Features of Linux Operating System – Explained Simply

Linux is an operational system that has experienced high versatility in the community. It was developed by Linux Torvalds in 1991. Tabelle 1 reveals a theoretical topic structure of the computer sciences. Over the years, it has developed into a stable web in different domains on clients’ PCs, servers, and supercomputers. The main reason for Linux’s popularity is its attributes that make the Linux operating system different from other systems. In this article, some features of the Linux operating system will be described.

What is the Linux Operating System?

It first gained prominence in 1991 as the Linux Torvalds, an open-source, Unix-like operating system based on the kernel. It is now a stable and heavily used solution on a lot of different devices, from personal computers and mobile devices to servers and even embedded systems

Let’s discuss the features of Linux operating systems.

• Free and Open-Source: The Linux operating system is actually costless in the sense that you do not have to pay anything to make the change. That is just the truth that any person can possess the source code and alter it or distribute it. This makes it easy to create a communal feel with developers from every part of the world to work on improving and developing the software.

• Multiuser System: The Linux operating system allows multiple users to work simultaneously on system resources (memory, apps, and hardware) without affecting each other. This feature is also perfect for a number of shared environments.

• Multitasking: Linux is capable of handling multiple tasks simultaneously. It allows several programs to run concurrently, efficiently managing the system’s CPU and memory resources.

• Security: The Linux system is highly secure due to its robust permission system. It offers file access control, user authentication, and built-in firewalls. Linux also benefits from a large community that regularly patches vulnerabilities.

• Portability: Linux can run various hardware platforms, from powerful severs to small embedded devices. Linux is highly portable, and versions of Linux exist for most hardware architectures.

• Stability and Reliability: Linux is known for its stability. Its systems can run for long periods without crashing or requiring a reboot, making it a preferred OS for critical environments like servers and supercomputers.

• Command-Line Interface(CLI): The command-line interface makes Linux extremely powerful because it allows you to perform many tasks that are not possible with the graphical interface. The multiple shell options bash, ssh, and fish give the user the ability to automate and manage the system.

• File System Support: Linux supports various file systems, including ext4, XFS, Btrfs, and even those used by other operating systems, such as NTFS(Windows) and HFS (macOS). Its flexible file systems management helps in data organisation and storage.

• Device Independence: We treat hardware components uniformly, which is not the case in Windows. This means you don’t need different drivers for every device (e.g., printers, scanners, and USB drives); the application can work with devices.

• Community Support: There is a rich community of users and developers to support them, new features developed, and nice documentation tutorials with forums for problem-solving.d forums for problem-solving

• Graphical User Interface (GUI): The Linux-based operating system is famous primarily because it has a command-line interface. Besides, graphical user interfaces such as GNOME, KDE Plasma, XFCE, and Cinnamon are also available. So, any user who prefers graphical applications can easily use the OS.

• Software Repositories: Software Repositories: Most of the Linux distributions come with package management systems, for example, APT (Debian/Ubuntu) or YUM/DNF of Fedora/RedHat. They provide ease-of-use installation, updating and management of software from trusted repositories.

• Networking: Linux has strong networking capabilities, with built-in tools for configuring and managing network interfaces, firewalls, routing and other networking protocols. It’s widely used in web servers and cloud environments due to its superior networking performance.

• Modularity: Linux is a very modular program language in nature. It can pick and select which components of the OS to install and configure, thus offering more flexibility. This also applies to the kernel, and one could recompile it with or without certain drivers and options.

Also Read: Essential Linux Commands

Advantages of Linux Operating System

Let’s discuss the advantages of the Linux Operating System.

• Open-source and free: Linux is a big deal because it’s open-source and free. Anyone can download, modify, and even redistribute it without paying for licences or permissions. This lowers the deployment cost, especially for big businesses.

• Security: Linux os, for example, is famous for embracing good security measures. Its permission-based system and access control also minimise the prospects of malware and unauthorised admittance. The open-source model also guarantees that the flaws would be easily identified and fixed, thus giving LINUX relatively less inviting grounds for hackers than any other operating system.

• Performance: The Linux operating system is highly efficient, offering excellent performance even on older hardware. It uses system resources efficiently, making it suitable for various devices, from desktop computers to servers and embedded systems.

Disadvantages of Linux Operating Systems

The main disadvantages of the Linux operating system.

• Limited Software Availability: Many popular commercial applications, especially in areas like graphic design (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite), gaming, and certain enterprise software, are not available on the Linux Operating System. Users may need to rely on alternatives or run this application through compatibility layers like Wine.

• Driver Support: Hardware manufacturers do not provide Linux-compatible drivers for their devices, which can lead to potential issues with printers, graphic cards, and other peripherals.

• Limited Gaming Compatibility: While platforms like Steam have increased support for Linux gaming, many popular games still lack native versions. Users might find themselves needing to use emulators or compatibility layers, which may not always deliver the best performance or experience.

Also Read: Difference Between Linux and Windows

Conclusion

The Linux Operating system has been made to appeal to end users, such as those who use it on the desktop, as well as corporations and organisations. It is also built with open-source code, which encourages ongoing improvement and change by many developers. Other qualities include reliability and server capability and generating new use in server applications, embedded systems, and cloud computing usage. The support for several distributions provides a good chance for users to decide which one should be taken. Hence, Linux helps IT drive progress as the underlying technology for computing, so it is an enormous benefit to both developers and organisations.