main features of linux operating system

MAIN FEATURES OF 

LINUX OPERATING SYSTEM

The Linux operating System has three important features:

1. The Kernel

2. The Shell

3. Linux file system

Kernel – The kernel is the core of the Linux system. The kernel controls the sources of the computer, allotting them to different users and tasks. It is loaded in whenever the system is started up referred to as a boot of the system. It will manage the entire resources of the system, presenting them to you and every other user as a coherent system.

The functions performed by the kernel are:

a. Managing the machine’s memory and allocating it to each process.

b. Organizing the transfer of data from one part of the machine to another.

c. Accepting instructions from the shell and carrying them out.

d. Enforcing the access permissions that are in force on the file system.

Shell – Linux has a simple user interface called the shell that has the power to provide the services that a user wants. You can see its prompt at the bottom left of your screen. You many enter commands at this prompt. The shell acts as a command interpreter, it takes each command and passes it to the operating system kernel to be acted upon. It then displays the result of this operation on your screen.

The important features provided by the shell are as follows:

·         Create an environment that meets the user needs

·         Write shell scripts

·         Manipulate the command history

·         Define command aliases

·         Automatically complete the command line

·         Edit the command line.

There are several different shells available on your system. The most popular shells are bash, pdkash, tesh, zsh, ash.

Linux file system –A file system is a logical method for organizing and storing large amounts of information in a way which makes it easy, manage. The file is the smallest unit in which information is stored.

Linux as compared to DOS – MS-DOS is an example of a single-user operating system . MS-DOS has a command line interface (CLI) and was considered the single-user operating systems for a long time . Even these days, most of the operating systems provide emulators for MS-DOS . 

In other case, Linux is a multi-user operating system. Here, more than one user can connect the system and work concurrently at any point in time. 

Each user can have more than one program running simultaneously. Linux operating system supports both Command Line interface (CLI) as well as Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Linux as compared to Windows – Windows 95/98 is a multi tasking operating system but NOT a multi-user system. It can handle simultaneous execution of multiple tasks but it cannot have multiple users connected to it at one point in time. 

Linux is a multi-user and multi-tasking operating system. Most of the tasks such as file and print services, E-mail access, Internet access, and Intranet services that you want to execute on an NT machine can also be executed on a Linux machine.

 However, there is a major difference between Windows NT and Linux when you compare with price factor. Windows NT is much more costly  than Linux. Also, the compared to those for running Linux. In fact Widows NT applications are also more expensive than Linux applications.