What is Linux?

Linux is a complete IT solution, similar in many way to UNIX. However, it has no ancestory with commercial Unix. A typical Linux distribution comprises:

  • The kernel - the core of the operating system.
  • System programs - including boot loaders, system commands etc.
  • X Windows - the graphical windowing system.
  • A window manager - such as KDE, making the configuration and use of the graphical user interface easy.
  • User programs - such as a email client, office suite, email client, web browsers, CD / DVD burning, etc.

What makes is Linux good for business?

  • It is secure - Strong authentication, compliant encrytion algorithms and powerful firewalls protect IT systems from hackers.
    Additionally, Linux is unaffected by viruses that target Windows based systems.
    Intrusion detection systems provide early warning of attempted attacks.
  • Compatible with Microsoft Office file formats - Existing documentation produced with Word, Excel and Powerpoint can be accessed without conversion. This makes migration from Windows to Linux straightforward.
  • Free from licensing restrictions - Linux can be installed on any number of computers without licence issues. Additionally, Linux is open-source. When you obtain Linux, all the source code from which it is created is included. The source code can be inspected by the user base, thus any malicious code, such as spyware, trojan horses, etc., could be exposed.
  • Stable and reliable - Ensuring that your IT systems are available when you need them. There is no need to reboot Linux when new software is installed, or the configuration changes. Journalling filesystems ensure that data loss due to hardware failure is minimised.
  • Scaleable - Linux will as servers, workstations, laptops, etc. Linux will also run on a variety of hardware, including:
    • Intel / AMD 32bit and 64bit machines.
    • Sun Sparc machines
    • PowerPC / IBM machines
    • Silicon Graphics (SGI) machines
    Linux also supports multiple processors - upto 64 in one machine, and upto 64Gb RAM, making it perfect for high-end servers
  • Low TCO than other main stream operating systems - 60% cheaper than Windows
    see: http://www.rfgonline.com