Linux

A computer operating system first developed by [[Linus Torvalds]].  Linux became popular in the late 1990s as a free alternative to the [[Windows operating system]].

Abbreviated from Linus' [[Unix]]. Linux is available under the terms of the [[GNU]] [[GPL]] for a multitude of platforms.

Technically speaking, the term Linux should refer only to the [[Linux kernel]].  A full distribution such as [Red Hat], [SuSE], or [Debian] contains much software not created by Linus Torvalds and his group.  Some (notably [[Richard M Stallman]]) suggest that Linux distributions should be called GNU/Linux.