Path: gmd.de!nntp.gmd.de!xlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com! MathWorks.Com!yeshua.marcam.com!jsomers From: jsom...@marcam.com (Jeff Somers) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc Subject: PC WEEK's review of Linux Date: 26 Apr 1994 21:55:57 GMT Organization: MARCAM Corporation, Newton, MA. USA Lines: 101 Distribution: world Message-ID: <2pk2ld$7sg@yeshua.marcam.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: yeshua.marcam.com PC WEEK, April 18, 1994. Page 77 Lab Notes Born free, Linux is a useful beast Once in a while we see a product that reminds us of why we became interested in computers in the first place. Linux, a free Unix clone that was PC Week Labs' Product of the Week last week, is one of those products. Linux 1.0, which was released last month after a 2-year beta test, isn't all that special when individual attributes are examined. It's just as complex as any version of Unix; it isn't distributed in an organized way (in contrast with other free versions such as UnixFreeBSD; and it uses an old-style monolithic kernel that is tightly bound to the Intel 386-and-above architecture. What's special about the operating system is that it works so well, despite a widely scattered development and distribution effort. Linux is a complete, POSIX-compatible Unix clone that includes X Window, complete TCP/IP-based networking, and development tools for every major programming language. Global contributors The operating system is a good example of what the free flow of information over an international network and collaboration among computer enthusiasts can produce. Its chief developer is Linus Torvalds, a college student in Finland, but hundreds of others from all over the world have contributed. Linux also owes many of its features to its support of other free software, such as the entire product line of the Free Software Foundation and XFree86. The operating system has garnered widespread support. Nearly every major Unix program distributed by government, research, and academic organizations includes predefined settings for compiling on Linux, or includes a Linux binary. After using the Unix clone for about six months, we have yet to run into Unix source code that couldn't be recompiled easily on Linux (unless the code was designed for a specific Unix platform like SunOS or HP/UX). The downside? It's not likely that Lotus Development Corp. will port Lotus 1-2-3 to Linux, nor is it likely that Microsoft Corp. will port Word for Windows. And, although there are some reliable Linux distributors, users are still more responsible for updating components, porting some software that they need, and seeking out technical support from peers, than is tolerated with commercial operating systems. For users who are familiar with Unix (or who want to be), however, and don't mind getting their hands dirty sometimes, Linux is an excellent workhorse of an operating system. Also, by virtue of its POSIX compatibility and System V Release 4-compatible extensions, it's a fine development environment. PC Week Labs uses Linux to run our internal World-Wide Web and FTP server, as well as an X Windows host to run X Windows applications (using X server software on Windows). Our main Linux PC is a 33MHz 486 with 32M bytes of RAM, but we also run it successfully (including X Windows) on a 25MHz 386 with 8M bytes of RAM. The best Linux distribution we've come across is from a company called SlackWare. SlackWare's setup program made it simple to install the basic operating system, utilities, and applications (such as the Free Software Foundation's Emacs editor). Configuring X Windows for our hardware is still too difficult, although users can avoid that pain entirely if they run Linux on a network and use any number of commercial X Windows servers on Windows, OS/2, or Macintosh computers (as we do in the Labs). Linux can be installed on a hard disk with several operating systems, using a boot manager utility called LILO, although users will need a lot of disk space for that option (a full installation of SlackWare's Linux takes up about 150M bytes). Linux is not public domain: Torvalds, in Finland, retains the copyright. The license agreement (which is identical to the Free Software Foundation's General Public License) permits users to resell Linux for whatever the market will bear, but also requires them to either include the source code (as most do) or provide the option to obtain it at a nominal cost. SlackWare's Linux distribution can be downloaded from the Internet from several sites (including sunsite.unc.edu or tsx-11.mit.edu) and from several regional bulletin-board services. Mail order is also an option for those without Internet access. Slackware's distribution, for example, is available from several distributors, including Linux Systems Labs, in Clinton Township, Mich., at (800) 432-0556. Prices range from about $30 to about $100, depending on what else is included. A few companies sell fully configured Linux PCs and notebooks. These include Fintronic USA Inc., in Menlo Park, Calif., which is at (415) 325-4908 for fax ordering. SW Technology, in Richardson, Texas, also sells these systems, and can be reached at (214) 907-0871. (Photo Caption) The default X Window manager in Linux 1.0 has a Motif-like, 3-D appearance. The Window manager also allows users to use multiple virtual desktops simultaneously. --Eamonn Sullivan