End of Chapter Solutions Template

Guide to Linux+ (2^nd Edition)

ISBN 0-619-21621-2

End of Chapter Solutions

Chapter 1 Solutions
Review Questions

1. 
   Every computer consists of physical components and logical components. The logical components of a computer that understand how to work with the physical components are referred to as:
   
   1. 
      hardware
      
   2. 
      records
      
   3. 
      software
      
   4. 
      processors
      

Answer: c

2. 
   The operating system software is necessary for a computer to function. True or False?
   

Answer: True
3. Linux is a ___________ and ___________ operating system.

1. 
   production, stable
   
2. 
   multiuser, multitasking
   
3. 
   processing, operating
   
4. 
   large, useful
   

Answer: b
4. The core component of the Linux operating system is the Linux kernel. If you were a Linux systems administrator for a company, when would you need to upgrade your Linux kernel? (Choose all that apply.)

a. when you need to have support in Linux for new hardware

b. when you need another user interface

c. when you need to increase the stability of Linux

d. when you need to use kernel modules

Answer: a, c

5. Which of the following kernels are developmental kernels? (Choose all that apply.)

1. 
   2.3.4
   
2. 
   2.5.5
   
3. 
   2.2.7
   
4. 
   2.4.4
   

Answer: a, b
6. A production kernel refers to a kernel whose:

1. 
   revision number is even
   
2. 
   minor number is odd
   
3. 
   major number is odd
   
4. 
   minor number is even
   

Answer: d
7. Many types of software are available today. Which type of software does Linux represent?

1. 
   Open Source Software
   
2. 
   closed source software
   
3. 
   freeware
   
4. 
   shareware
   

Answer: a
8. Which of the following are characteristics of Open Source Software? (Choose all that apply.)

1. 
   The value of the software is directly related to its price.
   
2. 
   The software is developed collaboratively.
   
3. 
   The source code for software is available for a small fee.
   
4. 
   Any bugs are fixed quickly.
   

Answer: b, d
9. To which license does Linux adhere?

1. 
   open license
   
2. 
   artistic license
   
3. 
   GNU Public License
   
4. 
   free source license
   

Answer: c
10. What are some good reasons for using Linux in a corporate environment? (Choose all that apply.)

1. 
   Linux software is unlikely to become abandoned by its developers.
   
2. 
   Linux is secure and has a lower total cost of ownership than other operating systems.
   
3. 
   Linux is widely available for many platforms and supports many programming languages.
   
4. 
   Most Linux software is closed source.
   

Answer: a, b, c
11. Which of the following are common methods for gaining support for Linux?

1. 
   HOWTO documents at http://www.linuxdoc.org
   
2. 
   a local Linux User Group
   
3. 
   Internet newsgroups
   
4. 
   all the above
   

Answer: d
12. Which two people are accredited with creating the UNIX operating system? (Choose two answers.)

1. 
   Dennis Ritchie
   
2. 
   Richard Stallman
   
3. 
   Linus Torvalds
   
4. 
   Ken Thompson
   

Answer: a, d
13. Who formed the Free Software Foundation to promote open development?

1. 
   Dennie Ritchie
   
2. 
   Richard Stallman
   
3. 
   Linus Torvalds
   
4. 
   Ken Thompson
   

Answer: b
14. Which culture embraced the term GNU (GNU’s Not UNIX) and laid the free software groundwork for Linux?

1. 
   the hacker culture
   
2. 
   the MIT culture
   
3. 
   the cracker culture
   
4. 
   the Artificial Intelligence culture
   

Answer: a
15. Linux was developed by __________ to resemble the _________ operating system.

1. 
   Linus Torvalds, MINIX
   
2. 
   Linux Torvalds, GNU
   
3. 
   Richard Stallman, GNU
   
4. 
   Richard Stallman, MINIX
   

Answer: a
16. When the core components of the Linux operating system are packaged together with other Open Source Software, it is called a:

1. 
   new kernel
   
2. 
   new platform
   
3. 
   Linux distribution
   
4. 
   GNU Project
   

Answer: c
17. Which common GUI environments are available in most Linux distributions? (Choose all that apply.)

1. 
   GNOME
   
2. 
   CDE
   
3. 
   KDE
   
4. 
   RPM
   

Answer: a, c
18. Which of the following are factors that determine which Linux distribution a user will use? (Choose all that apply.)

1. 
   package manager support
   
2. 
   hardware platform
   
3. 
   kernel features
   
4. 
   language support
   

Answer: a, b, c, d
19. What is the most common open source Web server available for Linux?

1. 
   Samba
   
2. 
   Apache
   
3. 
   Quid
   
4. 
   Pine
   

Answer: b
20. Which of the following can be used on Linux to provide file and print services?

1. 
   Samba
   
2. 
   Apache
   
3. 
   Quid
   
4. 
   Pine
   

Answer: a

Hands-on Projects (there are NO hands-on projects for Chapter 1)

Discovery Exercises
Discovery Exercise 1

Answers will vary. Common considerations include total cost of ownership, whether Oracle can run on Linux, and whether hardware will be newly purchased or the NT servers upgraded. The distribution to be chosen will likely be a major distribution, such as RedHat, SuSE, Mandrake, or Debian. A report on Linux advantages could include the following points:

-Linux and Linux software are continuously developed and rarely become abandoned projects.

-Bugs are fixed quickly in Open Source Software.

-Hardware support is abundant.

-Linux support is abundant.

-Customizing Linux is easy.

-The custom UNIX software used in the company can port to Linux easily.

-Linux and most software needed for this task are freely obtainable.
Discovery Exercise 2

Answers will vary. The GPL stands for the GNU Public License and allows Open Source Software such as Linux to be freely available and improved for an indefinite period of time. The Open Source business model is different from conventional software; the value of software is based on its use and its use generates profit indirectly by means of support, hardware sales, and so on. Open Source Software is scrutinized by several developers worldwide via the Internet; thus software bugs and security loopholes are found and fixed quickly. This makes Open Source Software very high quality software compared to commercial software. Web sites that can be used for more information include but are not limited to the following list:

-http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/

-http://www.gnu.org

-http://www.opensource.org
Discovery Exercise 3

Answers will vary. Benefits to publishing software under the GPL include rapid collaborative development in new areas, regular feedback, greater usage, and low chance of obsolescence. Companies can benefit from the free development of other open source developers and reduce the cost of creating software packages by contributing people to only those open source projects of corporate interest. To release software as open source, you must read the open source definition and either subscribe to a license such as the GPL or create a new one that is accepted at http://www.opensource.org.Then, you must coordinate the development by providing an Internet-accessible means of communication between developers such as newgroups or http://www.sourceforge.net. Both aforementioned Web sites also list the rules and resources available to those who want to gain more knowledge about the open source procedure.

Discovery Exercise 4

Not available.

Discovery Exercise 5

Not available.

Discovery Exercise 6

Answers will vary. The philosophy of the hacker culture dictates that the sharing of knowledge advances computer science and enhances personal development. Software is distributed for free along with the source code; should one person change that source code, that person must redistribute that source code so that others can benefit from the changes or give appropriate feedback (for example, fix bugs). The hacker culture is a global culture tied together by Internet communication (e-mails, newgroups, FTP, and so on) and produces high-quality software in short periods of time. The software produced by the hacker culture is developed to meet a certain demand and, thus, is rarely abandoned. The point-form list required for this Discovery Exercise should mention the previous topics but can also mention any other aspect of Linux, GNU, FSF, OSS, or UNIX. The anticipated questions will also vary, but could include questions regarding the profit structure of OSS, personal benefits to developing OSS, and school-related benefits of developing OSS.

Discovery Exercise 7

Not available.