Advantages of RHEL6 over RHEL5

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is an open source, linux based operating system developed by Red Hat Inc. It is popularly used as server operating system. Its first release was the RHEl 2.1 which was released in the year 2002. After the first version of RHEL, new and better versions quickly followed like RHEL 3,4,5,etc. Now in 2010, the newest version has been released. It is RHEL 6. Now in this post lets discuss the main advantages of RHEL6 over RHEL5.

RHEL6 being the latest release obviously have a lot of new features. The advantages are:

•   A new level of virtualisation
        RHEL6 introduces the use of KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) as its hypervisor. In the earlier releases Xen hypervisor was used. The main advantage of KVM is that a new kernel should not be installed like in Xen. It also supports the installation of many virtual operating systems like Windows, Linux, Solaris,etc. It is easy to manage.
  
  
•   Ext4 is made the default filesystem
        Ext4 has many new advantages than Ext3 which is used in earlier versions of RHEL. Ext4 is comparatively faster and easy to manage. It supports supports up to 100TB with the addition of Scalable Filesystem Add-one.   
  
    
•  Improved level of Security
        RHEL6 has advanced level of security. SELinux (Security Enhanced Linux) features are improved and a new set of SELinux rules has been added to provide security to virtual machines from hackers and attackers. This new feature is called SVirt.
  
  
•  New Networking Features
       RHEL6 is released with improved and new networking features. It supports IPv6. It uses NFSv4 (Network File Transfer) for the sharing of files in the network rather than NFSv3. It also supports iSCSI (internet Small Computer System Interface) partitions. The network manager in RHEL6 supports Wi-Fi capabilities.
  
  
  
•  Use of Drivers
       RHEL6 has drivers for speeding up operations under KVM, VMware and Xen.
  
  
  
• Increase in the support period provided by Red Hat.
        RHEL6 has a long period of support provided by Redhat. It provides updates for 7 years and also a extra 3 years of service as  paid service. Therefore it means that its period of support is twice the period of support provided by other linux distributors like Ubuntu , Debian, etc.
  
  
  
• Improvements of minor updates
        Red Hat releases minor versions such as 6.1, 6.2. These minor versions are the accumulated updates of the major version. The new minor releases will not only contain bug fixes but will also have major changes and new features.  

RHEL6 has been released with many new feature which make RHEL6 more useful than RHEL5. RHEL6 is somewhat similar to Fedora 12, so the Fedora users should find RHEL6 familiar. Due to all these reasons the release of RHEL6 is a huge step of advancement and also an achievement in the field of open source. 

 

Linux Distributions

There are numerous number of open source, linux based operating systems. In this post I have selected the a few of the most popular open source operating systems.




Red Hat enterprise Linux (RHEL) is developed by Red Hat Inc. It produces both servers and home desktops. Its newest version is the RHEL 6. RHEL is the leading server operating system.

Ubuntu is a computer operating system developed by Canonical Ltd. It is owned my Mark Shuttleworth. It is the #1 in linux desktop. Its latest release is Ubuntu 10.10.

Debian is a computer operating system developed under the Debian Project. It uses the linux kernel. The latest release of Debian is 6.0 .

Fedora is a operating system developed under the Fedora Project. It is sponsored by Red Hat Inc.It is also called "The testing bed of Linux". Its latest release is Fedora 14.

Linux Mint is an operating system developed by the Linux Mint Team. It is based on Ubuntu and also Debian. Its latest version is Linux Mint 10.

Centos is a operating system developed under the Centos Project. Centos stands for Community Enterprise Operating System. Centos operating system is famous for web server use. Its latest stable release in Centos 5.5.


There are a lots more out there. These are a few among them.

Introduction to Linux

In this post lets answer to this question. What is linux? "I started using linux based operating system from the age of 11. Linux is a wonderful operating system". In simple terms it is an open source version of UNIX like operating system. The chief architect of the linux kernal is Linus Torvalds. It is developed as a part of the GNU Project. The official mascot of linux is called Tux which is a penguin. The development of linux became a great step in the development of open source technology.

The most famous linux based operating systems are Red Hat Linux, Ubuntu, etc. Linux systems have graphical interface. Linux has a reputation as a very efficient and fast-performing system. In today's world most of the servers are linux based. One of the most famous properties of linux operating systems is where it can be used. It can be used from wristwatches to supercomputers.

The advantages of Linux as a open source product ranges from benefits of creative inputs from people all over the world to efficient security. Another advantage is that it can be tested by anyone and the results of the testing helps in improving the quality of the operating system.These tasks are much more difficult in a closed system like the Microsoft Windows.

Linux based operating systems are entirely different from windows operating system in many aspects. For one, Linux is an open source based operating system. This means the source code of linux is publicaly available for inspection and improvement. This is one of the main differences. Another difference is between the number of versions available. Microsoft is the only company producing windows operating system while there are numerous number of companies like Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, etc producing linux operating systems. A person who decides to install linux on his/her computer have a wide range of operating system to choose from.

Linux is an entirely new dimension of operating systems. As i said it is a wonderful operating system. So grab it!

What is Open Source Technology?

In today's world we often hear the term 'Open Source Software' but we really don't now what it actually is or the difference of it as compared to the earlier software. The fact is that we don't spend time in google to search and find out what this actually is. Well now i'll tell what is it.

According to me open source technology is entirely different as compared to the earlier software technologies. I think open source is like a new philosophy or a new technology in the 21st century. It completely changed my view of technology.

Before the idea of Open Source most of the softwares were depending on the idea of Closed Source. The softwares which follows the idea of Closed Software are called proprietary softwares.Eg: Microsoft Windows,etc. Open Source based softwares are now developing into the field of technology.Eg: Linux, Ubuntu,etc.

Now, what are the differences between open source and proprietary softwares?
Proprietary softwares are copy-write protected. the owner of a proprietary software restricts its use, modification of source code and redistribution. But open source softwares are free softwares. It source code is available to all and can be modified. It can also be distributed and copied.

In fact open source opens a door to a new world of technology. Open Source creates a world where there is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost and an end to predatory vendor lock-in. It also promotes a connection of trust around the developers and users. For me being a part of this whole new world is a great thing. Open source developments are taking place every day. In this the developers and well as the users play an important role. Its good to have a software in our hand which could be redesigned as our wish. Just think about it!! So i hope you guys got a clear and precise picture of Open Source and its difference with proprietary software.