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What makes Linux a better choice?

The distinctive features that set Linux Higher

José Luís
3 min readJan 26, 2024

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If you’re new to the world of information technology, you’ve likely come across Linux. It’s a great choice for developers, DevOps engineers, and all IT professionals. In this post, we’ll explore what sets Linux apart and makes it a good option compared to other operating systems.

Shell Scripting

The shell script is a set of commands grouped in a file to execute a task more quickly and efficiently. It is a fundamental tool for sysadmins, developers, and advanced users. Tasks can easily be turned into scripts using any available shell language in Linux.

Knowing shell script allows you to easily customize work environments, and automate daily routine tasks. For example, you can use it for testing, data and configuration backup, efficient application deployment, and problem diagnosis.

Shell script example — alternative hello world

The Linux Kernel

The other charm of Linux is certainly its kernel. The kernel is the component of an operating system responsible for allocating memory, managing processes, and other tasks inherent to hardware resources. In practice, Linux is only the kernel, which forms the operating system combined with other components.

Understanding the Linux kernel is interesting because it is open source. Its code is available for any user to modify and distribute under the GPL license. In other words, this means that you can understand the Linux kernel’s code, change it, and use it for non-commercial purposes.

Another interesting and noteworthy aspect is the community. It is a very active group of people. They collaborate to identify and correct errors, develop new features, and make knowledge available for free. Linux has one of the largest open-source communities, with thousands of contributions.

CLI: Command Line Interface

The CLI, Command Line Interface, also known as terminal, is a super important part of Linux. It helps get things done quickly. For example, fixing problems, setting up hardware, and managing software.

While other operating systems also have a Command Line Interface, the Linux CLI is special because it gives you a broader view of the system.

Alongside with Linux shell, it becomes the foundation for most modern tools like Git and Docker, showing how flexible and useful it is for professionals.

Wrapping Up

This article has covered three notable aspects. However, there are, of course, other fascinating attributes of Linux. For example, its remarkable flexibility makes Linux easily customizable and portable to different hardware.

Furthermore, Linux distinguishes itself as a security-oriented system. It offers features such as Mandatory Access Control (MAC), Access Control List (ACL), and resource management functionalities. Collectively, these elements elevate Linux as an outstanding system.

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