licensing is crucial for anyone interested
in this area, and further learning can be found in a related course on open-source licensing.

 Open vs. Closed Source: Closed-source software can only be modified by the copyright
holder's programmers and is usually not freely distributable. In contrast, open-source
software allows users to modify and distribute the code freely.
 Community Contributions: Because Linux is open source, it benefits from a rich
community of contributors who continuously improve and diversify the software.
 Licensing Importance: Understanding open-source licensing is crucial for anyone
involved in open-source projects. For more details, the course suggests checking out
"Foundations of Programming: Open-Source Licensing".

CHOOSING A LINUX DISTRIBUTION

Here’s a concise summary of the video content on choosing a Linux distribution:

- **Linux Distribution Definition**: A Linux distribution combines the Linux kernel with
drivers, tools, and applications, available in a distributable format (often as an ISO for
installation).
- **Finding Linux Distributions**: DistroWatch.com is a resource that lists hundreds of
Linux distributions, showing their popularity rankings.
- **Choosing a Distribution**: The video suggests trying popular distributions from
DistroWatch by installing them in virtual machines to explore without commitment.
 - **Debian-Based Distributions**:
- **Examples**: Popular Debian-based distributions include Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Kali.
- **Background**: Debian, one of the earliest distributions, was released in December 1993
by Ian Murdock and is maintained by a democratic community.
- **Software Management**: Uses APT (Advanced Package Tool) for package
management and has approximately 50,000 software packages.
- **Freedom Focus**: Debian emphasizes free software, though non-free software is
available separately.
- **Dependency Resolution**: Debian was the first to offer dependency resolution in
software installation.
- **Red Hat-Based Distributions**:
- **Examples**: CentOS, Fedora, and Mandriva are based on Red Hat.
- **Commercial Success**: Red Hat was released in 1994, went public in 1999, and became
the first open-source company to break $1 billion in revenue in 2012.
- **Software Management**: Uses RPM (Red Hat Package Manager).
- **Corporate Dominance**: Red Hat holds the majority of the corporate Linux server
market, with CentOS as a free, stable, and secure alternative.
- **CentOS**: Used widely as a Red Hat alternative in training due to its near-identical
setup, offering users a stable and accessible option for corporate environments.

 This video suggests using CentOS for Linux server knowledge and encourages users to
explore other distributions independently.

Linux Distribution Basics: A Linux distribution combines the Linux

kernel with supporting drivers, tools, and applications to create a working
operating system, often available as an ISO image.
 Popular Distributions: The video highlights that many popular
distributions are based on Debian or Red Hat Linux. Debian-based
distributions include Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Kali, while Red Hat-based
distributions include CentOS, Fedora, and Mandriva.
 Choosing a Distribution: It's recommended to explore popular
distributions on DistroWatch.com and test them in virtual machines to find
the best fit for your needs. CentOS is emphasized for its stability, security,
and similarity to Red Hat, making it a good choice for enterprise
environments.

LINUX WAS A CLONE OF UNIX OPERATING SYSTEM WHICH WAS CREATED

IN 1960.
 INSTALL VIRTUAL BOX

 VirtualBox Installation Requirements: You'll need a reasonably

powerful PC, sufficient memory (1.5 GB per CentOS VM), plenty of hard
disk space (8 GB per CentOS VM), and a supported host operating system
(Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Solaris).
 Downloading and Installing VirtualBox: Download VirtualBox from
virtualbox.org, choose the appropriate platform package for your OS, and
follow the installation steps, accepting the default options.
 Installing the Extension Pack: After installing VirtualBox, download and
install the VirtualBox Extension Pack for additional functionality. Verify the
installation by checking the Extensions section in the VirtualBox
preferences.

Here’s a summary of the process for installing VirtualBox, highlighting key

points and important information:

- **Purpose of Virtual Machines**: Virtual machines allow users to run one

operating system inside another without needing additional hardware.
They also enable saving progress through snapshots.

- **Choosing VirtualBox**: Oracle's VirtualBox is recommended for this

course and can be downloaded for free from
[virtualbox.org](https://www.virtualbox.org).

- **System Requirements**:
- **PC Specifications**: A reasonably powerful PC is needed, with
sufficient memory and hard disk space.
- **Memory Requirement**: Each CentOS virtual machine will require at
least **1.5 GB** of RAM.
- **Hard Disk Space**: Each CentOS virtual machine will require at least
**8 GB** of disk space.
- **Supported Host Operating Systems**: VirtualBox supports Windows,
Linux distributions, macOS, and Solaris.

- **Supported Guest Operating Systems**: CentOS 7 can be used as a

guest OS, falling under the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) umbrella.

- **Downloading VirtualBox**:
- Visit the VirtualBox website and click on the "Download VirtualBox"
icon.
- Choose the appropriate version for your operating system (Windows,
macOS, Linux, Solaris).
 - Follow the prompts to download and run the installer.

- **Installation Steps**:
- Run the VirtualBox installer and follow the prompts.
- Accept the default features and installation options.
- Optionally create shortcuts, then proceed with installation.
- Uncheck the box to start VirtualBox after installation, then finish the
setup.

- **Installing the Extension Pack**:

- Download the VirtualBox Extension Pack from the same website.
- Open the downloaded extension pack to install it.
- Agree to the Personal Use and Evaluation License to complete the
installation.
- Verify the extension pack installation by checking the preferences in
VirtualBox (File > Preferences > Extensions).

This guide conveys essential steps and requirements for successfully

installing VirtualBox and setting it up for use with Linux virtual machines.

MANGE VIRTUAL BO WITH THE GUI

Here’s a summary of managing VirtualBox using its graphical user

interface (GUI):

- **Introduction to VirtualBox**: VirtualBox is a powerful virtualization tool

ideal for learning and experimenting with different operating systems.

- **Accessing Preferences**:
- Go to the **File menu** and select **Preferences**.
- **Input Tab**: Contains two sections:
- **VirtualBox Manager**: For interacting with the main VirtualBox
interface.
- **Virtual Machine**: Contains shortcuts for interacting with virtual
machines.

- **Keyboard Shortcuts**:
- **Host Key Combination**: Key that may vary by operating system
(commonly the right Control key).
- Common shortcuts include:
- **Adjust Window Size**: Host Key + A
- **Full Screen Mode**: Host Key + F
- **Insert Ctrl+Alt+Delete**: Host Key + Delete
- **Take Screenshot**: Host Key + E (captures the current screen of the
virtual machine)
- **Take Snapshot**: Host Key + T (saves the current state of the
virtual machine, including installed software and running applications)
 - **Mouse Pointer Management**: To release the mouse pointer from the
virtual machine, press the Host Key.

- **Machine Menu Options**:

- **New**: Create a new virtual machine.
- **Settings**: Modify the settings of an existing virtual machine.
- **Clone**: Duplicate a virtual machine for different purposes (e.g.,
create a DNS server or web server).
- **Remove**: Delete a virtual machine; options include deleting the VM
only or both the VM and its hard disks.

- **Help Menu**:
- Provides links to documentation, the VirtualBox website, bug tracking,
forums for support, and Oracle support for corporate customers.

- **Version Information**: The last dialog shows the current version of

VirtualBox being used.

This guide highlights how to navigate and utilize the VirtualBox GUI for
creating and managing virtual machines, ensuring users are familiar with
key features and shortcuts.

 VirtualBox Manager and Virtual Machine: The video explains how to

navigate the VirtualBox Manager and Virtual Machine interfaces, including
the use of keyboard shortcuts.
 Host Key Combinations: It covers various host key combinations for
tasks like adjusting window size, entering full screen mode, taking
screenshots, and taking snapshots.
 Machine Menu Options: The video discusses options in the Machine
menu, such as creating, cloning, and removing virtual machines, as well
as accessing settings and support resources.

BEFORE INSTALLING LINUX

Here’s a summary of the key points regarding preparations before installing Linux
(specifically CentOS):

- **CentOS Overview**:
- CentOS is a clone of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) that tracks RHEL version
numbers.
- Example: CentOS 7.2 corresponds to RHEL 7.2.
- Each CentOS version includes a date stamp indicating its build time (e.g., CentOS7.2-1511
means it was built in November 2015).
- **Version Management**:
- Minor updates can be performed with a simple update command.
- Major updates (e.g., from version 7 to 8) require a reinstall.

- **Requirements for Physical Installation**:

- **Minimum System Requirements**:
- 1 GB of RAM
- 5 to 10 GB of disk space
- 64-bit Intel or AMD processor
- Keyboard, mouse, monitor, DVD drive
- CentOS DVD install disk

- **Requirements for Virtual Installation**:

- **Minimum System Requirements**:
- 1 GB of RAM
- 5 to 10 GB of disk space
- 64-bit virtualization environment (e.g., VirtualBox)
- CentOS ISO image (can be installed from a USB flash drive if the ISO is written to the
flash drive).

- **Installation Methods**:
- **Large DVD Download**: 4.3 GB; does not require a network connection; faster
installation.
- **Network Install DVD**: 380 MB; requires a fast network connection; slower
installation.

- **Processor Support**:
- Official CentOS install disks support only Intel/AMD 64-bit processors.
- Alternate install disks available for Intel/AMD 32-bit, ARM, and PowerPC processors.
- **Recommendations**:
- Recommended specifications for installation are 1.5 GB of RAM and 8 GB of virtual disk
space.
- If additional disk space is needed later, a new virtual disk can be created and attached in
VirtualBox.

This summary provides a comprehensive overview of the prerequisites and considerations for
installing CentOS, whether on physical hardware or within a virtual machine.

 CentOS and RHEL Versions: CentOS is a clone of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL),
and their versions track each other closely.
 System Requirements: For physical hardware, you'll need 1 GB of RAM, 5-10 GB of
disk space, a network card, a 64-bit Intel or AMD processor, and a CentOS DVD install disk.
For virtual machines, you'll need similar specs but can use a CentOS ISO image.
 Installation Methods: You can install CentOS using a large DVD download (4.3 GB) or
a smaller network install DVD (380 MB), depending on your network speed and preference.