When it comes down to it, there are three major components of computer architecture. These are the processor(s), RAM, and operating system (OS). Different OS’s have different levels of integration with each other and with your processors and RAM, which means they use this information to perform functions!

A common misconception is that all computers work the same way. This isn’t true at all! Some make assumptions about what hardware you have and how software should be installed and configured based on those assumptions.

This can be annoying if you don’t agree and want to run another one out of convenience, but it also may require you to learn more about your machine or install things in a weird way. Luckily, Linux has tools built-in to help you identify its components!

These tools do not modify or take over control of your computer, instead, they let you easily view them so you know what’s happening under the hood. You will still be able to use your computer like normal, though. They just give you additional details for advanced users.

There are several ways to access these settings, too. Many require going into Settings -> System -> Then select either About Ubuntu or Help -> Show Canonical Live CD Test Mode.

Know your CPU types

As we already discussed, there are several different architectures that can be used in creating a new operating system or software program. Some use a very specific architecture as their base, while others are more flexible.

Knowing which architecure you will use for your software is important because it determines how well the computer hardware can support your software. For example, if your software uses Intel x86 processors, then you know that most computers manufactured today have at least an i3 or better yet, an i5 or an i7 processor.

However, not all CPUs work the same so you should do some research into what kind of processors exist and which one would be optimal for your needs!

Intel’s website has a tool where you can compare various features of each processor to determine which one would be best for you. You can also find reviews and comparisons online and from people who own the equipment so that you can get second-hand information too.

Know your memory types

RAM is probably one of the most important parts of any computer, including Linux systems. Different types of RAM work differently, and it can be confusing trying to figure out which type you have!

A quick way to determine this information is by looking at the markings on the module itself. Most computers these days use DDR3 or dual-channel DDR4 chips, but some older models used GDDR (Graphics Double Data Rate) 3 or 4 channels.

By checking the part number on the chip, we are able to find what kind of ram it has in very detail. For example, if it says “GDDR” then that means it has 1 – 4 gb of video RAM. An easy way to tell the difference between those numbers is just to add two more zeros after the decimal place.

For instance, a one gigabyte (GB) video card would be called a 2 GB GPU because there are two 0s added after the decimal place.

Know your storage types

When talking about operating systems, what kind of storage you have access to is an important factor in which software works best. You will most likely run into this as you use Linux more frequently.

Most common form of internal storage: Internal hard drives or disks (called HDs or SSDs depending on how fast they are). These can be plain old spinning metal discs or solid-state memory chips that contain data and programs.

USB flash devices are also a type of internal storage – but not every computer has a USB port! That’s why we often refer to external storage like phones or computers that share power with our current device via SD cards or USB ports.

Know your network types

There are three major network architecture styles that most operating systems use today. You will probably run into one of these networking architectures in virtually every job opportunity if you are actively seeking employment in information technology (IT) or software development.

They all try to do two things: provide safe, reliable access for users to resources such as websites and computer applications, while also ensuring the efficiency of their networks and services.

Which one is best depends mostly upon what you want to accomplish with your career and which ones make more sense to you in terms of personal preference.

If you’re looking to work primarily in web-based technologies, then TCP/IP is going to be your main protocol. It is built on top of IP — the internetwork layer of protocols we talked about before.

So, knowing how IP works will help you quite a bit! If you’d like to pursue programming as a career, learning how to implement TCP/IP codes in various languages can open up many opportunities.

But beyond just coding, being familiar with TCP/IP will give you some insight into why programmers need it!

You see, TCP/IP isn’t only used for making online connections to servers and apps – it is also what allows your smartphone or laptop to connect to the internet.

Know your hard drive types

All operating systems have three main components: software, files and the computer hardware used to run the software. Computers come in many different shapes and sizes, and what kind of computer you have depends mostly on one thing: how much memory you have!

Most computers these days have at least 4 GB of RAM, which is usually more than enough for most users. If you’re looking to do some major editing or creating, then sure, give yourself an extra 512GB or 1TB of flash storage so you can use Photoshop or other heavy graphics apps with no slowdown.

If you’re just getting started, though, you can probably get away with less than 2GB! That’s totally fine too — every day using Firefox or Ubuntu will be plenty fast and powerful. It’s pretty easy to tell whether or not your computer has lots of memory by opening up the Settings app -> System -> About. You want to make sure that it says Memory (or something similar) instead of Storage.

Know your operating system types

So, what is an OS? That’s kind of the hard part to know! An operating system (OS) is just about everything you use computer software for.

You have probably used Windows or Mac before, so hopefully you understand that these are both OS’s. A windows uses Microsoft Office, YouTube, and Netflix pretty heavily, whereas a mac will launch apps like Photoshop and iMovie quickly.

But how much do they really matter? Technically speaking, it doesn’t make too much difference which one you pick unless you are very technical. Choosing an OS depending on which app vendors pay attention to can help keep their products working, but not much more than that.

Linux is different.

There are many versions of linux- you have heard of Ubuntu, Fedora, and mint mentioned already. There are even ones designed especially for older computers such as ubuntu lts (long term support). These are mostly installed through the software store, called the “Ubuntu Store.”

The important thing to remember about all linux os’s is that they are completely free and open source.

Know your file system types

File systems are what we refer to as the ways in to access all of the information stored on a computer. There are many different file systems you can use Linux to access, and which one is best depends mostly on what you will be doing with your machine!

The most common internal storage device used for computers is called the hard drive or disk drive. This is due to its durability and ease of use.

A hard drive has several partitions that contain all of the data and programs for your computer. Each partition is like an additional directory in your computer’s filesystem.

There are two main types of filesystems available for Linux users: ext2, 3, 4, and xfs. They both do similar things but have different defaults that make them more efficient in certain situations.

This article will go over the differences between these filesystem types, how to choose the right one for your needs, and some basic tricks to use each one.

Know your memory locations

One of the most important things for software engineers is knowing how computer memories work. This knowledge will help you in many ways, not only as an engineer but also as a person trying to better understand computers.

Computer scientists develop algorithms that take advantage of computer memory because they know what tricks the computer can perform by manipulating it. Algorithms are systematic processes or patterns used to solve problems.

Software engineers use this information in their jobs to create programs that other people can run! For example, someone with little knowledge of computers could write a program to connect to the internet, but she would never guess at some of the advanced strategies that computer manufacturers employ when designing chips.

Engineers who are familiar with this inner-workings of computers have opportunities to be paid well while working on projects that require them to play around with technology. Becoming more knowledgeable about these “memory cells” and how they interact with each other is one way to get ahead in the field.