| "I know that Linux is an alternative to
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| | About Linux?Today, there are lots of Unix
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| the Microsoft Windows operating system,
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| | variants sold or given away by many
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| but when and where did it originate, and
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| | different companies and universities.
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| why is it free?"A Really Brief History of
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| | While these various flavors can make it
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| UnixSometime in the mid 1960s, a bunch of
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| | difficult to write portable software,
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| geeks at AT&T's Bell Labs decided it
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| | efforts to standardize Unix (two of the
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| would be fun to create a new operating
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| | more notable ones being POSIX and COSE)
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| system called Multics. (This was no small
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| | offer hope for greater compatibility in
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| task, because computers at the time were
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| | the future.In the early 90s, a geek named
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| about the size of a football field and
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| | Linus Torvalds at the University of
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| two stories high.) Multics fizzled in
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| | Helsinki in Finland thought it would be
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| 1969 when Bell cut the cord, but some of
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| | fun to write a PC-based Unix kernel from
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| the geeks continued work on what became
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| | scratch, without using any of the
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| known as UNIX; and it became wildly
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| | original AT&T UNIX code. This kernel,
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| popular inside AT&T.Since AT&T was not
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| | with the addition of open source unix
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| allowed to sell computer software at the
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| | utility programs from the GNU Project,
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| time, it gave away UNIX (complete with
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| | became known as Linux.Because of that
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| source code) to any educational
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| | (and because the author is a nice guy),
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| institution that wanted it. AT&T produced
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| | Linux is free. You can obtain the source
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| new versions of UNIX called System III
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| | code, modify, sell or give away the
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| and System V in the early 1980s, but all
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| | software so long as you provide full
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| the while, geeks at the University of
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| | source code and don't impose any
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| California at Berkeley and other places
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| | restrictions on what others do with
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| were busy hacking away on their own
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| | it.For more information on Linux history
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| versions of Unix based on the AT&T
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| | and commands, see the LowFatLinux
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| code.Some cross-pollination did occur,
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| | tutorial.BOB RANKIN... is a tech writer
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| but there are still significant
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| | and computer programmer who enjoys
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| differences between the Berkeley
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| | exploring the Internet and sharing the
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| (commonly called BSD Unix) and AT&T
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| | fruit of his experience with others. His
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| flavors. In the early 1990s, AT&T sold
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| | work has appeared in ComputerWorld,
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| UNIX to Novell, which was bought by
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| | NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is
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| Digital Equipment Corporation, which sold
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| | publisher of the Internet TOURBUS
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| it to SCO (Santa Cruz Operation), which
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| | newsletter, author of several computer
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| markets it as UNIXWare.So, Ummm... What
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| | books, and creator of the website.
|
