What is Linux?

You can hardly pick up a magazine these days without seeing Linux mentioned. What is Linux?

Strictly speaking, Linux is the kernel of an operating system, but the name has come to mean much more. You will often see the name Linux used for the kernel, for the whole operating system, for all the programs that run on it, and even for the community of people using it. In this general sense, Linux may be defined as a superior replacement for Microsoft Windows(tm).

To many of us who use Linux, its most important difference from most other operating systems is that Linux is far more reliable. Although some people would tell you that it is normal to need to restart a computer frequently, for a Linux system to crash is a major embarrassment: experts leap to discover and correct the cause. Linux systems routinely run for months or years without so much as a hiccup.

Perhaps the most intriguing difference between Linux and other systems is how it came to be. Linux is Free Software, an outgrowth of a movement spearheaded in the early 1980's by the Free Software Foundation and its GNU Project. This movement passed a milestone in 1998 when software professionals collectively acknowledged that Free Software development practices usually result in better software than traditional methods.

Despite these differences, Linux looks much like other modern systems, albeit more interesting: its openness and flexibility promote customization.

Next: Is Linux Right for Me?