A Seminar for the IT Industry On the Linux Operating System

4^th May, 1999. President Hotel, Mumbai From 9.30 am to 5.30 pm

Organised By Ashtech Infotech Ltd. Suported and sponsored by Compaq Computer India Ltd. and Oracle Software India Ltd.

Introduction : Linux represents a Paradigm shift.

Linux has the attention of everyone - the public through the extensive press coverage and the IT community due to every major IT hardware company announcing support for the product. In an industry where user handholding and product support is a benchmark for the quality and success of a product , Linux has no owner and has no single entity is responsible for it’s support. The unthinkable has happened. People are willing to bet their businesses on free software. And so far they have not been disappointed.

This introduction is also meant for non-IT person. Hence please excuse the points covering elementary topics.

A server is a large central computer where many people store commonly used data and programs. These computers also store powerful central applications such as large databases and corporate communication systems.

All computers need a fundamental software program called an Operating System. Central Server computers run server Operating Systems and desktop computers run desktop operating systems.

Examples of a Server Operating system are "Windows NT Server", "Novell Netware" and "Unix".

What Is Unix

"Unix" is an Operating System developed in 1969 for DEC’s PDP-7 by scientists in AT&T Bell Laboratories. The aim was to develop software which would work on many different types of computers from different vendors and provide a uniform platform as far as the user was concerned. Bell Laboratories had a policy of providing the core software free and users could fine-tune it to suit their varied computers.

Over the years Unix became popular in the academic world. As it proved to be a robust and solid product, many commercial computer organisations provided it to their users as opposed to providing a proprietory system. Digital, Hewlett Packard, Unisys and many current and defunct companies have/had a popular Unix system working on their computers.

With the advent of Intel’s line of microprocessors, Unix is also available on standard IBM compatible PC’s. One of the most popular products is "Solaris" from Sun Microsystems and SCO Unix form SCO

An important aspect of Unix is that it can be and is used as both a Server operating system and a desktop operating system.

Unix from various vendors is considered "standard" if it meets various independently executed tests to check its conformity.

Linux is a version of Unix for the Intel Platform. It was written by Linus Torvalds

in 1994, at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Linus wanted a robust and standards oriented software that was freely available to various developers all over the globe. He wrote the software and made it available to anyone who wanted it by the process of making it available under the GNU General Public Liscense. His version of Unix is called "Linux". There are 8 million estimated users of Linux today.

Unix and its variants are submitted for testing to meet standards ( POSIX standards). Once this is done, these operating systems will have a very strong level of compatibility to run programs from independent developers. Hence meeting standards is essential to operating systems. This ensures protection to the Independent developer whose target customer base widens. From the user’s perspective, their investment in software is not linked to any one server or Operating system. They can move to another server and yet retain their software. Investment protection is the name of the game.

For most users the Server operating systems is of not much importance as Windows 95 Operating system is on most of the their desktops. However, on the Server front, Unix and Novell were the predominant operating systems. Microsoft introduced Windows NT as its product in this market space. Windows NT has been a success and witnessed remarkable capture of market share.

Hence if Linux is to gain a market share and prove it’s worth, it has to be positioned against the Heavyweights and it has to meet the IT managers’ expectations. The current wave of interest will result in it’s deployment and allow these managers to experience the powers and stability of this standards based product.

What is Intel Platform and "Wintel"?

Intel makes a CPU with more features and speed than it’s previous product. Microsoft develops newer and better Windows software to make use of these features and speed. This complementary symbioses has resulted in a strong link between Intel’s CPUs and Microsoft’s Windows products. In fact all of Windows Products run primarily on Intel CPUs. Computers running this combination are called the "Wintel" based Computers.

From Where is Linux Available ?

Of course one could download copies from the Internet. However most users seem to get it from copies circulated in books and magazines.

Any operating system is a combination of many products and programs. There are distribution companies who put these various products together and package them so that it is easy for the user to load them on to their computer. A few of these companies are "Red Hat" and " Caldera". These companies sell CDs with the software for the cost of making and distributing the CD as the software is free and in public domain. Majority of the users sources the Linux software from these CDs. In the last year, PC Quest has distributed two issues with Linux CD from "Red Hat". One of these PC Quest magazines with Linux software is being given away free at the seminar. This Linux CD is a full version with all the expected software for use as a Server or Desktop operating system. The magazine is full of articles on how to load it and configure it.

Linux is now available in Version 2.2 and now supports x86, SPARC, Alpha, Ultra, m68k, and PowerPC

With the advent of Internet, there have been a breed of software developers who make their software available on the Internet free of charge. There may be constraints on alteration to the software or in giving credit to the developer, but there is no money attached in using the software. Linux is one such software.

With the main product being controlled by the originator, the product has grown to a solid and robust product, which compares very well technically with other operating systems. Many developers have added to the product. Quite often these developers do not even meet face to face, most of their collaborative work being done on the net.

Today, a user only has to post a problem on the net and many users all over the world respond to the problems at an unbelievable pace. What is amazing is that individuals who have no concern with others are willing to support without any expectations in return.

In the case of a product from a business organisation, where the user has to pay handsomely for support, upgrades and error corrections, the same support is available free via groups on the net. India has many such Indian user groups who have been exemplary in their support for the product.

The point to note is that not only is Linux free but it’s support is also free. Another point is that business organisations always have limited support personnel. Linux, on the other hand, has thousand and maybe millions of persons who are willing to support others. This is a wonderfully different way of doing things and hence a true paradigm shift.

Linux is predominantly being used in two areas- in educational institutions and on the Net.

Both these areas have tech savvy individuals who cannot afford expensive hardware and software products. Linux has been an answer in that it is of low cost, very efficiently uses inexpensive computers, highly stable and has a whole suit of products that allow it to be used as a web server.

Till recently the web was a loose community of individuals who connected their servers to the Internet and put "content" for public consumption. As these were not corporations, the servers were as low cost as possible. Linux is accompanied by web server software "Apache", a proxy server software, DHCP/DNS software and e-mail software that are required by servers on the Internet.

Linux gained phenomenal popularity as a robust, full-featured product which was unusually efficient with even the most obselete computer. In fact, even today, Linux runs very well with 486 computers. Ashtech’s e-mail servers are all outdated Pentium 60 or 90 Mhz computers.

In the Server Operating System arena the choices for the Intel based computers are 1) Windows NT 2) Novell 3) Linux.

By and large anyone who need server operating system can use Linux, unless his applications are not "Open" and needs a specific operating system.

Microsoft’s Strategy is to provide very high quality software which only runs on the Windows NT Platform. This strategy will not work if there is an alternative. Users are wary, and have proved it by embracing non-restrictive platforms. The history of Information Technology is littered with the carcasses of a huge number of proprietary hardware and software products.

Because Linux fulfills the needs of IT managers, their endorsement is already achieved. More and more managers are turning to Linux. The proof of this is in the fact that all major hardware companies are endorsing Linux. Major IT companies listen to IT managers’ needs and not the other way around.

India is a "UNIX" country. After IBM was asked to leave the country decades ago, India had no option but to turn to Unix. All major IT users in the Government and Industry are already familiar with Unix. For them to appreciate Linux is no big deal.

Linux represents a shift in the way critical software is procured, used and supported. You get it free,it largely loads without problems and support is an e-mail away. All major computer vendors have announced support.

And at the end of the day, we humans like the underdog people realise that the only way to leash the mighty machine called Microsoft is to have alternatives. Linux has achieved the status of both the underdog and an alternative.

For India, it represents a way to preserve it’s scarce resources and independence. Journalists and the press are the guardians of free society. They have already realised the potential of Linux for India and it is they who are propagating the message of Linux to the average user.

Any way you look at it, Linux is appropriate for India: Low cost, uses scarce resources better, already familiar in terms of Unix and wide availability.

Compaq computers India Ltd
Oracle Corporation
Dell Computers
IBM
Hewlett Packard
Intel Corporation

Ashtech is a Mumbai based full service IT company, associated will all the major international IT companies. We felt that it was time to support the goodwork of the press by holding a conference to bring the IT community in direct contact with Linux. This was quickly taken up by Compaq and Oracle and they have supported and sponsored the conference.

It was felt that not only various application aspects must be covered, but a detailed live setup must be available for users to "touch and Feel" Linux.

Along with eminent speakers, there are running demonstrations of Linux in its many application areas :

• As a file and print server
• As a database Server
• As a Internet Web and e-commerce server
• As an E-mail server
• As a desktop operating system

Cyber Media, the host of the award winning Indian Web Site Cyber India on Line <www.ciol.com>, is undertaking the web promotion of the event. Not only are they hosting information on the event but also accepting online registrations. They will direct traffic to the event not only by highlighting it on their web site but also by sending out about 40,000 e-mail about the event.