Chapter 1: The Physiology of Linux

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Overview

Linux is an operating system, but it's also representative of a lot more. In some ways, Linux is the champion of a set of ideals. Whether you buy into these ideals is a separate issue from whether you use the technology, of course, but nonetheless a complete understanding of Linux and Linux-based systems requires at least an awareness of the legacy. So, this chapter will slow down a bit and start things off right by describing a bit of the history that led to Linux.

When you spend enough time in the technical trenches, you tend to forget where you came from. That is, you spend so much of your time using your knowledge, that you lose some of the wonder you felt when you first picked it up. However, if you're even reading this book at all, you're probably pretty excited, or at least curious, about Linux. You've still got that sense of adventure, and you want to know everything there is to know about this "Linux thing." In the end, this book fails if it doesn't leave the reader filled with the sense of power and coolness that Linux systems provide.

A large part of that coolness derives from Linux's colorful and rather prestigious pedigree; any true Linux guru understands the history and culture of Linux just as implicitly as she understands init levels, C libraries, and package managers. So, this chapter will cover some of the history and culture of Linux. If you're already familiar with the background of Linux (or if you're still just not interested) feel free to skim or skip the remainder of Part One.

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