Welcome to the Treehouse Community
Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.
Looking to learn something new?
Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.
Start your free trial
Temple Emmanuel Obi
402 Pointswhat is the point of all of this? What is the link to java and ubuntu and linux, its all very confusing
What is the link between all of this, it just sounds so complex, i got here from the java class
2 Answers
Jennifer Nordell
Treehouse TeacherHi there! Many systems are run on a Linux/Unix based operating system. Even Android, which uses Java as its native language, was based on the Linux kernel. Most websites are hosted up by servers running a Linux-based operating system and likely as not running a web server software called Apache or nginx. This course is designed to get you familiar with navigating a Linux/Unix based operating system.
Also, important to note that Ubuntu is a distribution of Linux. There are many including Ubuntu, CentOS, Redhat, Parrot etc. The list goes on and on. Most servers are not Windows based. Most servers are Linux-based.
Hope this helps!
Mark Chesney
11,747 PointsAbsolutely helps. Thank you Jennifer!
Mark Chesney
11,747 PointsMark Chesney
11,747 PointsHi Jennifer. Great info -- very informative -- thanks!
As a novice/newcomer, I'm trying to understand the lingo. My Follow-up Q: Linux-based servers run a web server software called Apache or nginx. For clarity, does this mean I can say "My web server runs Apache" or "My web server runs nginx"? What level of the full stack (if any / if it even makes sense) would one say that Apache / nginx sits on?
e.g.: "I running an AWS server on the cloud. The OS is Linux Ubuntu, and it's running Apache as its ___ "
Thanks!
Jennifer Nordell
Treehouse TeacherJennifer Nordell
Treehouse TeacherMark Chesney this is a great question. Anything on the server is back-end. But you're wanting to get into programming and this is diving into the IT/sysadmin side of things which is a whole discipline in and of itself. Servers can run any number of services including Domain Name Services (DNS), email services, web servers etc. You will be primarily concerned with dealing with web servers and I dare say that the details of which type of software that web server is running will not matter much to you.
This is a bit of an oversimplification, but much like Microsoft Word and Apple's Pages are both text/document editing software. Apache and nginx are both software packages designed to host websites. But whether or not you know how to use Word or Pages, you still have to know how to navigate that particular system to find your files etc.
The answer to the blank there would be "web server software"
Hope this helps! 