Linux Coding & Programming The Complete Manual

Linux is everywhere. It powers the Internet as the main operating system behind the Web’s servers, it powers spacecraft, it’s the operating system for the fastest super computers in the world and it’s used in smart TVs and mobile devices. Why? Because it’s ultra stable, lightning fast and completely free of charge. However, there’s more to Linux than simply being a free to use operating system. Its unique configuration allows the user to customise and personalise the OS into any form they wish. A Linux user can change their OS look and feel from one day to the next, install thousands of freely available apps and programs and take back control of their computer. Linux is about freedom. Freedom from the walled-garden approach of other restrictive operating systems, freedom to…

“How did you know so much about computers?” “I didn’t, it was the first one.”– Admiral Grace Hopper (pioneer programmer) when interviewed by David Letterman Why Linux? What is it? Where do I get it? Why are there so many different versions of it? Most beginners ask these, and many more, questions when starting out. It’s true that Linux is an incredibly versatile and powerful operating system but where do you start? Thankfully, you can find the answers in this section. There is so much you can do with Linux but you need to know where to start; we’re here to help you out. In this section you can learn what Linux is, what a distro is and what a desktop environment is. You can also begin to explore how…

FREE AND OPEN Linux is a fantastic fit for those who want something different. The efficiency of the system, the availability of applications and stability are just a few good reasons. The first thing you need to know is that there is no such operating system called Linux. Linux is in fact the operating system kernel, the core component of an OS. When talking about Linux what we, and others, are referring to are one of the many distributions, or distros, that use the Linux kernel. No doubt you’ve heard of at least one of the current popular distros: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Fedora, openSUSE, Debian, Raspbian, the list goes on. Each one of these distros offer something a little different for the user. While each has the Linux kernel at…

GOING LINUX The installation process for most distributions is similar. You download a disk image from the website and burn it to an optical disk or create a USB Flash Drive installer. Just be careful to get the right distribution for your hardware and read the instructions carefully. LINUX MINT By far the most popular Linux distro (distribution) is Linux Mint. Mint began life back in 2006, as an alternative to the then most popular distro, Ubuntu. Although based on Ubuntu’s Long Term Support build, Linux Mint took a different direction and offered the user a better overall experience. Linux Mint has three main desktop versions available with each new version of the core OS it releases. This may sound confusing at first but it’s quite simple. Currently, Linux Mint…

MINTY INGREDIENTS Before we start working our way through this book, here’s what you need to install and run Linux Mint. You have several choices available, so take your time and see which works best for you. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS The minimum system requirements for Linux Mint are as follows: CPU – 700MHz RAM/Memory – 512MB Hard Drive space – 9GB (20GB recommended) Display – 1024 x 768 resolution Obviously the better the system you have, the better the experience will be and quicker too. USB INSTALLATION You can install Linux Mint onto your computer via USB or DVD. We look into each a little later on but if you’re already familiar with the process, or thinking of USB and just gathering the hardware you need, then you’re going to need…

WHICH MINT? A Desktop Environment is the graphical interface which you use to interact with the core Linux system. Just as the graphical desktop for Windows 10 is also called Fluent Design. Linux Mint offers the user a choice of versions of the distro: Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce. While that may sound a little confusing for the newcomer, essentially each of the versions available contains the same core Linux structure and kernel, the kernel is the core of the operating system, that handles all the instructions between the software and hardware. Each version is simply a different desktop environment, the Graphical User Interface (GUI) that you use to interact with the operating system. Each of the desktop environments uses different apps to access or use the system, such as the…