Content









 
Summary





This chapter discussed the Linux
operating system. Some of the important concepts to retain from this
chapter include the following:

Linux does have a few installation steps that are not found in
Windows. For example, since Linux is primarily intended to be a server
based Network Operating System (NOS), there is the option to do a
workstation or server installation.
Linux uses X Window as a graphical interface but it is important
to understand the Command Line Interface (CLI). The command console
can be accessed using the terminal window or the main console.
The man pages describe the system online commands, system calls,
file formats, and system maintenance. The online man pages are part of
the Linux OS and are installed by default. Man pages are in the form
of simple character based screen displays and are accessed from the
command prompt.
The Linux shells operate as a command interpreter. The command
interpreter from the MS-DOS environment is similar. Linux shells are
only loaded into the system when the user requests it or logs on to
the shell. They include the Bourne Shell, the C Shell, the Korn Shell,
and the Bourne Again Shell.
Daemons enable the OS to provide functions like web service, file
sharing, mail exchange, directory services, remote management, and
print services. Daemons are not integrated into the operating system
as services are in Windows, and they run as a background process.
The Linux operating system can accommodate many different
scripting languages. The most common and basic of these is its
built-in shell scripting abilities. A shell script is a text file
that contains any number of Linux commands listed successively. A
system administrator can combine a series of commands and parameters
into a single, simplified script command.

One of the most important duties of a system administrator is to
protect the information stored on network servers. The next chapter
details advanced NOS administration.