Analysis of Red Hat Linux Operating System Research Paper

Analysis of Red Hat Linux Operating System - Research Paper Example Among other innovations, such as the Anaconda graphical installer and the firewall configuration tool Lokkit, Red Hat is an established name in the open source operating system market space. This may be due, in part, to its appealing graphical interface for users and the accessibility of its programmer interface, which is intelligently presented. By reviewing this interface, as well as some advantages and disadvantages of the operating system, why exactly Red Hat is a respected name in Linux circles may become clearer. Red Hat is ostensibly based on the design principles of simplicity, robustness, and security (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2007). Simplicity refers to simple abstractions and simple components, which leads to faster and more efficient use of hardware resources. Red Hat exemplifies this characteristic by focusing on a simple desktop for users to customize. Robustness refers to the ability of a system to resist failure after the addition of a new feature or component. When a system is multiprogramming, it is ideal if the system does not fail because it cannot adequately distribute resources to handle the increased load. Red Hat, because it has been developed and re-released over nine versions, is incredibly robust in handling large memory loads. Lastly, Red Hat is based on a secure design, which means Red Hat has extended Linux’s reputation as a secure environment, primarily by buffering overflows integrated in the standard software stack, smartcard authentication support, and SELinux security. The Red Hat Linux desktop consists of GNOME and KDE, which offer a wide range of features. The KDE desktop for Red Hat (in Figure 1), features a main menu icon at the lower left, which is a red hat. The desktop includes a number of files and folders, depending on what software is installed on the user’s computer. KDE is very similar to the standard Microsoft Windows format for the central desktop, particularly in how the standard option places the taskbar at the bottom of the screen, with a main menu button at the lower left, and desktop icons arranged vertically along the left side of the desktop. KDE uses a file management and web browser called Konqueror, which is a standard setting in Red Hat installations. Lastly, the KDE Control Center window allows for additional customization of the operating system for the user. In contrast, the GNOME desktop for Red Hat Linux (in Figure 2) is slightly different from KDE (McCarty, 2004). The principal dissimilarity is GNOME’s use of Nautilus, which like Konqueror, is the default file manager and browser. Another notable difference is GNOME’s use of a drawer, which is a clickable icon that leads to links to other launchers. GNOME also features a â€Å"Start Here† facility that allows for other kinds of configurations, including changes to peripheral devices, default applications, themes, GNOME’s appearance, and so on. A Red Hat Linux user is given a choice between the KDE and GNOME desktop interfaces. Beyond the basics of Red Hat’s desktop and user interface, however, one finds a rich array of tools for a programmer to manipulate and control his or her machine. The Unix shell in Red Hat, like an MS-DOS window, allows the user to execute commands. Again, beyond the desktop and point-and-click interface, the Linux shell is actually more sophisticated. The major elements of the programmer interface