Chapter 1. Before you begin
When asked to name an operating system, most people probably come up with Windows and OS X. These are the two most commonly used desktop operating systems at home and at work. But Linux has always been around, less viewable than other operating systems. Linux powers many of the internet’s servers and the Android mobile operating system. Linux is viable for desktop work as well, with people around the world using it for everything from word processing, to audio editing, to plain old web surfing.
While the common picture is of a systems administrator sitting in front of hundreds of terminal screens, typing feverishly into a command line, the reality is that most people can learn to use it for their day-to-day work. This book is designed for those interested in Linux. Some readers might walk away from this book with the skills and desire to move into something technical, like systems administration. Others might choose only to use Linux for their daily work. Both outcomes are great and both outcomes are possible because of the flexibility of Linux.