Linux is a highly versatile and widely-used operating system, initially developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Linux’s origins can be traced back to the Unix operating system, which was conceived in 1969 and rewritten in C in 1973. Linux is renowned for its extensive use both in personal computing and in commercial sectors. As of March 2024, it powers around 4% of desktop computers and dominates the operating system market for servers, supercomputers, and the US K-12 education sector with Linux kernel-based ChromeOS. On the commercial front, Linux is supported by major tech corporations like Dell, IBM, and Hewlett-Packard. It also has a strong presence in the mobile device[1] market with Android, a Linux-based operating system. Linux’s development is primarily led by Linus Torvalds, with Greg Kroah-Hartman managing the stable branch. The operating system is modular and Unix-like, comprising of various components including bootloader, init program, software libraries, and the Linux kernel.
Linux (/ˈlɪnʊks/ LIN-uuks) is a family of open-source Unix-like systèmes d'exploitation based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution (distro), which includes the kernel and supporting system software et libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses and recommends the name "GNU/Linux" to emphasize the use and importance of GNU software in many distributions, causing some controversy.
Developer | Community contributors, Linus Torvalds |
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Written in | C, assembly languages, Rust and others |
OS family | Unix-like |
Working state | Current |
Source model | Source ouverte |
Initial release | September 17, 1991 |
Repository | git |
Marketing target | Informatique en nuage, embedded devices, mainframe computers, appareils mobiles, les ordinateurs personnels, servers, supercomputers |
Available in | Multilingual |
Platforms | Alpha, ARC, ARM, C-Sky, Hexagon, LoongArch, m68k, Microblaze, MIPS, Nios II, OpenRISC, PA-RISC, PowerPC, RISC-V, s390, SuperH, SPARC, x86, Xtensa |
Kernel type | Monolithic |
Userland | GNU, BusyBox |
Default interface utilisateur |
|
License | GPLv2 |
Official website | kernel |
Articles in the series | |
Linux kernel Linux distribution |
Popular Linux distributions include Debian, Fedora Linux, Arch Linuxet Ubuntu. Commercial distributions include Red Hat Enterprise Linux et SUSE Linux Enterprise. Desktop Linux distributions include a windowing system tels que X11 ou Wayland et un desktop environment tels que GNOME ou KDE Plasma. Distributions intended for servers may not have a interface utilisateur graphique at all, or include a solution stack tels que LAMP. Because Linux is freely redistributable, anyone may create a distribution for any purpose.
Linux was originally developed for les ordinateurs personnels based on the Intel x86 architecture, but has since been ported to more platforms than any other operating system. Because of the dominance of Linux-based Android sur smartphones, Linux, including Android, has the largest installed base of all general-purpose operating systems as of May 2022[mise à jour]. Linux is, as of March 2024[mise à jour], used by around 4 percent of desktop computers, le Chromebook, which runs the Linux kernel-based ChromeOS, dominates the US K–12 education market and represents nearly 20 percent of sub-$300 notebook sales in the US. Linux is the leading operating system on servers (over 96.4% of the top one million web servers' operating systems are Linux), leads other big iron systems such as mainframe computers, and is used on all of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers (as of November 2017[mise à jour], having gradually displaced all competitors).
Linux also runs on embedded systems, i.e., devices whose operating system is typically built into the firmware and is highly tailored to the system. This includes routers, automation controls, smart home devices, video game consoles, televisions (Samsung and LG Smart TVs), automobiles (Tesla, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Toyota), and spacecraft (Falcon 9 rocket, Dragon crew capsule, and the Perseverance rover).
Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free and open-source logiciel 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 (GPL). The Linux kernel, for example, is licensed under the GPLv2, with an exception for system calls that allows code that calls the kernel via system calls not to be licensed under the GPL.