Linux range of use

Linux kernel-based operating systems have been widely adopted in a very wide range of uses. All the advantages and benefits of free and open-source software apply to the Linux kernel, and to most of the rest of the system software.

The common human interface devices (HIDs) available for desktop computers, laptops and similar devices determine the design of the (graphical) human-computer interface implemented in software. There are a few software packages to choose among, when building an accordingly designed graphical user interface. The generic input driver for the Linux kernel is evdev, but here are several input methods implemented as middleware, i.e., atop and not as part of the Linux kernel.

As adoption is proving, the Linux kernel is suitable as a gaming platform. Of course, added software is needed to either augment a typical desktop installation to be suitable as a gaming platform, or to create a Linux-based operating system for a dedicated gaming platform.

There is an abundance of server software (cf. client–server model) supporting various , such as HTTP (web server), SMTP (mail transfer agents), POP3 and IMAP (e-mail server), (LDAP), Server Message Block (SMB-CIFS) (Samba), (SNMP) (for system and network monitoring), (SIP), various that run, partly exclusively, on the Linux kernel.

Some software bundles, also called solution stacks, have been that widely adopted, that their acronyms have become well known. Examples include:

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