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 operating systems 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 and 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.
 Tux the penguin, the mascot of Linux | |
| Developer | Community contributors, Linus Torvalds |
|---|---|
| Written in | C, assembly languages, Rust and others |
| OS family | Unix-like |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open source |
| Initial release | September 17, 1991 |
| Repository | git |
| Marketing target | Cloud computing, embedded devices, mainframe computers, mobile devices, personal computers, 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 user interface |
|
| License | GPLv2 |
| Official website | kernel |
| Articles in the series | |
| Linux kernel Linux distribution | |
Popular Linux distributions include Debian, Fedora Linux, Arch Linux, and Ubuntu. Commercial distributions include Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise. 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 not have a graphical user interface at all, or include a solution stack such as LAMP. Because Linux is freely redistributable, anyone may create a distribution for any purpose.
Linux was originally developed for personal computers 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 on smartphones, Linux, including Android, has the largest installed base of all general-purpose operating systems as of May 2022[update]. Linux is, as of March 2024[update], used by around 4 percent of desktop computers, the 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[update], 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 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 (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.
NL 
EN 
FR 
PT