The Linux Operating System is a general term that refers to a Unix-like Operating System and it is based on Linux kernel. This system was developed by Linus Torvalds along with other developers all over the world. It is a part of the Open Source Project as we can use, modify and redistribute all of its underlying source codes. We learn that Linux is highly flexible and offers a long-term and completely future-proof strategic platform for us and that the Linux platform is supported by most of the major middleware and server vendors. The Linux Operating System is completely based on open architectures and standards.
Linux is simply not just a world-renowned operating system but also provides an attractive overall cost of ownership and choice that benefits us a lot. The best part about Linux is that even we can constantly integrate and develop its leading-edge technologies by adding our codec and practices to it making it a forward-looking platform. Linux was released and developed under GNU General Public License. The Linux kernel is the base on which the operating system has been developed and within a decade it has been accepted as a primary software platform. Another important feature about Linux that we learn is that this operating system can directly be incorporated into microchips by embedding it and used in various devices and appliances. (CGS, 2008)
Project Linux From Scratch or LFS provides us with gradual instructions to build our very own personalized Linux operating system from the source. IBM, on the other hand, designs and plans various Linux implementations, helps to migrate to Linux from other platforms, develops and distributes Linux installations, and supports and manages the production of Linux environments. Thus, if we learn Linux from LFS we would only know how to build a customized Linux operating system but IBM offers a far greater coverage of Linux.
As IBM supports Linux on all of its middleware, storage and servers it offers the widest flexibility and power of Linux to support our needs. Although LFS teaches us about the internal workings of a Linux operating system, IBM offers us a number of its middleware solutions along with more than 500 software applications that can be run on Linux. (IBM, 2008)
IBM also provides a scalable, robust and open learning platform for us, which helps to achieve adaptability when using an open computing model. However, learning from LFS is not at all flexible since it is source-based distribution. To learn from it we have to specify compiler options at the beginning and then have to sit idle for as long as it takes to build the system. However, this is not the case with IBM’s learning techniques. Through its course, building the operating system and working on it are both parts of the learning experience. Also unlike LFS, IBM focuses more of its topics discussing the operating system rather than its distribution.
Thus, we learn about the system much more without bothering about the distribution. Unlike LFS, which only focuses on how to build the system, IBM courses provide active lab exercises that have been specifically designed for working with present versions of major Linux distributions, like Fedora Linux, SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) allowing us to apply our skills learned, for our system’s Linux deployment. (LFS, 2007)
References:
CGS; 2008; Online Demo; cgselearning. Web.
IBM; 2008; IBM’s online training course; IBM. Web.
LFS; 2007; Linux from Scratch; linuxfromscratch. Web.