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Linux

This article is about operating systems that use the Linux kernel. For a list of such operating systems, see Linux distributions. For other uses, see Linux (disambiguation).
Linux
Tux the penguin
Tux the penguin, mascot of Linux[1]
DeveloperCommunity
Written inPrimarily C and assembly
OS familyUnix-like
Working stateCurrent
Source modelMainly open source, proprietary software also available
Initial release1991 (1991)
Marketing targetPersonal computers, mobile devices, embedded devices, servers, mainframes, supercomputers
Available inMultilingual
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux kernel)
Default
user interface		Many
LicenseGPLv2[2] and other free and open-source licenses, except for the "Linux" trademark[a]
Official websitekernel.org
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox OS with unknown parameter "year"

Linux or GNU/Linux is a Unix-like operating system (or family of) for computers. The Linux kernel (the basis of the operating system) is free software, meaning people can use it, see how it works, change it, or share it.

There is a lot of software for Linux and—like Linux itself—a lot of the software for Linux is free software.

The defining component of Linux is the Linux kernel,[4][5][6] an operating system kernel that Linus Torvalds developed, at first alone.[7][8][9] Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short). Distributions also include supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project.

Popular Linux distributions[10][11][12] include Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu. Commercial distributions include Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SuSE Linux Enterprise Server. Desktop Linux distributions include a windowing system such as X11 or Wayland, and a desktop environment such as GNOME or KDE Plasma. Distributions intended for servers may omit graphics altogether, and include a solution stack such as LAMP. Anyone may create a distribution for any purpose.

Linux was originally developed for personal computers. Linux is the leading operating system (OS) on servers such as mainframe computers, and the only OS used on supercomputers[13] (at least on the TOP500 list, since November 2017). It is used by around 2.3% of desktop computers. The Chromebook, which runs Chrome OS based on the Linux kernel, dominates the US K–12 education market and represents nearly 20% of sub-$300 notebook sales in the U.S.

Linux also runs on embedded systems, which are devices whose operating system is typically built into the firmware and is highly tailored to the system; this includes mobile phones (especially smartphones),[14] tablet computers, network routers, facility automation controls, televisions,[15][16] digital video recorders, video game consoles and smartwatches.[17] In fact, the Android operating system, a mobile operating system built on top of the Linux kernel, has the largest installed base of all general-purpose operating systems.[18] In March 2017, it was reported that there were more users on Android than on Microsoft Windows, which is not based on Linux.[19]

Linux is an example of free and open-source software collaboration. The source code may be used, modified and distributed—commercially or non-commercially—by anyone under the terms of its respective licenses, such as the GNU General Public License.

  1. ↑ Linux Online (2008). "Linux Logos and Mascots". Archived from the original on August 15, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  2. ↑ "The Linux Kernel Archives: Frequently asked questions". kernel.org. September 2, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  3. ↑ "U.S. Reg No: 1916230". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved April 1, 2006.
  4. ↑ Eckert, Jason W. (2012). Linux+ Guide to Linux Certification (Third ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. p. 33. ISBN 978-1111541538. Retrieved April 14, 2013. The shared commonality of the kernel is what defines Linux; the differing OSS applications that can interact with the common kernel are what differentiate Linux distributions.
  5. ↑ Linus Benedict Torvalds (October 5, 1991). "Free minix-like kernel sources for 386-AT". Newsgroup: comp.os.minix. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  6. ↑ "What Is Linux: An Overview of the Linux Operating System". Linux Foundation. April 3, 2009. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Twenty Years of Linux according to Linus Torvalds". ZDNet. April 13, 2011. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  8. ↑ Linus Benedict Torvalds (October 5, 1991). "Free minix-like kernel sources for 386-AT". Newsgroup: comp.os.minix. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  9. ↑ "What Is Linux: An Overview of the Linux Operating System". Linux Foundation. April 3, 2009. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  10. ↑ DistroWatch. "DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD". distrowatch.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  11. ↑ Bhartiya, Swapnil. "Best Linux distros of 2016: Something for everyone". CIO. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  12. ↑ "10 Top Most Popular Linux Distributions of 2016". www.tecmint.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  13. ↑ Computerworld, Patrick Thibodeau. "IBM's newest mainframe is all Linux". Archived from the original on November 11, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
  14. ↑ Linux Devices (January 2010). "Trolltech rolls "complete" Linux smartphone stack". Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
  15. ↑ "Sony Open Source Code Distribution Service". Sony Electronics. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Sharp Liquid Crystal Television Instruction Manual" (PDF). Sharp Electronics. p. 24. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  17. ↑ IBM (October 2001). "Linux Watch (WatchPad)". Archived from the original on June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  18. ↑ "NetMarketShare:Mobile/Tablet Operating System Market Share".
  19. ↑ Vaughan-Nichols, Steven J. (April 3, 2017). "Sorry Windows, Android is now the most popular end-user operating system | ZDNet". ZDNet. Retrieved March 4, 2018.


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