Datasheet

16 Part I: Getting Started in Red Hat Linux
There are other new packages in Red Hat Linux 9 as well. For a complete list of all packages
in Red Hat Linux 9 (all of which are on the CDs that come with this book), see Appendix B.
The Culture of Free Software
I would be remiss to not say something about the culture of free software development from
which Linux has thrived and will continue to thrive. The copyright for Red Hat Linux is
covered under the GNU public license. That license, which most free software falls under,
provides the following:
• Author rights — The original author retains the rights to his or her software.
• Free distribution — People can use the GNU software in their own software, changing
and redistributing it as they please. They do, however, have to include the source code
with their distribution (or make it easily available).
• Copyright maintained — Even if you were to repackage and resell the software, the
original GNU agreement must be maintained with the software. This means that all
future recipients of the software must have the opportunity to change the source code,
just as you did.
It is important to remember that there is no warranty on GNU software. If something goes
wrong, the original developer of the software has no obligation to fix the problem. However,
the Linux culture has provided resources for that event. Experts on the Internet can help you
iron out your problems, or you can access one of the many Linux newsgroups to read how
others have dealt with their problems and to post your own questions about how to fix yours.
Chances are that someone will know what to do — maybe even going so far as to provide the
software or configuration file you need.
NOTE: The GNU project uses the term free software to describe the software that is covered by the GNU
license. On occasion, you may see the term open-source software being used to describe software. Though
source code availability is part of the GNU license, the GNU project claims that software defined as open
source is not the same as free software because it can encompass semi-free programs and even some
proprietary programs. See www.opensource.org for a description of open-source software.
Summary
Linux is a free computer operating system that was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and has
grown from contributions from software developers all over the world. Red Hat Linux is a
distribution of Linux that packages together the software needed to run Linux and makes it
easier to install and run.
Features in Red Hat Linux include a simplified installation procedure, Red Hat Package
Management (RPM) tools for managing the software, and easy-to-use GNOME and KDE
desktop environments. You can get Red Hat Linux from the Internet, from distributions that