[lug] detailed Linux information

[Nate Duehr]

This was the funniest thing I've read all day.  Great way to respond to
the typical "please do my homework for me" posting from a student.

Linux is only "free" (as in freedom) if folks scrutinize the software
licenses of the things they run on it, however.  Far from me to be an
RMS clone (I do believe there are uses for closed-source software left
in the world...), I do try to make sure I use software licensed the
"right" way -- one of the reasons I use Debian.  Remove "non-free" from
your packages list, and voila... all truly "free" software.

:-)


On Wed, Apr 18, 2001 at 05:37:40PM -0600, ljp wrote:
> 
> Ahh, you guys are making him work for it? I'll answer where I can, my 
> friend....
> 
> At 12:01 4/18/2001 -0600, you wrote:
> >I am doing a report in my Operating Systems class and have obviously chosen
> >to write about linux.  I have searched a bit on the web to find out the
> >details of how linux works, but I haven't been able to find what I am
> >looking for.  Here are the guidelines for the paper:
> >
> >Overall internal structure (how components communicate with each other)
> 
> Uses 0's and 1's to make things happen. AND contrary to popular reports, 
> 0's and 1's have NOT (yet) been patented by B. Gates.
> 
> 
> >Process scheduling algorithm
> 
> 
> see the fiddlybits in  /usr/src/linux/*
> 
> >Memory management architecture, including VM if supported
> 
> 
> See above answer.
> 
> >I/O subsystem
> 
> Again, see above the previous answer.
> 
> >File system(s) (if multiple, only the "main" FS it supports)
> ext2, reiserfs, fat32, fat, and just about any flle system, with a few hits 
> or misses.
> 
> 
> >Security
> 
> As secure as you make it.
> http://www.google.com/search?q=linux+security
> 
> >IPC facilities
> 
> huh?, is this anything related to DQ? oh, it's been a warm day..
> :)
> 
> >Networking facilities
> 
> ouuuu, this gets complicated...
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=linux+networking
> 
> 
> >User interface(s) supported
> 
> too many to remember. Mainly (for me, anyway) kde, gnome, window maker, 
> icewm, blackbox
> and heh, ncurses.
> oh, and fvm or something at times of immediate stress.
> :)
> 
> >Any special features unique to it
> 
> You can inspect, change any and all the code that you can find. There's 
> lots of tid bits and mentions in the kernel source. Have a nagging opening 
> screen? You can nuke it from where it really counts: the source code.
> Oh, did I mention, its free? Built by (mostly) volunteers. Although these 
> days, I'd hope they got some kind of compensation other than stock.
> ;\
> 
> >I need to know information like: "linux uses a round-robin based
> >cpu scheduler with a time quantum of 5 ms."
> hmm, can't help ya here. try this-
> http://www.google.com/search?q=cpu+scheduler+time+quantum+ms&btnG=Google+Search
> 
> i love google.com
> 
> 
> 
> >The report needs to be pretty lengthy so I don't mind *very* detailed
> >information.  If anybody has written a similar document, I would love
> >to see it or if anyone knows online documentation besides actually
> >reading the source code!
> 
> can't help ya there, either. Good luck
> 
> 
> >Any distribution will be fine (I doubt the internal modules
> >would vary significantly anyway).
> 
> Right now, I'm using SuSE. and trying to get tascam 428 action going on for 
> linux. So far, the kernel has yet to have a usb midi class... Someone that 
> needs it, has a lack of hardware.
> :(
> 
> 
> >Thanks!
> 
> sure- anytime.
> 
> >~~Brad Grissom
> 
> 
> 
> ljp
> http://llornkcor.com
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Nate Duehr <nate at natetech.com>

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