Bulletin board system (BBS) is, or rather used to be, a kind of [server](server.md) that hosts a community of users who connect to it via [terminal](terminal.md), who exchange messages, files, play [games](game.md) and otherwise interact -- BBSes were mainly popular before the invention of [web](www.md), i.e. from about 1978 to mid 1990s, however some still exist today. BBSes are powered by special BBS [software](software.md) and the people who run them are called sysops.
Back then people connected to BBSes via dial-up [modems](modem.md) and connecting was much more complicated than connecting to a server today: you had to literally dial the number of the BBS and you could only connect if the BBS had a free line. I.e. a BBS would have a certain number of modems that defined how many people could connect at once. It was also expensive to make calls into other countries so BBSes were more of a local thing, people would connect to their local BBSes. Furthermore these things ran often on non-[multitasking](multitasking.md) systems like [DOS](dos.md) so allowing multiple users meant the need for having multiple computers. The boomers who used BBSes talk about great adventure and a sense of intimacy, connecting to a BBS meant the sysop would see you connecting, he might start chatting with you etc. Nowadays the few existing BBSes use protocols such as [telnet](telnet.md), nevertheless there are apparently about 20 known dial-up ones in north America. Some BBSes evolved into more modern communities based e.g. on [public access Unix](pubnix.md) systems -- for example [SDF](sdf.md).
Back then people connected to BBSes via dial-up [modems](modem.md) and connecting was much more complicated than connecting to a server today: you had to literally dial the number of the BBS and you could only connect if the BBS had a free line. **Early BBSes weren't normally connected through Internet** but rather through other networks like [UUCP](uucp.md) working through phone lines. I.e. a BBS would have a certain number of modems that defined how many people could connect at once. It was also expensive to make calls into other countries so BBSes were more of a local thing, people would connect to their local BBSes. Furthermore these things ran often on non-[multitasking](multitasking.md) systems like [DOS](dos.md) so allowing multiple users meant the need for having multiple computers. The boomers who used BBSes talk about great adventure and a sense of intimacy, connecting to a BBS meant the sysop would see you connecting, he might start chatting with you etc. Nowadays the few existing BBSes use protocols such as [telnet](telnet.md), nevertheless there are apparently about 20 known dial-up ones in north America. Some BBSes evolved into more modern communities based e.g. on [public access Unix](pubnix.md) systems -- for example [SDF](sdf.md).
A BBS was usually focused on a certain topic such as technology, fantasy [roleplay](rolaplay.md), dating, [warez](warez.md) etc., they would typically greet the users with a custom themed [ANSI art](ansi_art.md) welcome page upon login -- it was pretty cool.
@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ Functions are similar to but **NOT the same as mathematical functions**. Mathema
Besides writing programs that can be directly executed programmers write **[libraries](library.md)** -- collections of functions that can be used in other projects. We have already seen libraries such as *stdio*, *standard input/output library*, a standard (official, bundled with every C compiler) library for input/output (reading and printing values); *stdio* contains functions such as `puts` which is used to printing out text strings. Examples of other libraries are the standard *math* library containing function for e.g. computing [sine](sine.md), or [SDL](sdl.md), a 3rd party multimedia library for such things as drawing to screen, playing sounds and handling keyboard and mouse input.
Let's see a simple example of a function that writes out a temperature in degrees of Celsius and well as in Kelvin:
Let's see a simple example of a function that writes out a temperature in degrees of Celsius as well as in Kelvin:
@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Linux is sometimes called [free as in freedom](free_software.md), however it is
- It is [bloat](bloat.md) and [bloat monopoly](bloat_monopoly.md) and in some ways [capitalist software](capitalist_software.md) (just try to fork Linux, maintain it and add/modify actual features).
- It uses a restrictive [GPL](gpl.md) license as opposed to a permissive one. Also it doesn't really enforce its license legally -- we're not advocating legal battles, but the fact that they entertain a license and then don't use it indicates it may be there just for good image.
Nevertheless, despite its mistakes, Linux offers a relatively comfy, powerful and (still) safe [unix](unix.md)/[POSIX](posix.md) environment which means it can be drop-in replaced with another unix-like system without this causing you much trouble, so using Linux is at this point considered OK (until Microsoft completely seizes it at which point we migrate probably to [BSD](bsd.md) or [GNU Hurd](hurd.md)). It can be made fairly [minimal](minimalism.md) (see e.g. [KISS Linux](kiss_linux.md) and [Puppy Linux](puppy.md)) and [LRS](lrs.md)/[suckless](suckless.md) friendly.
Nevertheless, despite its mistakes, GNU/Linux offers a relatively comfy, powerful and (still) safe [Unix](unix.md)/[POSIX](posix.md) environment which means it can be drop-in replaced with another unix-like system without this causing you much trouble, so using GNU/Linux is at this point considered OK (until Microsoft completely seizes it at which point we migrate probably to [BSD](bsd.md) or [GNU Hurd](hurd.md)). It can be made fairly [minimal](minimalism.md) (see e.g. [KISS Linux](kiss_linux.md) and [Puppy Linux](puppy.md)) and [LRS](lrs.md)/[suckless](suckless.md) friendly.
Linux is so called monolithic kernel and as such is more or less [bloat](bloat.md). However it "[just works](just_works.md)" and has a great [hardware](hardware.md) support so it wins many users over alternatives such as BSD.
@ -26,6 +26,12 @@ Some alternatives to Linux are:
- [bare metal](bare_metal.md) UwU
- TODO: MOAR
## GNU/Linux
Many people nowadays use the word *Linux* to refer to any operating system running on Linux, even though they usually mean [GNU](gnu.md)/Linux.
One of the basic mistakes of [noobs](noob.md) who just switched from [Windows](windows.md) to "Linux" is that they try to continue to do things the *Windows*. They try to run Windows programs on "Linux", they look for program installers on the web, they install [antiviruses](antivirus.md), they try to find a [GUI](gui.md) program for a thing that is solved with 2 lines of [shell](shell.md) script (and fail to find one), they keep [distro hoppoing](distro_hopping.md) instead of customizing their system etc. Many give up and then go around saying "brrruh, Loooonix sux" -- yes, it kind of does, but for other reasons. You're just using it wrong. Despite its corruption, it's still a [Unix](unix.md) system, you do things elegantly and simply, however these ways are naturally completely different from how ugly systems like Windows do it. If you want to convert an image from *png* to *jpg*, you don't need to download and crack a graphical program that takes 100 GB and installs ads on your system, you do it via a simple [command line tool](cli.md) -- don't be afraid of the terminal, learn some basic commands, ask experiences people how they do it (not how to achieve the way you want to do it). Everyone single individual who learned it later thanked himself for doing it, so don't be stupid.
## History
{ Some history of Linux can be read in the biography of Linus Torvalds called *Just For Fun*. ~drummyfish }
Usenet (User's Network) is an ancient [Internet](internet.md) discussion network -- a [forum](forum.md) -- that existed long before the [World Wide Web](www.md). At the time it was very popular, it was THE place to be on the Internet (for those who actually were on the Internet, that is), but nowadays it's been forgotten by the mainstream, sadly hardly anyone remembers it.
Usenet (User's Network) is an ancient digital discussion network -- a [forum](forum.md) -- that existed long before the [World Wide Web](www.md). At the time it was very popular, it was THE place to be, but nowadays it's been forgotten by the mainstream, sadly hardly anyone remembers it.
Back in the day there were no [web browsers](browser.md), there was no web. Users of the Internet could communicate e.g. by [email](email.md) or by directly connecting to servers and leaving messages for others there -- these servers were called [BBS](bbs.md)es and were another popular kind of [social network](social_network.md) at the time. Usenet was a bit different as it was [decentralized](decentralization.md) -- it wasn't stored or managed on a single [server](server.md), but on many independent servers that provided users with access to the network. This access was (and is) mostly paid (to [lurk](lurk.md) for free you can search for Usenet archives online). To access Usenet a **newsreader** program was needed, it was kind of a precursor to web browsers (nowadays newsreaders are sometimes built into e.g. email clients). Usenet was lots of time not moderated and anonymous, i.e. kind of free, you could find all kinds of illegal material there.
Back in the day there were no [web browsers](browser.md), there was no web. Many users were also **not connected through Internet** as it was expensive, they normally used other networks like [UUCP](uucp.md) working through phone lines. They could communicate by some forms of electronic mail or by directly connecting to servers and leaving messages for others there -- these servers were called [BBS](bbs.md)es and were another popular kind of "[social network](social_network.md)" at the time. Usenet was a bit different as it was [decentralized](decentralization.md) -- it wasn't stored or managed on a single [server](server.md), but on many independent servers that provided users with access to the network. This access was (and is) mostly paid (to [lurk](lurk.md) for free you can search for Usenet archives online). To access Usenet a **newsreader** program was needed, it was kind of a precursor to web browsers (nowadays newsreaders are sometimes built into e.g. email clients). Usenet was lots of time not moderated and anonymous, i.e. kind of free, you could find all kinds of illegal material there.
Usenet invented many things that survive until today such as the words *[spam](spam.md)* and *[FAQ](faq.md)* as well as some basic concepts of how discussion forums even work.
Miloslav Ciz
2 years ago