Linux

Linux is a free implementation of the Unix kernal that can be run on Intel and Alpha computer hardware. Linux was mainly created by Linus Torvalds and therefore he owns most of the copyright to Linux. Linux is free and available from the General Public License. Linux is becoming more and more popular with it being released commercially in shops on CD with help files for installation. It is not recommended that beginners try and install Linux on their computers, it is much more complicated than Windows. Linux is a networking os and is the most popular form of server found on the web.

Linux is also a command line os like MSDOS and therefore has a range of popular commands such as,
- tar
- permissions suite
- RPM
- locate
- grep
- cat
- pico/nano
- man
- apropos

Home page - http://www.linux.org/

Linux Installation FAQ

Minimum configuration

The lowest system that linux can be installed on is as follows,

  • 386SX/16,
  • 1 MB RAM,
  • 1.44 MB or 1.2 MB floppy,
  • Any supported video card
  • keyboard
  • monitor

This will allow you to test whether your linux release will work on a machine but very little else.

To use basic commands and programs you would need some hard disk space as well, like 5 to 10 MB. These kind of setups would only be recommended for installation testing. For a more complete system such as Red Hat you will need upto 60 to 600 MB

Supported Hardware

CPU:

  • 386 protected mode programs.
  • 386s 486s,
  • Pentiums,
  • Pentium Pros,
  • Pentium IIs, and clones of these chips should work. (286s and below may someday be
  • Many DEC Alphas, SPARCs, and PowerPC machines are supported.


Architecture:

  • PCI,
  • ISA,
  • EISA
  • VLB busses


RAM:

  • Up to 1 GB on Intel; more on 64-bit platforms.
  • Over 64 MB of memory will require a boot-time parameter with kernels 2.0.35 and earlier.
  • Recent 2.1.x kernels and later are able to detect more memory in a system.


Data storage:

  • Generic AT drives
  • SCSI hard disks and CD-ROMs, with a supported SCSI adaptor.
  • Generic XT controllers (8 bit controllers with MFM or RLL) are also supported.
  • Buslogic MultiMaster and Flashpoint,
  • NCR53c8xx-based controllers,
  • DPT controllers,
  • Qlogic ISP
  • FAS controllers,
  • Seagate ST-01 and ST-02,
  • Future Domain TMC-88x series
  • TMC1660/1680, Ultrastor 14F, 24F and 34F,
  • Western Digital wd7000


Video:

  • VGA,
  • EGA,
  • CGA
  • Hercules


Networking:

  • Ethernet support includes 3COM 503/509/579/589/595/905
  • AT&T GIS (neé NCR) WaveLAN,
  • most WD8390-based cards,
  • most WD80x3-based cards,
  • NE1000/2000 and most clones,
  • AC3200,
  • Apricot 82596,
  • AT1700,
  • ATP,
  • DE425/434/435/500,
  • D-Link DE-600/620,
  • DEPCA,
  • DE100/101,
  • DE200/201/202 Turbo,
  • DE210, DE422,

Serial:

  • Most 16450 and 16550 UART-based boards
  • AST Fourport, the
  • Usenet Serial Card II
  • Intelligent boards supported include
  • Cyclades Cyclom series
  • Comtrol Rocketport series
  • Stallion


Other hardware:

  • SoundBlaster,
  • ProAudio Spectrum 16,
  • Gravis Ultrasound

Browsers for Linux

  • Amaya - Amaya is an open source software project hosted by W3C. Written in C and is available for Windows, Unix / Linux platforms and MacOSX
  • BrowseX - free Open Source, cross-platform Web Browser, Mail Program, Talk/Chat client and more.
  • Dillo - Is a small (less than 400 Kb), Written in C and aims to be stable, developer-friendly, fast and extensible.
 
     

 
 
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