Saturday, March 3, 2018

Linux - not perfect, but exists!

It is almost 10 years pass after I migration to Linux system, so it is great occasion to write some my reflections about it. I don't want repeat some information which can you find in web, so I try write it in not common ways. Great, so I tell you what Linux geeks probably never tell to you. So it is a summation 10 years of using Linux without sweeten.

In the beginning it is good to write for whom Linux will by a good choice. I skip glorifying of Linux, about all supercomputers and others super features. Linux is a industrial operating system which can you also use legally at home. It is one of main differences between UNIX operating system which you can not had used at home. Why it is a industrial operating system? Well, because it is developing and using mainly in big IT companies. Did this means that Linux is not by able to use in small companies or organization as open platform for network services? Of course it is suitable for this very well. Ok, but what about using Linux in home as desktop computer? - I expected you to ask about that :). Well, if you not interesting about deep IT subjects I will not recommend to use Linux for you, unless you need free and legaly OS at home. The price of this is a some problem with missing drivers or necessary to deep configuration of system. On the other side if you are IT geek and it is more important for you than computer games (more or less then when you grow up ;) ) and you had buy computer which is 100% compatible with Linux then it will be great. I use the stable version of Debian distribution on my home computer from 10 years and I want to say it is not much different from macOS.

So, what the great things you can do on the Linux? Learning! Because you very interesting about IT, right? You can become a programmer, system and network administration, security specialist, penetration tester and probably a few other which I don't remember. But what if you only interesting how operating system and computer works? Well, I'm sorry but probably you will become computer engineer - that's how it was with me and many others Linux fan. For person who interesting how operating system works the open source OS is very attractive.

The history of Linux is very interesting. First of no one planned what happened, it just proves that used to exist a need for public available operating system. The beginning of Linux is 80's when GNU free operating system project is born. Then, it was created most of today tools in Linux. Next in 90's GNU project has received a new kernel of operating system and the name of system is derived from it. Linux kernel was grow popularity because it is from beginning was created for x86 CPU architecture. What is benefit from this? The Intel x86 architecture it's noting like IBM PC standard for personal computer. The big merit for that is IBM and his PC standard. So, computer was commonly, but not exist UNIX for this architecture. The both GNU tools and Linux kernel it was created for likeness to Unix. Often you can hear that the GNU/Linux it's not UNIX. But this is UNIX, just only rewritten for Intel x86. Division by UNIX and UNIX-like it's all about it's has derived from originally UNIX or it's not. Moreover UNIX trademark it was registered and etc. so what from that the Linux is not derived from originally UNIX if it is clon of it. Many people criticized the facts that Linux is not fully compliant with a UNIX certified and he does not deserve to be called him UNIX. Well, I think the expectation from modern operating system to be compatible in 100% from templates created over 40 years ago it is pointless. Simply, Linux is a modern type of Unix system and it's very matured. For example, the first company how make money on created and support Linux system Red Hat is 24 years old. Very few UNIX system was developed by companies such a long period of time. For comparison Solaris system was developed for almost the same period of time, but it company was changed to Oracle Solaris. So in such a period of time like UNIX system epoch the GNU/Linux system has survive a long time and what's more interesting it continues to grow.

Linux history is behind us, so let's talk about his future. Nowadays main trends in Linux is computing cloud and embedded systems. No one know how Linux future finally will be look, but it is known his open development model is work wery well. It may seem a strange but Linux community succeeded in development process simultaneously for private and enterprise users. Each of side develops Linux for owns need, because big can more so desktop solutions developing four times slower than server solutions. I think the glue that keeps it all together is a hight configurability which allows all parties of interest assembled such combination as they need. In this way was born in some sense universal UNIX system. Never in IT history so much companies was not make money from one operating system like today on Linux. In the past each of company have own Unix variants and development of this system was very fragmented. Today Linux development is centralized and for this reason is the fastest developing operating systeme in the world. It is reason only for pride? Not all times but as I said for now this is the best model fo development.

It's time to say what is wrong in Linux. Ironically the worst thing in Linux is the same as the best things. Take note that new features in Linux are evolves in specific independent projects. Intel wants beter support of their products - so is developing Linux kernel. Someone needs support for SMB protocol - he developing Samba project. Each of this projects is in high level but before creating distribution it comes time to merge this software from different projects to one system - this is work for distribution developers. If specific distribution have more developers this is the better. Merge this software is the main work for companies witch develops the biggest distributions like RedHat, Oracle, Novell, Canonical. Also exists many non-profit organization who developing linux distribution from GNU parts. No doubt the best effects in creating non-profit Linux distribution has GNU/Debian community.

Evolving so complicated operating system like Linux is very time consumption and cost. More and more company understood this fact and begins collaborations in Linux system because this is is cheaper. Cooperation company from open source projects like Linux become a trend already. Sometimes if company want to be a competitive he must us open source system even if he to not want to. Strange situation, the company became hostages of own economy laws - 'faster cheaper better'. It is genius of Stallman or pure accident? But on the other hand if USA with Russia building together International Space Station so maybe collaboration always is good. Maybe that is the nature of creating big things so we must accept this and just profit for it.

In the end I think the biggest thanks for developing GNU/Linux it belongs for smallest group of developers because their work made the big companies start to contributing Linux. Without enthusiasts Linux would never have been created. So it looks like the most popular industrial operating system was created at ... home. What an irony of fate.