The entire Linux kernel was written from scratch, without employing any code from proprietary sources. Instead of a simple binary check, capabilities allow the kernel to base access on much more fine-grained settings. The most popular include Perl, Python, PHP, and Tcl. If you can use a computer or other …

Linux moving into the mainstream is a great thing. Background processes that attempt to read from (write to) the terminal are sent a SIGTTIN (SIGTTOU) signal by the terminal driver, which, unless caught, suspends the process. Another excellent source for assistance (and encouragement) is a local Linux Users Group (LUG …

A thread is the unit of activity within a process. This is also the reason serious Linux users prefer the command line. However, such programs are typically also made available for free (usually as a free download from the Internet). lsmod simply reformats /proc/modules which is built from the …

Missing a character, or reading them in any other order, would make little sense. For the most part, the Linux community communicates via various mailing lists and USENET newsgroups. Some tasks will be just as easy in either environment. There is also a level of indirection introduced that makes accesses …

A vi-style line editing interface is also available. The Linux command line offers a wealth of power and opportunity. We can compare and contrast system programming with application programming, which differ in some important aspects but are quite similar in others. As you can see, by use of scripting, any …

Some tasks are best suited to a GUI, word processing and video editing are great examples. You can easily configure and access any corner in your computer, monitor processes and manage virtual environments for different projects. First is the Human Factor, which includes the psychological issues with change, any kind …

Most of this is going to be very important for your management of the machine. In the rare event of a system call with more than five parameters, a single register is used to point to a buffer in user space where all of the parameters are kept. That aside …

Currently, in Distrowatch's past 6 months ranking, it sits at #3. Linux clearly needed a better filesystem! Named pipes act like regular pipes but are accessed via a file, called a FIFO special file. You can interpret the answer into the GUI tool of your choice.

Fundamentals of dpkg

Most of the time you will be issuing commands. This is because IP addresses are simply an addressing concept, the ethernet devices themselves have their own physical addresses. Advocates of copyleft respond by pointing out that there is no such thing as absolute freedom. To see what is meant by …

An interrupt driven device driver is one where the hardware device being controlled will raise a hardware interrupt whenever it needs to be serviced. Thus they are also called built-in commands. Most of the Linux kernel is written in the C programming language, with a little bit of assembly and …

Symbolic links look like regular files. It is time for the opening of the tools that will be needed to build this new age. In fact, part of the freedom of free software is that anyone has the right to sell an executable program released under a free software license …

When there are no more characters left to read, the device returns end-of-file (EOF). On GNU/Linux systems a file command can be used to identify a type of the file. Unlike most other operating systems, Linux is freely developed and continu- ously improved by a large community of software …

This fixing up takes the form of patching the module image in memory. Some of this information will also help Windows users to understand the importance of user accounts. They work because they want to help themselves, their user base, or their software project. Block devices are generally storage devices …

They are accessed via block device files. Freedom not to have to pay $300 or $400 for making your computer even useful, for something other than a calculator. The application can then trap into the kernel through this well-defined mechanism and execute only code that the kernel allows it to …

However, not all Linux installations use GNU components as a part of their operating system. In that case, the new bytes (which are added to the end of the file) are filled with zeros. Although the source code must be made freely available in all cases, there is no requirement …

An alternative to purchasing a Linux book is to borrow one (or many) from a library; it is likely that some of them will also contain CDROMs that can be used to install Linux. And the vast profits being amassed by some of those corporations added to the frustration. Instead …

The default action for the SIGFPE signal will core dump the process and then cause it to exit. Each IDE controller can support up to two disks, one the master disk and the other the slave disk. People will stand up and take notice and realize that Linux is not …

Finally, if you are contributing to an existing kernel module, you will need to learn about their procedures and development cycle. In Linux, the standard C compiler is provided by the GNU Compiler Collection (gcc). It would not matter to me which distro was being advocated as long as the …

However, such programs are typically also made available for free (usually as a free download from the Internet). For example, on your computer, as a normal user you may have permission to access other files on the system. This waiting happens within the system call, in system mode; the process …

The module data structure is marked as DELETED and it is unlinked from the list of kernel modules. Most licenses of the proprietary software systems are expensive and should be renewed every year. These range from simple memory protection schemes to complex page hierarchies. You don't need to spend tons …

If you have spent a lot of time on Windows this may take a while to get used to. The source code for proprietary software is usually not made publicly available, or, if it is, there are generally severe restrictions on its use. This means that the maximum number of …

So when you're writing something in your word processor and you want to check out something on the web, no need to review all your windows to find your browser, stacked all the way behind the others. If you are not already familiar with the GNU GPL, the best way …

Each user belongs to one or more groups, including a primary or login group, listed in /etc/passwd, and possibly a number of supplemental groups, listed in /etc/group. Manipulating symbolic links, on the other hand, requires special system calls. All the documentation and manuals are there, and examples are …

If you find a bug, report it! On i386, for example, a user-space application executes a software interrupt instruction, int, with a value of 0x80. However, such programs are typically also made available for free (usually as a free download from the Internet). Maybe it's a Linux firewall on a …

Both are very different from proprietary software (also commonly called commercial software), which is software that is controlled by a company or an individual. The other option for an account is "root." The root account enables you to do all most anything you want, to your system, as you will …

The first thing I do when I get a new computer is format my drive and install Linux. There are many ways to make money, so why choose a method that requires investing just as much time and effort into making software that lots of people want to use as …

As you can see, by use of scripting, any shell interaction can be automated and scripted. A typical Linux distribution includes the Linux kernel, but it also contains many application programs and tools. The device identifier for the first partition of that disk (/dev/hdb1) is (3,65). Knowledge and …

The kernel allocates a new module data structure and enough kernel memory to hold the new module and puts it at the end of the kernel modules list. By virtue of its open source licensing, Linux is freely available to anyone. People who develop OSS commonly use the Internet to …

Python has always touted itself as a "batteries included" language; its standard library contains lots of useful modules, often more than enough to solve many types of problems quickly. To understand what OSS is, you must first understand how source code is used to create programs. In all cases, bash …

Most file writing occurs at the end of the file. Computer software was almost universally regarded as being akin to mathematics, i.e., something that anybody is permitted to use in any amount, with any desired modifications and for whatever purpose desired. Where in I/O space the common peripherals …

The inode is both a physical object, located on disk in Unix-style filesystems, and a conceptual entity, represented by a data structure in the Linux kernel. It may not be the best choice for word processing (or maybe it is -- read on), but many see it as an "ISP in …

Free software, as the term is usually used, and public domain software resemble each other in that both are usually free both in a monetary sense and with regard to use. Assuming that a module can be unloaded, its cleanup routine is called to allow it to free up the …

By then, much of the GNU operating system had been completed, with the notable exception of a kernel (i.e., the core of the operating system). The device drivers for a class of block device provide class specific interfaces to the class. There is yet one other weakness: if a …

Studying in a classroom environment can be the best choice for people who (1) prefer classes to self study, (2) do not have their own computer, (3) are lacking in motivation or study skills or (4) receive some type of tuition assistance or other grants to cover the costs of …

IP addresses on the other hand can be assigned and reassigned by network administrators at will but the network hardware responds only to ethernet frames with its own physical address or to special multicast addresses which all machines must receive. Any site that is requested through the "what's that site …

Linux is one of the most dominant and adaptable operating systems globally. Linux operating system is utilized in many areas of Computer Science, ranging from embedded to smart devices. This Operating system is utilized in High-Performance Computers, servers that are running the global Internet infrastructure services like DNS, smartphones, android …

The most common meaning for the term free software is programs whose source code is freely available to anyone to use for any purpose, including studying, copying, modifying, extending and giving away. This is an example of the meritocracy of Linux and open source being pulled into the mainstream, where …

Processes are free to use a FIFO so long as they have appropriate access rights to it. Most people believe it is wrong to steal, and therefore, won't rob a wallet. Today open source software has become critical for almost every organization. The access file logs every visit to your …

A server is a computer with an operating system that is configured to allow other computers to connect to it from across a network. Keep in mind that these are only conventions---not rules. Setting up TCP/IP connections is very different from setting up an amateur radio X.25 connection …

You need to start from the ground up, choose components, and build a customized operating system that could easily become a great Linux distro for programming and other development purposes. Each filesystem is mounted to a specific location in the namespace, known as a mount point. One who bases his …