Linux - why it is changing the IT Industry

To an industry outsider - and to many inside as well - GNU/Linux has risen to sudden prominence as if from nowhere. We've seen a non-commercial piece of software `written by hobbyists' grow until it is described by Microsoft as a serious threat to their market dominance [1] . Linux has done this through grass-roots appeal alone, without any commercial marketing or sponsors.

According to the market research organisation IDC, GNU/Linux already has 12% of the commercial server systems marketplace and is growing at 212% per year[2]. A cursory search of the Internet will show numerous commercial companies now offering support, installation, training and a host of other services related to Linux.

What is Linux?

There is a strict answer and a useful one. The useful answer is that GNU/Linux is an operating system and a bundle of related software products which will run on PCs and other computers. These various components provide a powerful and flexible range of services which can be applied to a very wide range of tasks. Students, home users and businesses alike are finding that GNU/Linux is smaller, more efficient and crucially - more reliable - than the commercial alternatives. Best of all, GNU/Linux is completely free of charge. There are no licensing costs whatsoever and GNU/Linux can be copied, redistributed and modified with only the lightest of restrictions and absolutely no cost.  This includes the office suites of which there are many.  Star Office is one of those.  It's completely compatible with MS Office and costs nothing.

GNU/Linux itself is strictly the `operating system kernel'. The other components are drawn from a range of sources, all developed by cooperative teams of software specialists working for the pleasure of it, many in teams using the Internet to collaborate, spread all over the world. This might sound like a recipe for half-baked solutions, all poorly integrated, but in fact the reverse has proved to be true. This method of working is usually associated with `The Open Source Movement'[3] and there is mounting evidence that it produces much better software than typical commercial development models.

Where does GNU/Linux come from?

Linux is not a new idea. It is based on the well-known and highly respected Unix operating system, originally designed at AT&T Bell Labs in the 1970s. Unix is a crucial workhorse of large corporate users of computers and typically carries a high price tag. Linux is in essence a legal clone of the commercial versions, free of their imposing licences and prices. The originator of Linux, Linus Torvalds, started work on the project whilst a student in Finland and continues to work on it now he is employed by a California chip designer. Though the leader of the kernel team, he is only one of an army of developers giving their time and effort free.

Based on a sound pedigree, GNU/Linux proves also to be of extremely high quality. The tactic of disseminating the `source code', the programming language statements that go to make up the programs, allows anyone who can read it to inspect it for bugs and faults, then to provide improvements and fixes back to the lead developers. This is the core of the Open Source model and there is ample evidence that it leads to top-quality software. Commercial companies typically guard their source code closely and competitive pressures mostly lead to an emphasis on features rather than robustness and reliability.

What do I get if I use GNU/Linux?

Linux runs well on low-cost PC hardware (and on more exotic equipment too). It has a `small footprint', making it happy on systems that would be too small and outdated to run software like Microsoft's desktop and server products. An old 486 PC with 8MB of RAM and a modest hard disk is standard equipment for a legion of students and commercial users alike, although power users will also use top-of-the range equipment such as multiprocessor servers.  The free-of-charge bundle of a typical Linux distribution contains an astonishing range of software. Some of the most important are:

      File and print sharing
      SQL Database server(s)
      TCP/IP Networking, Firewalling, Network Address Translation and Management
      C, C++, Java, Perl and other languages and development tools
      Local and remote Windowing Systems
      Internet/Intranet Web Server based on industry-leading's software (Apache)
      Internal / External email services
      Internet access services
      Fax server
      Administrative scripting and scheduling
      Graphics tools and editors

Linux is popular as an office server, providing file, print, Internet access, email, database and other services at an unbeatable price with top-flight performance and reliability. It's the backbone of many Internet Service Providers, including some of the largest. Many commercial companies are using it as a highly-cost effective server for their intranets and in skunk-works projects where corporate finance can't be found for expensive commercial products. Its excellent performance has now led those early adopters to realise that it is realistic for use on serious projects too, from retail point-of-sale applications through to NASA's `Beowulf' supercomputer[4]. It would be remiss not to mention that Linux was used for the computer graphics for the film `Titanic'.

What are the drawbacks?

From a practical point of view, it's hard to find serious drawbacks. Linux really does do the job, as increasing numbers of hard-nosed systems managers will attest. The famous `Halloween Memo' [1] from Microsoft demonstrates the level of their concern. Corporate support is lining up behind GNU/Linux, from industry giants like IBM and down. Major database vendors like Oracle and Informix are making their products available on GNU/Linux.

For those who have already committed to Microsoft or Novell, the biggest drawback to wholesale adoption of GNU/Linux will most likely be that software applications are not portable between different operating systems. Your favourite application may have a counterpart on GNU/Linux, but you usually can't just take the application and move it. This is less relevant on servers (GNU/Linux file and print sharing is fully compatible with popular desktop systems, so that's not a problem) than on the desktop. There are two projects underway[5, 6] to produce software desktops the equal of the commercial offerings and they are both on the verge serious deployment. Even when they are, there will not immediately be a wide range of application programs, nor are they likely to be free.  Office automation products for GNU/Linux exist already: this note is being written using the Applixware word processor. Applix provides an effective word processor, presentation package and spreadsheet, and there are alternatives available such as Star Office and WordPerfect 8.  Concerns about support are fading as large companies move to fill the gap.

Conclusion

GNU/Linux generates real enthusiasm amongst its users, though that alone is not enough. The reliability and comprehensiveness of the product would make it popular even if it were expensive. The price tag is truly unbeatable. It's hard to see what is going to stop its growth in the short to medium term.  Our experiences of installing it at customer sites is that it provides much better stability than NT for file, print, email and internet access - it is truly fit-and-forget.   Crashes are unknown and GNU/Linux makes much more effective use of modestly-priced hardware. It's not even a risky choice - as an advanced version of Unix,  there is a large pool of skilled staff and support available, plus overwhelming evidence that key industry players such as IBM, HP, Oracle, Software AG and many others now take it very seriously indeed.

Further Information

There are dozens of Internet sites devoted to GNU/Linux. Good starting points are www.linux.org, www.linux.org.uk or www.lwn.net. There are user groups in various parts of the UK, many of whom are happy to discuss their experiences. The author of this note is Mike Banahan of GBdirect, who's is an active member of the West Yorkshire Linux User Group.   You can view their site at by clicking here.

References

      [1] `The Halloween Document' - http://www.opensource.org/halloween.html
      [2] Linux market share - http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,30049,00.html
      [3] The Open Source Movement - http://www.opensource.org and hundreds of others
      [4] Nasa's Beowulf cluster - http://www.beowulf.org
      [5] The KDE Project - http://www.kde.org
      [6] The Gnome Project - http://www.gnome.org