Unlike Windows, Linux is a capable of running on a large variety of computer systems, one of them being Intel Based PCs, which is what most home users prefer. Windows can only run on Intel Based PCs. Linux has the capability of running on the Digital Alpha systems so it can reach the advanced users in the bigger companies. Another computer system that can be run with Linux is the Macintosh Power PC, which is generally used by graphical designers, press companies and advertising companies. The others are Sun Sparc, Sun Ultra, Amiga, and the 3Com Palm Pilot (personal digital assistant.

It is almost impossible to write a virus

Internet features of Linux also make it more popular. Since it was developed on the Internet, it has wide support for Internet tools and protocols. A free e-mail software called Pine comes with Linux. It was developed at the University of Washington and it has all the features of an email program. There is also a free software program called Telnet, which lets you connect a computer with its IP number to the Internet. The famous web browser Netscape comes with Linux free as well. It has all properties of the Netscape Navigator that is used on Windows and is as easy to surf on the Internet as Windows. There is also a browser called Archie that comes with Linux free in addition to the aforementioned programs and applications.

Since Linux was developed by programmers it obviously has compilers and tools for programming languages. These compilers can be used to translate fourth-generation languages such as the C language, which was developed by Dennis Ritchie in 1972 at AT&T Bell Labs. It was called C because there was a B programming language already, and this was to be a higher-level programming language. High-level languages have some advantages, which are readability, maintainability and portability. High-level programming languages are easy to read, they are easy to maintain and they can be used on different computer platforms. The C language’s closeness to human languages (especially English) provides readability and maintainability. Each high-level language needs a compiler to translate high-level language into a machine language that a computer can understand and execute. Linux has the free C compilers so you can develop C programs on Linux platform. C allows you to get control of computer hardware and peripherals, which is why Linux software was developed with the C language. The C++ language is an expanded version of C that makes object-oriented programming easier. Also, learning Java is much easier if you already know C. C++ compilers are available on Linux, as well. (Teach Yourself C in 24 Hours)

Linux also has support for FTP (File Transfer Protocol). You can use it by typing ftp on the command prompt. There is a software program called NcFTP that provides a graphical user interface that also comes with Linux free. FTP is currently the most common protocol used to transfer files from the Internet. IRC (Internet Relay

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