Linux Client » Linux Windows

Top Ten Concepts for Linux Beginners – Number 2, Directories

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:52:12 +0000

Linux people like to claim that directories are really just another type of file. This statement can be misleading. We saw in a previous article that you create a file using a file editor. We will see later in this article how to create a directory.

So just what is a Linux directory? A directory is a collection that may include one or more directories, one or more files, or in fact be empty. You may think of a directory as a computerized file folder or loose-leaf notebook that contains dividers (themselves directories) and pages (files.) Just like a notebook page may not contain a divider, a Linux file may not contain a directory.

Up to now our comments about Linux directories hold for Windows directories as well. Now let’s take a look at some differences between these two systems. First come the naming conventions. Linux always distinguishes between lower-case and upper-case characters in directory names. Microsoft Windows does not. For example, Linux treats pay12june and Pay12june are as two different directories, as different as the directories pay12june and heighho. These directory names were used as file names in the previous article. While Linux does have some reserved directory and file names, in general one cannot tell by the name whether it is a file name or a directory name. So be careful. Linux helps you out here ‘ the ls command that lists the contents of a given directory usually displays files and directories in different colors.

Directories are hierarchical. They resemble a tree or a family tree. But unlike a tree (or Microsoft Windows) Linux has only one root. The root, designated as / lies at the top, rather than at the bottom, of the hierarchy. Right underneath the root directory you will find several subdirectories. For example, the /home directory is a child of / the root directory. The number and names of the first-level subdirectories vary from one version of Linux to another. For example, some Linux distributions include a /root directory while others do not. The /root directory (or subdirectory, both terms are used) is a child of /, the actual root directory.

The /home directory is an important directory. It is divided into subdirectories, one for each user. We like to work with Damn Small Linux, a free version of Linux that runs on the Windows desktop and requires only 50 Megabytes of disk space. Damn Small Linux automatically creates a user called dsl whose home directory is /home/dsl ; a working area essentially reserved for this user. All Linux versions subdivide the /home directory into user subdirectories according to this simple naming convention.

Linux provides several commands to process directories. For example, the mkdir command creates a directory. The rmdir command removes a directory, but in the simplest case only when it is empty. The cd command changes the working directory, the directory in which you are positioned. The pwd (print working directory) command displays (not prints) the working directory. Beginners should run this command often to reduce errors. For example, if you, the dsl user, think that you are positioned in the /home/dsl directory but in fact are positioned in the / directory you won’t be able save your files with a simple command. Why? Because you lack the requisite permission, the subject of our next article.

By: Levi Reiss

Linux Vs. Windows

admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 09:00:49 +0000

This article will not attempt to advocate the use of Linux over Windows or vice versa. I will try to present the differences and similarities between Linux and Windows in a fair manner.

Overview:

Both Linux and Windows (2000, NT, XP, Vista) are operating systems. Linux was inspired from Unix, while Windows was inspired from VMS.

While no single company “owns” Linux, Windows is owned by Microsoft. Various distributions (often referred to as “distros”) of Linux come from different companies (e.g. Red Hat, Novell SuSE, Mandrake etc.), while all Windows flavors (95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista) come from Microsoft.

Both Linux and Windows come in Desktop and Server editions.

Cost:

As far as cost is concerned, Linux is very cheap or free. I used the word “very cheap” for enterprise users. While anybody can download, install and use Linux, the distribution companies usually charge for technical support.
Windows is expensive. You first pay for the copy of the software and then again for the technical support if you ever want it.
There is another catch though; Windows enforces you to use a single copy on a single computer. This is not the case with Linux though, once you purchase Linux, you can run it on an unlimited number of computers.

GUI:

Both Windows and Linux are GUI based operating systems.
I’m afraid but, Windows has better GUI than Linux and it will get far better with the upcoming Windows Vista release. Linux has two GUIs: Gnome and KDE. Linux is fast catching up and is evolving from a server operating system to a desktop operating system.

Command Line:

Both Windows and Linux comes with command line interface. Windows calls it the “DOS prompt”, while Linux refers to it as the “shell”. Linux’s shell is far more superior than Window’s DOS prompt. It can do a whole lot of things that are not possible in Windows. Linux support various command line shells such as BASH, Bourne, Korn, C shell and many other.

Third Party Application Software Availability:
Both Windows and Linux run third-party applications. Windows, compared to Linux, has far greater number of third party applications available for use. A program written for Windows will not run under Linux (although it can be made to emulate, but it will be very annoying and hence not recommened).

Linux’s application base is, however, increasing threefold. On a more close examination, the average computer user uses the following applications 90% of the time: Word Processor (Office suite), E-mail client, Web browser, Media software, and Instant Messenger. Linux has all these applications and in fact has many flavors for each.

Like Linux, all third party applications are very cheap or free. Whereas, Windows applications can cost a leg and a limb.

Security:

Simply put it this way, Windows is not secure. If you are using Windows and don’t have Antivirus, Anti Spyware, and firewall (memory and resource eating applications), your computer can get affected by a virus in less than 10 minutes. I remember restoring a fresh copy of Windows XP on my Toshiba A40 notebook. I was browsing the Internet with Microsoft Internet Explorer and my machine got infected with loads of spyware in less than 15 minutes!

Microsoft came up with Firewall and Anti Spyware products, but these programs run in the background and eat up your computer’s precious memory.

Linux, on the other hand, doesn’t have these issues. I’m not aware of any spywares for Linux. One can safely run a Linux distro without ever worrying about installing Anitvirus or Anti-Spywares.

Windows also has more security flaws than Linux. By security flaw, I mean a hacker can compromise the Windows operating system and break into your machine and destroy your files. But, flaws on Windows are quickly fixed and patches are often made available almost instantly after the flaw is reported.

Supported Hardware:

Windows was originally designed for Intel based machines. Earlier version of Windows NT also ran on RISC and Alpha architectures, but not anymore.
Linux run on a wide variety of hardware. And can support some very old legacy hardware. I’ve seen a Linux distro running on a 486 based machine.

Diver Availability:

As one author once said, “Windows is a bag of drivers”. I think that is quite true. Installing a new hardware device is a piece of cake in Windows, whereas it can be a nuisance on Linux especially for average Joe. I can’t in my wildest dreams imagine my dad installing a sound card successfully in Linux.

Things however will not stay the same for long. Manufacturers are also offering Linux drivers for their hardware, which will simplify the process.

Network Support:

Linux beats Windows bad in this area. Windows was never designed for the Internet. Unix, on which Linux is based, was designed for Internet (or Network) and is far more efficient compared to Windows. A senior Network Administrator working for a Fortune-500 company, recently pointed to me that if we monitor the traffic between exchange Windows based Exchange Server and Client, we can see that hundreds of packets are going to and from even when both are idle. He said that such is not the case with Linux.

However, our average Joe will never see or feel any difference. Windows Internet is good enough for him.

File System:

Windows Vista will use a new file system called WinFS. Earlier version used FAT (FAT16 and FAT32) and NTFS file systems, with NTFS being the preferred choice. Linux supports ext2 and ext3 file systems.

FAT file systems were mediocre, but NTFS can be compared with the Linux file systems.

Both file systems allows us to create directories, sub directories and file. Linux file systems are case-sensitive whereas, NTFS is not.

Normally, Linux systems cannot access NTFS file systems, but with the help of add-on software, it can.

Help and Documentation:
Linux help and documentation is quite good, accurate and to the point compared.

I’ve been using Windows for well over 8 years now. Frankly speaking, I hardly ever checked the accompanying documentation or the help file because everything is so simple that nobody needs to venture in the help file.

Web Hosting : Linux vs. Windows

admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:15:40 +0000

The Basics of Linux & Windows : Linux (and its close relation Unix) and Windows 2000 (and its close cousin Windows NT) are types of software (known as operating systems) that web servers use to do the kind of things that web servers do. You do not need to know any real detail of either to make a decision as to which you need but here a few guidelines.

Just because you use a windows desktop PC doesn’t mean you have to opt for Windows web hosting (and the reverse is true as well). The operating system you use on your desktop has little to do with your choice of web hosts. As long as you understand how to use your FTP or web publishing software, your can use either operating system.

But what is important is that you know what you want your website to do and what you want to offer on it. This is what will ultimately help determine the type of web hosting that will work best for you. As mentioned earlier, interactive websites usually rely on ASP, PHP, or Perl type languages.

Linux Web Hosting or Windows 2000 Web Hosting ? Make your Choice !

When it comes to Web hosting, Linux has, for some time, been widely considered the best OS for Web servers. It’s typically found to be the most reliable, stable and efficient system and, as such, it’s commonly used for the demanding environment of Web and mail servers. Indeed,Most of the clients websites of aalpha NET runs on the Linux OS precisely because of this traditional stability.

The million-dollar question is what application are you looking to use for your hosting? Consider the tools and scripting languages you plan to use – if you use PHP, Perl or MySQL, Linux is the way forward. If apps are Microsoft-specific, then Windows is what you need.

If your site, like most web sites, is what might be termed “brochure-ware” then Linux servers are ideal. By brochure-ware I mean a site that offers the kind of information that in the past might have been provided on paper in the form of brochures, newsletters or data sheets. Brochure-ware sites will offer some interaction through enquiry forms and can certainly incorporate online purchasing and other routine e-commerce functions.

If however your site incorporates an online searchable database or interactive chat facilities then Windows 2000 or NT will be a better bet in most cases. It will cost a bit more but you’ll get that back in reduced development time and simply better functionality.

The following are the advantages of using Linux based web server compared to Windows based web server :

Stable: Linux/Unix operating systems has traditionally been believed to be very stable and robust. A web site housed on a Linux operating system will have very high up-time (of the order of 99.9%). Of course, other factors such as power supply, network admin skills, and network load etc. also matter when it comes to maintaining the system uptime.

Low cost of ownership: The Linux OS comes free of cost (or at very insignificant cost, usually cost of distribution). Also, it has full fledged server, and desk top applications that comes free along with the OS. These server applications (such as FTP, Web Server, DNS Server, File Server etc.) being free, are also very stable.

Ease of use : When it comes to web hosting, it is easy to host on Linux web servers. The process of uploading and hosting is almost same for both Linux and Windows web servers. If you want to use a Windows based tool such as Front Page for uploading a web site on to a Linux based web server, make sure that the Front Page extensions are enabled. This is only required if you are uploading using HTTP feature (http://www.yourwebsite.com) of Front Page. Front Page also makes it possible to upload a web site using FTP. You need to select ftp://www.yourwebsite.com for up loading using front page FTP option. Note that if you select “Front Page Extensions” during web site design, you must enable Front Page extensions on a Linux web server also. These days, all Linux web servers are coming with installable Front Page extensions, and this should pose no problem for hosting on a Linux platform.

You can use almost all types of file extensions (or scripts) when using Linux web server. Commonly, the following extensions are supported: .cgi, .html, .htm, .pl, .php, .shtml, .xml, and others. Basically it means that you can host web sites that use different types of server side scripts including .cgi, .pl, ..php, and .asp (with plug-in).

Easy to move between hosts : A web site designed to be hosted on a Linux based web server can be hosted on a Windows web server easily, where as the reverse is not always true.

Most widely used : Linux/Unix based web hosting is most widely used compared to Windows based web hosting.

Scalability : A web site is dynamic. Usually, a web site starts with a few pages of html and grows over a period of time to suit the customers requirements. It is preferable to design a web site keeping this requirements in mind. A web site designed for compatibility with a Linux/Unix based web server meets the scalability requirement easily without making any site wide design changes.

On the downside, Linux based web server is not fully compatible with Microsoft technologies. If you are using any specialized applications or VB for development of your web site, it is preferable to host with a Windows based web server.

For more articles Please visit Articles at All Web Hosts.

Thank You

By: Arpit Sharma

Top Reasons Why Windows Reseller Hosting Plans Sell

admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:36:44 +0000

As hosting plans have evolved to new levels of competitiveness, so also reseller hosting is making giant advances. The term ‘reseller hosting’ may seem a little ambiguous. But, it basically means that a reseller buys a web hosting package from a merchant and sells this independently. The seller makes a profit from the discount that the merchant offers. As the number of customers increases, the reseller will be able to make larger profit margins. Many merchants offer commission when sellers refer customers to the merchant.

Windows reseller hosting plans are basically the resale of windows based hosting plans. Both Linux and Windows are equal players in the web-hosting arena. But, windows reseller hosting plans have some definite advantages, which makes it a popular choice among many customers. Here are some of the reasons why many customers switch over to windows reseller hosting plans.

Powerful, user-friendly tools: Windows, from the time of its inception, has always valued customer friendliness above all else. Thus, a Windows platform is very easy to use, with customer friendly options and tools. Besides, a windows reseller hosting plan also gives you access to ASP.Net, which is a very powerful tool when it comes to developing web based applications. With ASP.Net, you will also be able to use popular content management systems like DotNetNuke. It is true that ASP scripting runs on UNIX platforms, but you would still not have full access to all the powerful features of ASP.Net as this has been developed for full Windows compatibility. On the other hand, you can run applications written in other languages. So, you still have access to Php and MySql, if you need them.

Associated tools: Windows reseller hosting plans gives you access to a number of products like ActiveSync and SharePoint. These tools help you consolidate your marketing position and bring in huge, recurrent dividends, in the long run. Windows reseller hosting plans also provide you with free access to MS SQL, a comprehensive, all-inclusive, data management tool. This business solution allows businesses to organize and analyze critical information while ensuring confidentiality. Your Windows reseller hosting plan makes you eligible to own the fastest growing database tool in the business.

Easy to use: Windows control panel is easy to use and provides you with an all-in-one solution. So, when the number of clients increases, you do not need to keep multiple accounts, which is the case with Linux systems.

Windows reseller hosting plans are popular because the Windows Control Panel makes use of a clustered Directory Technology. Thus, you have access to enterprise solutions right from the start.

These are some of the reasons why resellers find it very profitable to sell Windows reseller hosting plans. These plans allow them to sell their customers solutions that they require, at competitive rates.

Windows reseller hosting plans ensure higher customer satisfaction and give clients the ultimate opportunity to utilize a full pack of cutting edge technologies.

By: Quinlan Murray

Why Choose Windows Hosting?

admin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:00:28 +0000

When it comes to web hosting, there are many options to choose from. Two of the most popular options out there are Linux and Windows hosting. A good hosting will deliver great functionality which plays a big part in the success of your website. Linux hosting has been the hosting that everyone goes for but Windows hosting is increasingly becoming more and more popular among users out there. So, if you are in the middle of making a choice between the two, let’s take a look at what Windows hosting can do for you.

Firstly, windows hosting is less complicated. It is based on either Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or 2008. This means that it provides more features that enable you to manage your website better. It also comes with dynamic web pages and applications that can be build using its .Net framework. With its compatibility with Microsoft, this type of hosting can be used for many types of online business.

As mentioned, this type of hosting is very compatible with Microsoft applications like Frontpage, ASP and that is why it is increasingly becoming more popular. Majority of people out there are still using Frontpage as their web designing tool and this is where windows hosting has the advantage. It’s designed to be very easy on newbie to understand how it works but is still sufficient for advance users too. With its interactive features, users do not need to have exceptional skills to operate their websites.

Another major factor that has led to the increasing popularity for windows hosting is their support. The component that is build from their IIS till the SQL server is all compatible with one another. This had made a great growth in developers creating applications for the windows platform due to its rising number of users. Furthermore, it works well with open source products like PHP, Perl and MySQL. This is something you cannot do with a Linux hosting.

However, the windows hosting do come with a higher price compared to Linux hosting. This is due to the license issues that are link to Microsoft. Unlike Windows, Linux is more affordable in the market. But, due to the rising popularity of it, you can easily get one windows hosting package with just $10 per month nowadays. Not only you get value for money, you also get great features and functionality.

Therefore, using a Window hosting really provides you with cutting edge applications that can cater your website needs plus its user friendly interface that is suitable for not only novice users but also advance users too. The price is a little bit higher than other hosting but the power and features that you get will make you forget your investment in a flash.

By: Justin Knights

What’s the Big Difference Between Windows Hosting and Linux Hosting?

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:33:24 +0000

When it comes to which operating system between Windows or Linux is better for making a server, there is a lot of discussion in the web hosting world. Some of the big arguments on which between Windows hosting and Linux hosting are sprung from exactly what your website is capable of on each OS and the way a website is delivered over the internet. To make the right decision, careful consideration should be taken.

The most popular choice for website hosting has been for a long time now Linux hosting. Traditionally, Linux hosting is a reliable and efficient OS for servers and viewed as a very stable and reliable system. Windows hosting is quickly gaining in popularity and has made a lot of progress in the area of web hosting. No matter which operation system you choose to use, they each have their specific drawbacks and advantages.

The most obvious benefit of Linux hosting is the price. Because it is an open source operating system, it is free to the public which makes it the more affordable option. Many of the most popular applications used in web development are also open source, such as PHP, MySQL, and Python, and these programs run especially well on a Linux machine.

Windows hosting, on the other hand, costs more because of its proprietary nature, but it allows you to host any kind of application on the same server. You could use an ASP.Net application backed up by an MS-SQL database behind it, and simultaneously host a PHP blog with a MySQL database to power it on the same server.

Windows hosting started off with a smaller user base, but it continues to grow in popularity. Despite being the more expensive option, many users are choosing it for its familiar interface and compatibility with other Microsoft products. If your site is going to use ASP or .Net applications, a Windows server is the only way to go.

Both Linux hosting and Windows hosting platforms continue to grow and evolve, and they are becoming more advanced and more convenient to use. At the same time, they are becoming more specialized in how they can be most effectively used.

In the end, that is the largest difference between the operating systems: what they are going to be used for. If you are planning a traditional website (graphics, text, ecommerce functions, etc) then you are probably okay using a Linux hosting platform. If, on the other hand, you are using a few more complex, interactive features, then Windows just might be the way to go.

Linux development is an ongoing process by a huge community of users. Some people have been hesitant in the past to use an open source operating system because of a perceived lack of support, but now, thanks to the growing community of Linux developers, a user can quickly and easily find the help and support they need, or an application for almost any situation.

By: Alberto Sanchez