Desktop Linux
Tux the penguin, mascot of Linux
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| Developer | Community |
|---|---|
| Written in | Primarily C and assembly |
| OS family | Unix-like |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Mainly open-source, proprietary software is also available. |
| Initial release | September 17, 1991 |
| Marketing target | Personal computers, mobile devices, embedded devices, servers, mainframes, supercomputers |
| Available in | Multilingual |
| Platforms | Alpha, ARC, ARM, AVR32, Blackfin, C6x, ETRAX CRIS, FR-V, H8/300, Hexagon, Itanium, M32R, m68k, META, Microblaze, MIPS, MN103, Nios II, OpenRISC, PA-RISC, PowerPC, s390, S+core, SuperH, SPARC, TILE64, Unicore32, x86, Xtensa |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (Linux kernel) |
| Userland | GNU and various others |
| Default user interface | Many |
| License | GPLv2 and other free and open-source licenses, except for the "Linux" trademark |
Linux (pronounced /ˈlɪnəks/ LIN-əks or, less frequently, /ˈlaɪnəks/ LYN-əks) is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open-source software development and distribution. The defining component of Linux is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 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 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 the Linux kernel-based Android OS on smartphones, Linux has the largest installed base of all general-purpose operating systems. Linux is also the leading operating system on servers and other big iron systems such as mainframe computers, and is used on 99.6% of the TOP500 supercomputers. It is used by around 2.3% of desktop computers. The Chromebook, which runs the Linux kernel-based Chrome OS, dominates the US K–12 education market and represents nearly 20% of the sub-$300 notebook sales in the US. Linux also runs on embedded systems – devices whose operating system is typically built into the firmware and is highly tailored to the system. This includes TiVo and similar DVR devices, network routers, facility automation controls, televisions,video game consoles and smartwatches. Many smartphones and tablet computers run Android and other Linux derivatives.
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Wikipedia