Make It Classic

There are various equally popular contemporary operating systems existing today but Linux manages to come out a cut above the rest. Although the Linux kernel and its related components are not the only free and open-source software, it is the best known and the most widely used. This is because it aims for interoperability with other operating systems and established computing standards. It does not rely on monopoly advantage but rather competes as an underdog with mainstream operating systems.

A project that manages a remote collection of Linux-based software and facilitates installation of a Linux operating system is called Linux distribution. It can be maintained by individuals, teams, organizations or commercial entities and is offered in the form of packages which are aimed to be integrated into a coherent whole.

Linux is more known for its use in servers and is used as an operating system for a wide variety of computer hardware. This would include desktop computers, super computers, video game systems, arcade games and embedded devices such as mobile phones. Notable corporations such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and many others support Linux.

Linux has managed to secure a place in server installations courtesy of its popular LAMP application stack. Linus Torvalds continue to direct the development of the Linux kernel while Richard Stallman who is the head of the Free Software Foundation, supports the GNU components. Individuals and corporations are able to develop third-party non-GNU components which comprise a vast body of work which may include kernel modules, user applications and libraries.

Linux is a prominent example of free software and open source development where all underlying source code can typically be freely modified, used and redistributed by practically anyone. The Linux kernel was first released to the public on September of 1991 specifically for the Intel x86 PC architecture. Its operating system however, is UNIX-like, which was a system that was originally conceived and implemented during the 60s.

Linus Torvalds decided to work on a non-commercial replacement for MINIX whose modification and redistribution were restricted. The product of such effort was the Linux kernel. It was augmented with system utilities and libraries from the GNU project. Developers of Linux and GNU worked for integration of GNU components with Linux to come up with a fully functional and free operating system.