Linux!! Time to get acquainted.
IBM System i customers have a relative on their platform that they typically have not gotten to know as they should. Maybe they’ve been busy, maybe this relative is foreign, speaks a different language, or belongs to a different religion. So it does take some effort; but the rewards areconsiderable. You will develop mutual respect and admiration. Who knows, it could be of great value to you career, lift your sprits and help you live a morefulfilling life.
That relative is Linux.
The reason it’s a close relative is that your IBM POWER Systemscan handily run a “distribution” of Linux on the same machine as IBM i, sharingthe same processors, memory IO. The kernel (the part of Linux that works directly with the hardware) is roughly analogous to the “MI” on AS/400 and is the part that works with IBM’s POWER systems microprocessors and takes advantage of all the cool SMP, SMT, RAS and other features. At the same time, the attraction of LINUX is the large treasure trove of applications that are enabled on the famous “LAMP” Linux-Apache-MYSQL-PHP stack.
Much of today’s system requirements stem from dynamic weband mobile computing requirements. These have a tendency to weigh heavily on the use of an authentification system for users, an application server to handle today’s HTML5 and CSS3 content, an open, relational database and cool new apps which typically are developed using languages such as PHP, Perl, JavaScript and Python. If you are doing this, you are likely looking at an operating system to anchor your stack. Linux makes a better alternative than Windows and a much less expensive one than IBM i. Activation of i/OS on a POWER systems can range from $20-$50k whereby Linux will cost a few thousand for the maintenance and support. Frankly, it’s the fastest growing OS on the planet because of this.
Linux is a relative of UNIX, so it has roots that run deep. But where Linux differs from UNIX is on the governance of the software. UNIX, today is made available as proprietary software. That is, you buy the OS and support form a vendor like IBM (AIX), SUN (Solaris) or HP (HP-UX). You don’t get rights to see, use or resell their source code. Linux adheres to the GNU licensing model. This is concept espoused by Richard Stallman that says that software should be a public property, and source code should be open and shared. Its “Open Source” and is not governed by a vendor, but rather by the Linux council, led by Linus Torvalds. Torvalds, of course, is famous for commercializing Linux as a Unix-like OS using the GNU governance model.
COME AND GET A PEEK AT LINUX AS WELL AS TUG NIGHT SCHOOL AT NO CHARGE!
TUG will be hosting a special Night School open house class on November 21. This is a one-evening, informal chance to get to see our night school setup and show-off Linux – in its open source form. We will:
- Review Linux and IBM I history
- Look at the command and options structure of Linux
- Learn to work with Paths including wildcards and globbing as well as links
- Understand Linux security settings for files and directories
- Learn about the power of piping and redirection of IO
- Build simple regular expression for pattern matching
- Build a simple shell script
Consider coming to our special Nov 21 class, 7:00 pm room T3074
Seneca@York. Advantages:
- There is no charge
- You will see the fantastic lab setup TUG uses for the 2011-2012 Night School Program
- You will get to know your distant relative LINUX
Register at www.tug.ca or through this bog site.
