Learning Red Hat Linux, Third Edition

Chapter 4. How Linux Works

Before you can effectively use a desktop environment, you need to know some Linux fundamentals. This chapter explains basic Linux concepts that underlie graphical and nongraphical system use. It describes Linux user accounts and how Linux organizes data as filesystems, directories, and files. This chapter also explains how to use the X Window System (often known simply as X). Because both GNOME and KDE are built on top of X, an understanding of X is central to using either desktop environment. Even though you’re probably eager to get working with your new system, I suggest you at least skim this chapter. I also predict that you’ll come back to it when you have some more experience and run into something confusing.

User Accounts

Like other multiuser operating systems, such as Windows NT/2000/XP, Linux uses user accounts to identify users and allocate permissions. Every Linux system has a special user known as the root user . The root user is analogous to the Windows user known as Administrator. The root user can perform privileged operations that are forbidden to other users. For instance, only the root user can perform most system administration operations. By default, the username associated with the root user is root.

You should be judicious in your use of the root account. For instance, you should safeguard the associated password so that no one uses it to compromise your system. Also, you should log in as the root user only when performing privileged operations. Following this advice will help you avoid disasters such as accidentally deleting important files that are protected against access by ordinary, non-root users.