04 Innovative Technologies That Helped Spread Linux

What are some of the ways Linux still has an advantageous effect on innovative technologies?

I’ve been asking new Linux Foundation corporate members who work in cutting-edge industries to comment on the intriguing or cutting-edge developments they’ve noticed and the part Linux plays in them during the past six months. Here are the opinions of engineers, chief technology officers, and key business executives from businesses like CoreOS, Rackspace, SanDisk, and more.

Although Linux is a fantastic operating system, it didn’t succeed all by itself. Some technologies made it simpler for users to learn about and introduce others to the new system.

Here, we’ll talk about a few of these technologies and how they’ve affected Linux’s development.

1. Broadband Internet

Although Linux was available for free right away, obtaining and installing a distribution was more challenging back then than it is now since dial-up internet was significantly slower than broadband.

Depending on how full a system you wanted to install, downloading a Linux distribution over dial-up took a long time. A long day or night might be required to download an X11 environment, networking tools, and programming tools over the phone line and insert floppy disks into the machine.

RetroSpector78, a YouTube user, offers a video that demonstrates what it was like to install Slackware from floppies in the 90s:

This was one of the reasons why several Linux distributions, including Slackware, allowed you to select the system components you wished to install. When internet connection was billed by the hour, all you had to do was install the software you required, saving you time and money.

Prospective customers’ lives were made much simpler by broadband internet connection, which made it possible for them to swiftly download whole Linux distributions. Many distributions still permit you to select the software you desire, but this is only because technical users value this flexibility.

2. CD Burners

The CD burner was a significant piece of technology that was widely used in the general public but was especially beneficial for Linux users.

By the middle of the 1990s, Linux distributions had grown to an unmanageable size for floppy disks, the primary rewritable media format at the time.

Offering Linux distributions on traditional, manufactured CD-ROMs has become a little industry. One such instance that also functioned as one of the first live distributions allowing users to boot it off the CD was Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X. Furthermore, the transition from floppy to CD was pushed by the growing size of proprietary operating systems like Windows and macOS.

Linux distribution installation was a logical use when CD burners became inexpensive around the end of the 1990s. Prospective consumers could easily download a Linux distribution, burn the ISO image to a CD, test it out, and even install it on the hard drive thanks to the expansion of broadband internet.

After finishing, users might lend the disc to others to help them become Linux converts for merely the price of the media.

3. USB Sticks

In addition to being helpful for bringing about things that wouldn’t fit on a floppy disk, USB devices were also useful for making Linux bootable drives.

Because they were easier to rewrite, USB drives replaced optical discs in large part. Recordable DVDs and CD-RWs were available, although they were more expensive, less popular, and not guaranteed to function in all drives.

The capacity of USB drives increased together with their cost reduction. They made it possible for live Linux distributions to store data on them similarly to a regular Linux installation. Without needing to take around a laptop, Linux installations might be made completely portable using USB sticks. Simply plugging in the drive would allow you to start the machine.

4. BitTorrent

BitTorrent gained popularity at the same time for downloading huge files. Even though many of these files were pirated, Linux distros quickly gained popularity as a safe way to use the P2P protocol.

BitTorrent encourages sharing and penalizes “leeching,” or downloading without uploading, as it becomes quicker the more people “seed” the material. This shortens the download time for connections that are already fast.

Another benefit is that BitTorrent essentially verifies the file integrity of a Linux ISO when you have the torrent file because of the way it functions. As a result, you may be certain that no fraudulent ISO file has been substituted in any way. BitTorrent is quick, and you can be sure you’re getting the file you requested.

Linux Is What It Is Today Because of These Technologies

Linux wouldn’t have the support it does now if networking and storage technologies hadn’t advanced. Anyone can download and install Linux via contemporary networking, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Once Linux is installed, you can use some strong commands to speed up your networking.

Frequently asked questions

What type of technology does Linux represent?

An open source operating system is Linux® (OS). A system’s hardware and resources, such as the CPU, memory, and storage, are directly managed by an operating system, which is a piece of software. The OS establishes links between all of your software and the working physical resources by sitting in between apps and hardware.

Which technologies had the biggest effect on globalization?

The size of the globe has decreased from “little” to “tiny.” Which technological advancements have influenced globalization the most? the World Wide Web, Windows’ graphical user interface, and workflow software.

How has technology helped globalization?

Technological developments lower the cost of international travel and communication, which makes it easier to source raw commodities and other inputs globally. Technology that has received a patent promotes globalization since the patent holder can profit from international markets with little competition.

What are 3 devices that use Linux?

Linux-based operating systems are typically incorporated in ebook readers, tablets, and cell phones. Operating systems for mobile devices that run on Android are also created using the Linux Kernel. Linux is frequently incorporated in tablets.

Why did Linux become so popular?

Throughout the 1990s, Linux expanded thanks to the work of amateur developers. Even though the widely used Microsoft Windows and Mac OS operating systems are more user-friendly, Linux is still a fast, stable system that rarely crashes.