linuxgeek: [LINUX_Newbies] Re: Problem 6: Small questions

Thursday, January 31, 2013

[LINUX_Newbies] Re: Problem 6: Small questions

--- In LINUX_Newbies@yahoogroups.com, "highskywhy@..." wrote:
>
>
> Mi 30 Jan 2013 07:47:59 CET
> Good morning
> Thank You for help.
> Problem 6: Small questions
>
>
> > What is the meaning of the word "server"?
> >
> > Regards
> > Sophie
> >
>
> X Window is a client server application.
> *
> Sorry I have many questions.
> What does this mean.
> I understood: A server is collecting and sending emails and files. Is
> this rightß
>
> You computer runs an X Window server that you connect to as a client.
> *
> Who is a client?

You are.

> Who is the OS conneting?

I'm not sure what the OS has to do with it. X Window runs on top of the OS, although there is some interaction as X Window requests system resources.

>
> It has just always been that way because back when X Window was
> originally written most computers were not powerful enough to run the
> program.
> *
> Window and Windows is not the same, isnt it.

Microsoft Windows and X Window are different software that do much the same thing. The name, and function similarities can be confusing for some.

>
> There is hardware and there is an OS. The OS is conneting the hardware.
> The www is a kind of hardware, isnt it?

The WWW, or World Wide Web is a network composed of hardware, servers, but the concept is generally considered in abstract above that. On a scale comparable to the discussion here is httpd, a server commonly run on Linux systems. If you were to run an httpd server on your desktop you could connect to it from your same desktop by pointing your browser to localhost, if your server was configured to serve to that address. Most are.

>
>
> Computers have changed, X Window hasn't. Start a terminal and issue
> these commands:
>
> $ netstat -a | grep X11
> *
> OK
> I did it.
> Something is wrong.
> Nothing happened.
> Man netstat did not work.
>

You just do not have netstat installed.

$ dlocate -S `which netstat`
net-tools: /bin/netstat

$ aptitude show net-tools
Package: net-tools
State: installed
Automatically installed: no

The package is not installed automatically because it is not critical to have. Perhaps the package has recently deleted netstat too, because I don't see how you're getting an internet connection without some of the other programs the package installed on my system contains. Different Linux distributions are different. Yours must vary from mine.

>
>
>
> That will show you the ports your X server is running on among other things.
>
> $ ps aux | grep -i x
>
> This will show you your server and client processes.
> *
> OK
>
> This happened:

That is a mess, sorry. It looks like you would get better results with a tighter filter, try:

$ ps aux | grep X11

What you pasted is formatted so poorly I'm not even going to try to make sense out of it.

> *
> I want to learn Linux and I want to understand Linux.
>

Then know this, X Window is not Linux. X Window is just a software suite that is often used to have a graphical interface with a GNU/Linux system. Linux is just the operating system kernel. Which is still more than anyone can reasonably know today.

If you want to see what Linux looks like on your system try:

$ ls /boot

That is where most of Linux is, although a little hides in:

/lib/modules

too. Don't fool with any of that stuff unless you really know what you are doing. Much of it is critical to your computer's proper operation. Pretty much don't touch anything out of your home directory unless you know what you are doing is a good rule to follow.

This is another way to see Linux in action. Shortly after you boot up issue the command:

$ dmesg | less

Then scroll using the space bar (the "B" key scrolls back). Those are the kernel messages that happened when your computer booted up. It does not make much sense to most people but it all means something to someone. If while you are looking at it any particular piece catches your eye copy and paste some of it into a search engine and see what you can learn.

If you really want to learn Linux you're going to have to set meaningful goals. Pick parts that may do you some good to know. Be happy that most folks don't need to know a lot of this junk! Worthless information is exactly that, worthless. Sadly learning about a lot of Linux becomes useless over time too, as Linux changes so much.

This is one place where I learned a lot about Linux when I started:

http://www.tldp.org/

Spend some time reading what strikes your fancy there. Then you'll know more than I do today.