Page 27 - DCAP106_OPERATING_SYSTEM_TOOLS

Operating System Tools

Notes Introduction

If you are not much familiar with Linux, there is a need of practical guide that provides the
information regarding the installation and set-up of Linux, and also shows the process of using
Linux for specific functions, for example a Web server or a software development platform.
The version of Linux is improved by Red Hat. The Red Hat Linux 9 is released recently which
includes various new system components, including the XFree86 4.3.0, GCC 3.2.2 compiler,
Linux 2.4.20 kernel, and the glibc 2.3.2 system libraries. The X Window System is considered as
XFree86 version 4.3.0 with support for many more new as well as powerful graphics cards as
compared to the previous versions. The desktop experience of Linux is improved by Red Hat.
It provides many more graphical tools which are used to configure and manage the system.
For productivity applications, Red Hat includes the Mozilla Web browser, the OpenOffice.org
office suite, and Ximian Evolution personal information manager. Also, Red Hat has unified
the appearance and feel of GNOME as well as KDE desktops. Thus, irrespective of the selected
desktop, the user feels at home. Also, there are many improvements. Red Hat Linux now makes
use of the CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System) as the default printing system. It also includes
the Native POSIX Thread Library, which provides improvements in performance with Pentium
Pro processors or better.

2.1 Moving Around the Desktop

The Figure 2.1 shows a typical view of the graphical Linux desktop.

Figure 2.1: A Typical Linux Desktop

Source: http://linux.about.com/od/linux101/a/desktop01d.htm
There are three main components on the desktop:
z z the Menu System
z z the Panel
z z the Desktop itself

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