Linux

Linux is a series of open-source Unix-like operating systems that are based on the Linux kernel, which was developed by Linus Torvalds and published on September 17, 1991, as an operating system kernel. Linux is often distributed as part of a Linux distribution.

The Linux kernel, as well as supporting system software and libraries, many of which are contributed by the GNU Project, are included in the distributions. A number of Linux distributions include the term "Linux" in their names, while the Free Software Foundation prefers to refer to it as "GNU/Linux" in order to stress the significance of GNU software, which has sparked some debate.

Debian, Fedora Linux, and Ubuntu are some of the most widely used Linux distributions. Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise are two commercial distributions to choose from. Windows-based windowing systems, such as X11 or Wayland, and graphical user interfaces, such as GNOME or KDE Plasma, are included in desktop Linux distributions. Distributions designed for servers may be devoid of graphics entirely, or they may contain a solution stack such as LAMP, among other things. Due to the fact that Linux is freely redistributable, anybody may develop a distribution for whatever reason they like.

After being created as a personal computer operating system for the Intel x86 microprocessor, Linux has subsequently been ported to more platforms than any other operating system. Because to the popularity of the Linux-based Android operating system on smartphones, Linux also has the biggest installed base of any general-purpose operating system, second only to Microsoft Windows. The Chromebook, which runs the Linux kernel-based Chrome OS and dominates the K–12 education market in the United States, despite the fact that Linux is only used by only 2.3 percent of desktop computers. The Chromebook accounts for about 20 percent of sub-$300 laptop sales in the United States. On servers, Linux is the most popular operating system (96.4 percent of the top 1 million web servers' operating systems are Linux), and it also dominates other large-scale systems such as mainframe computers and supercomputers. Linux is the only operating system utilised on the TOP500 supercomputers (since November 2017, having gradually eliminated all competitors).

The Linux operating system may also be found in embedded systems, which are devices whose operating system is often built into the firmware and is highly tuned to the specific system. For example, routers, automation controls, smart home technology, televisions (Samsung and LG Smart TVs run on Tizen and WebOS, respectively), automobiles (such as the Tesla Model S, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Hyundai Sonata, and Toyota), digital video recorders, video game consoles, and smartwatches are all powered by Linux. The avionics on both the Falcon 9 and the Dragon 2 are based on a modified version of Linux.

Linux is one of the most well-known instances of free and open-source software cooperation in the history of the world. Anyone may use, modify, and distribute the source code, whether for business or non-commercial purposes, as long as they comply with the rules of the applicable licences, such as the GNU General Public License.