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Q1. Using a GUI can pose a security risk. Why is this so? One reason is that every time you add more
software to the system, you add a potential security risk. Find some articles that discuss this topic and write a
two-page summary of the opinions.

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Home » IT And Security » You are reading »

Learning Linux (An Introduction For Newbies)

The Writer August 19, 2018 Learning Linux (An Introduction For Newbies)2018-08-19T07:56:07+00:00IT And Security 0 Comments

In this topic we are going to introduce you to some of the core topics of linux which will help you start learning Linux the right way and in the upcoming articles we will be providing even more in-depth information on linux. Let’s start with what we have for today.

Linux is an operating system, much like Microsoft Windows. However, this is a very simplistic way of defining Linux. Technically, Linux is a software component called the kernel, and the kernel is the software that controls the operating system.

By itself, the kernel doesn’t provide enough functionality to provide a full operating system. In reality, many different components are brought together to define what IT professionals refer to as the Linux operating system.

It is important to note that not all the components described in the figure above are always required for a Linux operating system. For example, there is no need for a graphical user interface (GUI). In fact, on Linux server systems, the GUI is rarely installed because it requires additional hard drive space, CPU cycles, and random access memory (RAM) usage. Also, it could pose a security risk.

You may wonder how GUI software could pose a security risk. In fact, any software component poses a security risk because it is yet another part of the operating system that can be compromised. When you set up a Linux system, always make sure you only install the software required for that particular use case.

The pieces of the Linux operating system shown in figure above are described below:

User utilities

Software that is used by users. Linux has literally thousands of programs that either run within a command line or GUI environment. Many of these utilities will be covered in our upcoming articles.

Server software

Software that is used by the operating system to provide some sort of feature or access, typically across a network. Common examples include a file-sharing server, a web server that provides access to a website, and a mail server.

Shells

To interact with a Linux operating system via the command line, you need to run a shell program. Several different shells are available.

File systems

As with an operating system, the files and directories (aka folders) are stored in a well-defined structure. This structure is called a file system. Several different file systems are available for Linux.

The kernel

The kernel is the component of Linux that controls the operating system. It is responsible for interacting with the system hardware as well as key functions of the operating system.

Kernel modules

A kernel module is a program that provides more features to the kernel. You may hear that the Linux kernel is a modular kernel. As a modular kernel, the Linux kernel tends to be more extensible, secure, and less resource intensive (in other words, it’s lightweight).

GUI software

Graphical user interface (GUI) software provides “window-based” access to the Linux operating system. As with command-line shells, you have a lot of options when it comes to picking a GUI for a Linux operating system.

Libraries

This is a collection of software used by other programs to perform specific tasks.

Device files

On a Linux system, everything can be referred to as a file, including hardware devices. A device file is a file that is used by the system to interact with a device, such as a hard drive, keyboard, or network card.

Linux Distributions

The various bits of software that make up the Linux operating system are very flexible. Additionally, most of the software is licensed as “open source,” which means the cost to use this software is often nothing. This combination of features (flexible and open source) has given rise to a large number of Linux distributions.

A Linux distribution (also called a distro) is a specific implementation of a Linux operating system. Each distro will share many common features with other distros, such as the core kernel, user utilities, and other components. Where distros most often differ is their overall goal or purpose. For example, the following list describes several common distribution types:

Commercial

A distro that is designed to be used in a business setting. Often these distros will be bundled together with a support contract. So, although the operating system itself may be free, the support contract will add a yearly fee. Commercial releases normally have a slower release cycle (3–5 years), resulting in a more stable and secure platform. Typical examples of commercial distros include Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE.

Home or amateur

These distros are focused on providing a Linux operating system to individuals who want a choice that isn’t either macOS or Microsoft Windows. Typically there is only community support for these distros, with very rapid release cycles (3–6 months), so all of the latest features are quickly available. Typical examples of amateur distros include Fedora, Linux Mint, and Ubuntu (although Ubuntu also has a release that is designed for commercial users).

Security enhanced

Some distributions are designed around security. Either the distro itself has extra security features or it provides tools to enhance the security on other systems. Typical examples include Kali Linux and Alpine Linux.

Live distros

Normally to use an operating system, you would first need to install it on a system. With a Live distribution, the system can boot directly from removable media, such as a CD-ROM, DVD, or USB disk. The advantage of Live distros is the ability to test out a distribution without having to make any changes to the contents of the system’s hard drive. Additionally, some Live distros come with tools to fix issues with the installed operating system (including Microsoft Windows issues). Typical examples of Live distros include Manjaro Linux and Antegros. Most modern amateur distros, such as Fedora and Linux Mint, also have a Live version.