Linux Tutorial Series – 80 – Variables – what’s that?

Here is the video version, if you prefer it:

Let’s talk about variables. What are those? Variables, generally speaking, are a part of your computer memory which hold different values at different times, depending on the execution of a computer program. We are talking about some “regular” program here (like Firefox). So I can have a variable called number_of_open_tabs and it can be equal to 5 and if I close one tab, then number_of_open_tabs equals 4. The takeaway is that variables hold some values which are relevant for a computer program. Every variable has a name (i.e. number_of_open_tabs) and a value (i.e. 4).

OK, OK. But what does that have to do with the operating system? Well, the operating system has its own variables. Those variables are relevant for the operation of the operating system. 

This was important to know conceptually.

Hope you learned something new!