Linux is the Unix-like open source computer operating system created by Finnish enthusiast Linus Torvalds (hence its name). While his team creates the kernel of the OS, an ever-growing band of Linux enthusiasts and businesses create the applications that utilize Linux, such is the free distribution nature of the project. Increasingly popular as a server-side alternative to Windows, Linux runs under logical partitioning (LPAR).
The Linux operating system has been available for years for servers and desktops, and has continued to gain market share in both of these computing segments, helping to drive this growth and lend credibility to Linux are well established companies such as IBM, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, and Oracle. At a time when distributed architectures are beginning to emerge, Linux should be considered for its ability to “scale out� in a horizontal fashion.
“Scale up remains very important, but that is not where the big growth is. I don’t see a large, incremental market opportunity for a relatively new operating system like Linux there. There are already too many established players there�, said Gordon Haff, senior analyst at Illuminata in Nashua, N.H.
Mainframes are generally considered to be scalable machines; they are the key to the argument. Haff stated the contrary, stating that mainframes running Linux can easily scale out as distributed environment.
Linux’s capability to continue scaling up the enterprise is virtually assured with facilities such as the Open Source Development Lab, Beaverton, Ore., where open source developers’ access to iron servers.
IMB, HP, NEC, and Intel, all have vested interest in seeing Linux scaling up to support more and more processors. The image of Linux as a scale-up operating system will get a boost soon; the Kernel is expected to scale significantly better than in the past, and it will handle more memory more efficiently, according to Linux inventor Linus Torvalds.
Linux, originally developed for the desktop and adapted for servers, is now making in-roads into the highly fragmented embedded market too. Advanced in desktop Linux are developing along two trend lines: one for adoption and the other for innovation.
LynuxWorks was selected as embedded operating system vendor for army’s future combat system program; it will be used to meet the performance and reliability needs of the family of advanced, networked air and ground based military systems for use by he Army’s future force. A Linux compatible, open standards operating system is required to meet the Army’s needs for real time information and safety criticality. Â
Some analysts forecast that now that Linux has surpassed Apple’s market share, it will take a 6% share over the next two years. Some observers now believe the open source OS’s future is to serve as a distributed, network -based system.
