Difference between revisions of "Linux"

Revision as of 14:21, 19 October 2015

Linux (pronounced LIN-əks or, less frequently, LYN-əks) is a Unix-like operating system assembled under the free and open source model of software development and distribution.

(TO DO: expand, organize, cross-reference, illustrate.)

Description

The defining component of Linux is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on 5 October 1991 by Linus Torvalds.

The Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to describe the operating system, which has led to some controversy.

Linux was originally developed as a free operating system for personal computers based on the Intel x86 architecture, but has since been ported to more computer hardware platforms than any other operating system.

POSIX

Linux is mostly POSIX-compliant.

Marketplace

Thanks to its dominance on smartphones, Android, which is built on top of the Linux kernel, has the largest installed base of all general-purpose operating systems.

Linux, in its original form, is also the leading operating system on servers and other big iron systems such as mainframe computers and supercomputers, but is used on only around 1.5% of desktop computers.

Embedded systems

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
• Tablet computers
• Network routers
• Facility automation controls
• Televisions
• Video game consoles
• Smart watches

Free and open-source software collaboration

The development of Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free and open-source software collaboration.

See also

• Big iron
• Computing
• cp (Unix)
• Embedded system
• Operating system
• Operating system kernel
• Personal computer
• Software
• Software development
• Software distribution
• SSH
• Sudo

External links

• Linux @ Wikipedia