Are you a user?
By Charles Miller

My earlier column on the subject of Linux brought me one complaint from an Atención reader who took exception to my characterizing his favorite computer operating system as being too complicated to use. Linux users tend to be a rather vociferous bunch.

Complaints notwithstanding, Linux is indeed way too complicated for average computer users and most advanced users. I said as much last week when I stated it wasn’t possible that anyone without an advanced degree in computer science could hope to use it.

I stand by what I wrote last week, but perhaps I need to devote just a little space here to define what I meant by the word “use.” In a moment, I will clarify the specific definition I intended.

First, let us look at the broader definition of the word “use” and peer behind the scenes at the many ways in which we all utilize Linux every day. The fact of the matter is, practically everyone on earth makes use of Linux without even knowing it.

Linux software and its parent UNIX are the undisputed kings of operating systems used on large servers. Verifiable statistics are hard to come by, but more than half the servers that power the Internet run on Linux. When it comes to running these large servers, many systems administrators say nothing is better than Linux.

While Linux is firmly established in the world of large computer networks and giant servers, it is also very much a part of the smallest computers we encounter every day. These small computers are called “embedded systems.”

This is the name given to a special-purpose computer system designed to perform one or more dedicated functions. It is embedded as part of the larger device and is often completely invisible to the user. Such embedded systems control many of the common devices in use today and thus span all aspects of modern life.

So what are some of these devices? Consumer electronics include mp3 players, cell phones, digital cameras and DVD players. Household appliances, such as refrigerators and microwave ovens, include embedded systems to provide flexibility and efficiency. The same goes for heating and air-conditioning systems using Linux on their embedded systems.

If you do not have any such devices in your home, you may still encounter embedded systems at the hospital. Many modern medical instruments and medical imaging use embedded systems.

Some readers might be saying to themselves that they do not own any of those consumer electronics and have never been to the hospital. Well, if you buy a liter of gas from a pump equipped with a digital readout, that gas pump is probably using Linux. If you have ever bought anything anywhere, you probably bought it from a clerk using a cash register running an embedded Linux system.

So, I have to admit that everyone “uses” Linux, but in the narrow context of the word “use” what I meant is that a very tiny number of people “use” Linux on their personal computers. Linux is indeed gaining a foothold among the users of inexpensive netbook computers. These computers are used for web browsing and email, and little else. For them, Linux is a stable and affordable computer operating system.

But, in the world of desktop computer operating systems, Linux still can only be found on perhaps one computer out of a thousand, and that is a long way from being very popular in the consumer market.

Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 044-415-101-8528 or email FAQ8 (at) SMAguru.com.