Operating System Basics - Computing Fundamentals - page 86

Linux is, at its core, a command-line operating system, as is UNIX.
However, nearly all the distros contain multiple shells —utilities that allow
a user to interact with the operating system. Most distros have a GUI
sitting on top of the shell. These are highly graphical, and as attractive
and easy to use as Windows and Mac OS X. Figure 4.6 shows the Ubuntu
Linux shell, for example. Although most Windows and Mac OS X appli-
cations will not run in Linux, plenty of free, open-source equivalents for
most software types are designed specifically for Linux, or have Linux
versions.

shell The user interface for an operating system.
Some operating systems, like Windows, do not
separate the shell from the kernel; others, like
Linux, give you a choice of shells.

Figure.4 6 The Ubuntu Linux GUI.

Some portable computers, such as netbooks, don't require a powerful
operating system like Windows for the simple tasks they are designed
to perform, like checking email and surfing the web. On such comput-
ers, performance is better, and more storage space remains when a thin
client operating system is used. A thin client is an operating system that
is “thinner” (that is, smaller and more agile) than a regular desktop oper-
ating system. It doesn't have a lot of utilities or features, but it has the
right ones for the system on which it is installed.

thin client A computer with minimal hardware,
designed for a specific task. For example, a thin
web client is designed for using the Internet.

One popular thin client operating system is Chrome OS . Chrome is the
name of both an operating system and a web browser, both produced by
Google. Chrome OS is a variant of Linux, and was developed through an
open-source project called Chromium OS. This simple operating system
comes preinstalled on some thin clients. It contains a simple file manager,
the Google Chrome web browser, and a media player. It doesn't run
most applications designed for other operating systems. Figure 4.7 shows
a Chrome OS screen.

Chrome OS A thin client operating system
created by Google for small notebook computers
(netbooks).