How is Linux developed?

There are millions of personal collaborators, universities, software companies and distributors around the world working on its development.

This allows for direct contact with the developers and agile software updates.

This already possible to define some of the large groups of developers or sponsors of Linux development:

Academic Environment: is where Linux was birthed and continues to be actively developed. Linux and many other softwares that are distributed freely are the result of efforts of undergraduates, graduates and master's students in hundreds of universities all around the world, being used as learning tools and of capacitation projection of these teaching centers.
Volunteers: programmers, enthusiasts and free software defenders, help in the development of thousands of softwares from China to Brazil, from South Africa do India, creating a community without strictly economic objectives, a group whose search is to create technology models and to prove its functioning.
High-tech Organizations: various organs, such as public companies, laboratories, big private companies, governments, etc... use Linux as a service tool to specific needs. After they make several implementations according to free software distribution licenses, they make available the codes for the community's need. Some examples can be found in the Beowolf Project, developed by NASA, which allows the cooperative processing between various Linux or Grass equipment, a software for geoprocessing developed by the Marine Corps of the United States.
Information/Technology Companies: several in the information/technology began to develop products for Linux, offer assistance, help in its development, invested in Free Software Companies, etc... Among these, we can mention:
- Silicon Graphics [ http://www.sgi.com/software/linux/ ]
- IBM [ http://www.software.ibm.com/is/mp/linux/ ]
- Oracle [ http://www.oracle.com/linux/ ]
- Informix [ http://www.informix.com/linux/ ]
- Compaq [ http://www.unix.digital.com/linux/ ]
Linux Distribution: companies specialized in compiling, testing and packaging Linux and several applications. Below, lies more details about this group.

As such, many groups, motivated for many and diverse reasons develop thousands of Linux softwares, with the objective of promoting the use of software with free distributions.

What are Linux distributions?

Because Linux and its applications are developed in the most diverse of places, some companies have specialized in compiling, testing and developing softwares and support Linux as well as thousands of applications, and also implementing improvements towards their active market, acting as encouragements elements in the dissemination of the system.

In this way distributions immerged around the world, each one maintaining an acting segment and a specific market. Among the main ones:

USA
1. Slackware [ http://www.slackware.org/ ]
2. Debian [ http://www.debian.org/ ]
3. Red Hat [ http://www.redhat.com/ ]
4. Caldera [ http://www.caldera.com/ ]
Europe
1. S.U.S.E. [ http://www.suse.com/ ]
Asia
1. Pacific Hitech [ http://www.pht.co.jp/ ]

In Latina America , Conectiva Inc. initiated a task of locating Linux, having placed in the market in 1997, the first distribution outside the USA-Europe-Japan axis.

Still maintaining its innovative spirit, Conectiva was the first Linux distributor to release a specialized version into the Intel server market and the first distributor outside the USA to release a version for AlphaServers computers.

The advantages of using Linux

Linux is an Operational System snf free, which can be loaded in as many machines and as many times are necessary with a single package,without this becoming a felony to be held against you.
It's a system known for its flexibility and robustness. There are Linux server registers that have been working nonstop for more than 300 days, whereas the Windows NT® can only be left on for a maximum of 157 days.
Its the Operational System which most grows in the whole world, proportionally.
It can rely on two work environments:
- Shell, which is a work interface through command lines, similar to DOS.
- X Window, with dozens of graphic interface options, including one that is very similar to an improved Windows 95®.
There are thousands of developers who work on this system throughout the world, which allows a costant software update. The system is multitasks: It allows the performance of several tasks simulteneously. For example: printing, text editting and sending data through the modem.
Does disk formatting without interferring with the machine's performance.
It's a Multiuser Operational System: It allows access to the system to more than one user at a time, usually through terminals
It contains Multiprocessing: it's a system that can use multiple processors to run one or several programs.
It has a strong cryptography which offers you more security.
Linux can be installed in several machine profiles without the need to configure the software.
Linux offers several options of graphic interfaces with hundreds of applications allowing the system to be more flexible and personalisable.
No virus can attack Linux since common users don't have access to the system's main kernel.
It has documentation two or three times larger than all other Operational systems combined and it has three times more Discussion Groups than any other Opersational System.
It can rely on freely distribuited software as well as comercial applications.

Why use Linux?

Cost

The real price for a platform choice is NOT only the price of hardware and operating system (where Linux wins), it's the price of additional software, services and support required to create and operate this structure.

It's anyhow very clear that; a simple account for a few dollars, or even an Internet download, may be freely installed in as many servers and stations you want, without this meaning any burden, making the high quality software accessible to all and any user.

In relation to additional software, such as tcp/ip, web servers, e-mail servers, net management software, SQL data bank, backup software, e-mail, NFS, firewalls, etc... these can be found for Linux in the widest formats, or in free distribution versions, shareware, freeware, or still, commercial applications.

In relation to support, users that acquire the Conectiva Linux Official, have access to free support, as described in the support section. For other users, the available Internet support for Linux, leaves others behind: their are two or three times more Linux newsgroups, having still a great variety of message listings for Linux exploring specific topics such as Linux RAID, Linux X.25 and frame Relay, Linux network management packages and many others. To know the available lists, please visit Discussion Lists Section.

Besides that, Conectiva maintains a list for Linux Internet Access and the linux-br, an open list with thousands of users created for the main purpose of trading information about Linux.

n what is referred to as services, Conectiva puts out a list of available trainings from basic level to the most advanced, besides available commercial support in a net of support centers located all over Brazil, offering services in istallation, configuration and operation of servers, networks projects, etc... based on the Conectiva Linux.

Security

Many diverse basic safety tools, like SSL, RSA encripting, firewalls, "breaking attemp" alarms, tcp packagers, network security level diagnoses ultilitaries, like SATAN and COPS, encripted file systems, IP tunnels, S/Key, Kerberos, etc. are all available for Linux.

The compatibilty with established standards for more than two decades and in constant evolution, make Linux a recognized system for it's stability and robustness, offering the most security to networks that use this product.

To know a little more about the subject of Linux Security, check our presentation available on StarOffice 5.1.

Scalability and Portability

Linux offers a clear path to scalability: Intel 80386 Pcs to Pentium 3, Compaq Alphasers, Sun Sparcs, RS600 with PowerPC, Machintosh with Motorola, multiprocessed machines, Silicon Graphics machines with MIP processors and others, are supported by Linux.

This means that applications developed for Linux may be executedn in various machine profiles , without the need to rewrite the software.

Linux also supports DOS (Clipper, COBOL, Dataflex...), Windows 16 & 32 bit applications and software for SCO platforms, Solaris for Intel, etc... Each one of these is supported through programs or specific modules such as DOSEMU, Wine, iBCS, etc...

Support for Hardware

Linux offers an extent list of supported hardware, ranging SCSI interfaces, multi serial boards, motherboards, notebooks, PCMCIA,.... To verify an updated list of supported hardware, please click here.

Friendlyness

Linux offers a wide variety of options in graphic interfaces for the user, with hundreds of applications that may be executed in any one of them. A manager can administer users, hard-disks, files, networks, applications, etc..., a domestic user can play, access the Internet or a corporate user can edit documents, charts, all with little alteration in relation to the way this has always been done, although, with the new adjectives introduced by Linux: robustness, stability, low cost, liberty, performance, etc...

Graphic Interfaces

At Conectiva Linux, each time yopu access the system, you may choose one of many available interfaces:

Gnome
KDE
WindowMaker
Fvwm
AfterStep
IIcewn

Who uses Linux?

It is estimated that there are more than 30 million Linux Users around the world. Being that in Brazil, the country with the highest growth rate in the first half of 99, the number of users is estimated at about 300 thousand.

Among this most diverse list of users we can highlight some of the best known, such as NASA, The US Army, The Italian Government, The State of California, Swedish robot factories, French hospitals, The Health Department, The US Postal Service and almost all Universities throughout the world; among many.

In Brazil it is well spread among the academic field, software development companies, banks, hospitals, public services, commerce, providers, home users and workstations in corporative networks.

The future of Linux

In 1999, the Brazilian market watched a great Linux improvement. From the great servers to desktops, the operating system conquered many markets during the year. It is estimated, that during the first semester, Linux grew 200% in Brazil. The estimate is that the system has reached over 450 thousand users in the Brazilian territory.

You can say that Linux is leaving the academic environment and taking a place in corporate environments, and also in domestic environments. This change can be clearly observed in the table below, which indicates where people use Linux.

PLACE	TOTAL %
School	19,80%
Home	88,67%
Not used (only installed)	0,02%
Work	41,08%
Anywhere	2,27%
Source: Linux Center

The forecast, according to the IDC (International Data Corporation), is that until 2003 the Linux installation should increase at the rate of 25% per year, while other systems for servers increase only 12%. Its important to remember that this year Linux will close the year running on about 30 million machines.

Below you'll find a small section of an interview with the creator of Linux, Linus Torvalds.

In the future of Linux we have two possible scenarios. The first one, in about 4 years, "Linux will dominate the scientific and technical applications and become the preferred operating system for Web servers and workstations.... For its cost and performance advantages, it will become the standard system for desktop computers.

The second scenario is a lot more dramatic. With the number of Linux users growing, Microsoft and other software developers admit to its ascension in this market and begin to write programs for it. Soon, the complete advantage in Linux price and performance move the system to the desktop market."