% Linux Installation and Getting Started    -*- TeX -*-
% chap-intro.tex
% Copyright (c) 1992-1994 by Matt Welsh <mdw@sunsite.unc.edu>
%
% This file is freely redistributable, but you must preserve this copyright 
% notice on all copies, and it must be distributed only as part of "Linux 
% Installation and Getting Started". This file's use is covered by the 
% copyright for the entire document, in the file "copyright.tex".

\chapter{Introduction to Linux}
\pagenumbering{arabic}
\namedlabel{chap-intro}{Introduction to Linux}
\label{chap-intro-num}
\index{Linux|(} % A little joke

Linux is quite possibly the most important achievement of free software
since the original {\em Space War}, or, more recently, Emacs. It has 
developed into the operating system for businesses, education, and personal
productivity. Linux is no longer just for UNIX wizards\index{UNIX!wizards}
who sit for hours in front of the glowing console (although we assure you 
that quite a number of users fall into this category). This book will help 
you get the most out of it. 

Linux\index{Linux!pronunciation}
(pronounced with a short {\em i}, as in {\em LIH-nucks})
is a clone of the UNIX operating system that runs
on Intel 80386 and 80486 computers. It supports a wide range of 
software, from \TeX\ to X~Windows to the GNU C/C++ compiler to TCP/IP\@.
It's a versatile, bona fide implementation of UNIX, freely distributed by 
the terms of the GNU General Public License (see Appendix~\ref{app-gpl-num}).

Linux can turn any 386 or 486 PC into a workstation. It will give you the
full power of UNIX at your fingertips. Businesses are installing Linux
on entire networks of machines, using the operating system to manage
financial and hospital records, a distributed user computing environment,
telecommunications, and more. Universities worldwide are using Linux for
teaching courses on operating systems programming and design. And,
of course, computing enthusiasts everywhere are using Linux at home, for
programming, productivity, and all-around hacking. 

What makes Linux so different is that it is a {\em free} 
implementation of UNIX. It was and still is developed by a group
of volunteers, primarily on the Internet, exchanging code, reporting bugs, 
and fixing problems in an open-ended environment. Anyone is welcome to join 
in the Linux development effort: all it takes is interest in hacking a free 
UNIX clone and some kind of programming know-how. The book that you hold 
in your hands is your tour guide.

\input{intro/about}
\input{intro/history}
\input{intro/system}
\input{intro/software}
\input{intro/gpl}
\input{intro/design}
\input{intro/differences}
\input{intro/hardware}
\input{intro/sources}
\input{intro/help}
