Comparing Operating Systems

Root

In Linux terms, the word root holds several meanings. Windows calls a user with full system access and top-level privileges an administrator. In the Linux environment, that role is identified as the root user. The term also refers to the root user's home directory, which sits atop the file system that houses all other directories.

GitHub

GitHub is a web-based version-control and collaboration platform for software developers. GitHub, which is delivered through a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model, was started in 2008 and was founded on Git, an open source code management system created by Linus Torvalds to make software builds faster.

Hardy Heron

Hardy Heron is the code name for version 8.04 of Ubuntu, the open source Debian-based Linux distribution. It is widely recognized as one of the most easy-to-use desktop Linux distributions for novice users. Canonical Software, the sponsor for Ubuntu, has released Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Server Edition to target the enterprise IT market, competing with Red Hat and SUSE Linux.

Binary

The exact opposite of a text file. This is considered unreadable because it can only be interpreted by an operating system, application, or other-machine based system.

Command

Tells the computer to perform a specific task.

A Daylight Saving Time patch

A Daylight Saving Time patch is a modular piece of code created to update systems, devices and programs for compatibility with new start and end dates for Daylight Saving Time ( DST ) in the United States, Canada and Bermuda.

host OS

A host OS is the software installed on a computer that interacts with the underlying hardware and is usually used to describe an operating system used in a virtualized server to differentiate it from the guest operating system.

man page

A man page in a Linux or other Unix-like operating system is an online description of an interactive shell command, system interface, or system object. A system user can request the display of a man page simply by entering the man command followed by a space and then the name of the desired command or other entity. The term is short for "manual page" since command descriptions were originally and sometimes still are also published in printed technical manuals or references

Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE)

A relational database management system ( RDBMS ) from Sybase, Inc. that runs on Linux and other Unix -based operating systems, Windows NT and Windows 2000 , and Mac OS . ASE evolved from a program originally called Sybase SQL Server, which was first released in the 1980s. Although ASE is a proprietary program, free versions are available.

Distros (Linux)

Abbreviated form of the word "distributions", distros refer to different variations of operating systems based on the original Linux kernel. Each variant usually comes complete with its own desktop environment, software, and update releases.

Terminal

Also known as the shell or command line interface (CLI), the terminal is the old school Unix environment administrators traditionally used to manually control the system by entering simple Linux commands. The terminal offers a faster, more powerful experience because it harnesses very little processing power compared to the GUIs that allow you to point, click, drag your way across the system.

Bogomips

Bogomips is a measurement provided in the Linux operating system that indicates in a relative way how fast the computer processor runs. The program that provides the measurement is called BogoMips. Written by Linus Torvalds, the main developer of Linux, BogoMips can indicate when you boot a computer whether the system options have been specified for optimum performance. You compare the bogomips for your computer with what they ought to be for your computer's particular type of processor. Torvalds named the program BogoMips (for "bogus (or fake) MIPs") to suggest that performance measurements between two computers can be misleading because not all contributing factors are stated or even understood. Although MIPS (millions of instructions per second) has been frequently used in computer benchmarks, it's agreed that the variation of context tends to make the measurement misleading. Bogomips measures how many times the processor goes through a particular programming loop in a second.

Clonezilla

Clonezilla is a free open source disk cloning application based on Debian. Like other disk cloning applications, Clonezilla copies the contents of a hard drive for transfer to another storage medium, such as another computer's hard drive or a removable medium, such as a DVD or a USB drive. Clonezilla is compatible with Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems.

Compiere

Compiere is a popular open-source system of software applications that provide enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM), tax accounting, and general accounting for the small and medium-size enterprise. Versions are available for Linux, Unix, Windows, and Macintosh operating systems. The name Compiere comes from the Italian word for accomplish.

Concurrent Versions System (CVS)

Concurrent Versions System (CVS) is a program that lets a code developer save and retrieve different development versions of source code . It also lets a team of developers share control of different versions of files in a common repository of files. This kind of program is sometimes known as a version control system . CVS was created in the UNIX operating system environment and is available in both Free Software Foundation and commercial versions. It is a popular tool for programmers working on Linux and other UNIX-based systems.

Copyleft

Copyleft is the idea and the specific stipulation when distributing software that the user will be able to copy it freely, examine and modify the source code, and redistribute the software to others (free or priced) as long as the redistributed software is also passed along with the copyleft stipulation. The term was originated by Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation. Copyleft favors the software user's rights and convenience over the commercial interests of the software makers. It also reflects the belief that freer redistribution and modification of software would encourage users to make improvements to it. ("Free software" is not the same as freeware, which is usually distributed with copyright restrictions.)

CoreOS Linux

CoreOS Linux is an open source operating system (OS) that provides the functionality required to deploy and manage applications within software containers. Based on the Linux kernel, CoreOS is well-suited for server and clustered computing, a method that links several computers together so they operate as a single system.

Cygwin

Cygwin is an open source collection of tools that allows Unix or Linux applications to be compiled and run on a Windows operating system from within a Linux-like interface. This capability helps developers to migrate applications from Unix or Linux to Windows-based systems, and makes it easier to support their applications running on the Windows platform. Cygwin includes a dynamic link library (DLL) and a collection of tools. The DLL serves as a Linux emulator, and the tool set provides the Linux-like development environment.

DRBD (Distributed Replicated Block Device)

DRBD (Distributed Replicated Block Device) is a Linux-based software component that facilitates the replacement of shared storage systems by networked mirroring. DRBD makes it possible to maintain consistency of data among multiple systems in a network. DRBD also ensures high availability (HA) for Linux applications.

Debian

Debian is a popular and freely-available computer operating system that uses the Linux kernel and other program components obtained from the GNU project. Debian can be downloaded over the Internet or, for a small charge, obtained on CD. As Open Source software, Debian is developed by over 500 contributing programmers who collectively form the Debian Project. New releases are provided from time to time. Ongoing service is available through subscription to a mailing list.

Docker

Docker is an open-source program that enables a Linux application and its dependencies to be packaged as a container.

Eggdrop

Eggdrop is an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) program for Linux or UNIX users that sits in the background of an IRC�channel to manage and protect a chat. Eggdrop, sometimes referred to as a "bot"�(short for "robot") program, allows the chat manager to keep a list of users, erase users who haven't been on the channel within a specific time period, keep a list of users who have been banned, prevent channel flooding, and perform other common chat channel management tasks.�

Enlightenment

Enlightenment, also called E, is a popular free and open source (FOSS) windows manager that can serve as a standalone desktop environment. E can also be used along with other desktop environments, such as KDE and GNOME.

Fedora

Fedora is a popular open source Linux-based operating system. Fedora is designed as a secure, general purpose operating system. The operating system is developed on a six-month release cycle, under the auspices of the Fedora Project. Fedora is sponsored by Red Hat.

Firefox OS

Firefox OS is a Linux kernel-based mobile operating system designed for smartphones, tablets and smart TVs

Firestarter

Firestarter is an open source firewall program for personal computers and servers that support Linux kernels 2.4 and 2.6.

Flex

Flex is an open source program designed to automatically and quickly generate scanners, also known as tokenizers, which recognize lexical patterns in text. Flex is an acronym that stands for "fast lexical analyzer generator. " It is a free alternative to Lex, the standard lexical analyzer generator in Unix-based systems. Flex was originally written in the C programming language by Vern Paxson in 1987.

Free and open source software (FOSS)

Free and open source software (FOSS), also known as free/libre open source software (FLOSS) and free/open source software (F/OSS), is software developed by informal collaborative networks of programmers. The source code is licensed free of charge, encouraging modifications and improvements.

Free software

Free software is software that can be freely used, modified, and redistributed with only one restriction: any redistributed version of the software must be distributed with the original terms of free use, modification, and distribution (known as copyleft). The definition of free software is stipulated as part of the GNU Project and by the Free Software Foundation. Free software may may be packaged and distributed for a fee; the "free" refers to the ability to reuse it, modified or unmodified, as part of another software package. As part of the ability to modify, users of free software may also have access to and study the source code.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a freely available open source application for creating and manipulating graphic images that runs on Linux, other Unix-based operating systems, and also on Windows and Mac OS X. GIMP is distributed under licensing terms defined by the GNU project. You are likely to find GIMP as one of the optional applications that come in any large Linux package such as those distributed by Debian and Red Hat. You can also download it directly. GIMP offers photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring and is favorably compared by users to Adobe's Photoshop and Illustrator applications. GIMP was created by Peter Mattis and Spencer Kimball.

GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment)

GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment, pronounced gah-NOHM) is a graphical user interface (graphical user interface) and set of computer desktop application for users of any UNIX-based operating system. It's intended to make a UNIX-based operating system easy to use for non-programmers and generally corresponds to the Windows desktop interface and its most common set of applications. In fact, GNOME allows the user to select one of several desktop appearances. With GNOME, the user interface can, for example, be made to look like Windows 98 or like Mac OS. In addition, GNOME includes a set of the same type of applications found in the Windows Office 97 product: a word processor, a spreadsheet program, a database manager, a presentation developer, a Web browser, and an e-mail program.

GNOME

GNOME is an open source desktop environment designed to simplify the navigation and operation of Unix-like systems for non-technical users. It offers a fully integrated environment complete with a graphical user interface and a host of useful applications many Windows users take for granted. The GNOME source code is at the core of several open source projects, including an OS distro its community recommends for testing and development.

GNU GRUB (or just GRUB)

GNU GRUB (or just GRUB) is a boot loader package that supports multiple operating systems on a computer. During boot-up, the user can select the operating system to run. GNU GRUB is based on an earlier multiboot package, GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader). GRUB is most often used on Unix-like systems, including GNU, Linux and Solaris.

Gnutella

Gnutella is a file sharing protocol that defines the way distributed nodes communicate over a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. Like Napster, Gnutella is often used to share music files and has been an object of great concern within the music publishing industry.

Goobuntu (Google Ubuntu)

Goobuntu (Google Ubuntu) is the default operating system (OS) that Google uses for its employee computer desktop workstations.

Gzip (GNU zip)

Gzip (GNU zip) is a free and open source algorithm for file compression. The software is overseen by the GNU project.

Kubernetes

Kubernetes is Google's open source system for managing Linux containers across private, public and hybrid cloud environments.

Flavors

Linux has distros. Unix has flavors, and Linux is one of them. These flavors are essentially different variations controlled by different organizations, associations, and individuals. Each version is based on the fundamental values of Unix, but tends to offer its own unique features, commands, and hardware specifications.

Netfilter

Netfilter is a utility in Linux 2.4 (and later releases) that facilitates Network Address Translation (NAT), packet filtering, and packet mangling. NAT is the process of converting an Internet protocol (IP) address into another IP address. Packet filtering is the process of passing or blocking packets at a network interface based on source and destination addresses, ports, or protocols. Packet mangling is the ability to alter or modify packets before and/or after routing.

Netstat

Netstat is a common command line TCP/IP networking utility available in most versions of Windows, Linux, UNIX and other operating systems. Netstat provides information and statistics about protocols in use and current TCP/IP network connections. (The name derives from the words network and statistics.)

The Free Software Foundation (FSF)

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) was founded in 1983 along with its demonstration GNU project. Richard Stallman, an MIT professor, had worked as a student on projects where software was freely exchanged without copying or modifying stipulations. Why, he asked himself and others, should software users be prohibited from copying it for friends, looking at the source code and copying it, and redistributing the results? Taking this idea to the group level, Stallman and others created the FSF and set out to demonstrate that an entire operating system could be developed and shared freely. The result was the Unix-like GNU, which, in August 1996, became complete by adding a kernel.

GNU Linux

The GNU Linux project was created for the development of a Unix-like operating system that comes with source code that can be copied, modified, and redistributed. Richard Stallman announced the GNU Linux project in 1983 and, with others, formed the Free Software Foundation in 1985.

GNU

The GNU's Not Unix (GNU) project was designed with a beauty like Linux in mind. In 1983, Richard Stallman sowed the seeds for an operating system that would possess the power and stability of Unix, yet with a source code that could be freely copied, tweaked, and redistributed. That idea led to the creation of the Free Software Foundation in 1985. In 1991, Stallman's concept came to fruition when Linus Torvalds designed the Linux kernel, the heart of the OS and final missing piece of the puzzle.

Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL)

The Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) is a specialty engine processor on IBM System z mainframe servers that is dedicated to Linux workloads. Operational efforts, software costs, energy use and hardware footprint are reduced when Linux is deployed on IFL rather than general-purpose processors.

Bourne Again Shell

The free version of the Bourne shell distributed with Linux and GNU operating systems. Bash is similar to the original, but has added features such as command line editing.

GNU GPL

Though commonly associated with Linux jargon, the GNU General Public License (GPL) dictates how free software is to be copied, altered, and distributed. It is essentially the license that gives various Linux distributions, the Apache web server, and other software the right to be called open source. Like the GNU project, the GPL was created as part of the movement that gives users a flexible and often free alternative to proprietary software products.

Package Manager

Though commonly associated with Linux jargon, the GNU General Public License (GPL) dictates how free software is to be copied, altered, and distributed. It is essentially the license that gives various Linux distributions, the Apache web server, and other software the right to be called open source. Like the GNU project, the GPL was created as part of the movement that gives users a flexible and often free alternative to proprietary software products.

IBM Watson supercomputer

Watson is an IBM supercomputer that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and sophisticated analytical software for optimal performance as a "question answering" machine. The supercomputer is named for IBM's founder, Thomas J. Watson.

Apache

a freely available Web server that is distributed under an "open source" license. Version 2.0 runs on most UNIX-based operating systems (such as Linux, Solaris, Digital UNIX, and AIX), on other UNIX/POSIX-derived systems (such as Rhapsody, BeOS, and BS2000/OSD), on AmigaOS, and on Windows 2000. According to a Netcraft (www.netcraft.com) Web server survey 60% of all Web sites on the Internet are using Apache (62% including Apache derivatives), making Apache more widely used than all other Web servers combined.

gOS (good operating system)

gOS (good operating system) is a Linux distribution designed for use with Web-based applications rather than software that must be purchased and installed. The operating system was designed in that way to be lightweight and to keep costs low for the user. Walmart first offered the $199 gPC (a computer from Everex that runs gOS) in November of 2007 and quickly sold out of the product in all the stores that offered them. (However, the company subsequently announced that they would limit sales of the gPC to their online business segment.)