What is linux?

[Abe4060]

Is this not a tech support page?

[lakerdonald]

wait...
do you want to know what linux is or whether this is a tech support page or both?

[techieMoe]

I think we're just as confused as he is, lakerdonald.

[Abe4060]

what is linux?

[lakerdonald]

Linux was the brainchild of programmer Linus Torvalds, who wrote the Linux Kernel while attending the University of Helsinki in 1991. Linus was frustrated by the lack of an alternative to Unix, which was getting expensive. He also wanted to make the code freely available and distributable, as well as modifiable. In fact he encouraged people to hack his code and make it better, and suit it to there needs. That is why there are so many distros. That's the two-minute, off the top of my head answer. I think there's a more detailed answer in the Linux FAQ's / Tutorials section

[jeremy1701]

No, no... He's answering a Jeopardy question:

Abe4060: "I'll take computers for $400, Alex."

Alex: "This UNIX like OS, created by Linus Torvalds, is often times refered to as the best operating system in existence today."

Abe4060: "What is linux?"

[techieMoe]

Linux is a kernel, but it's commonly used as the name for the collection of free open-source software that makes up the GNU/Linux Operating system. For more information on what Linux is, you might try these links:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/topic-4638.html
http://www.linux.org/info/index.html

I can see why my other thread thoroughly confused us both. Good luck with your Doom 3 problem, and if you decide to give the Linux OS a try one day, come on back and we'll help you out.

[Libervisco]

Exactly TechieMoe.

And that's why i sometimes call it GNU/Linux or Lignux

because linux is just a kernel, the whole remaining system is composed or at least based on GNU tools, therefore, there would be no Linux operating system without GNU project, it would be just the kernel.

Kernel is just a system core, but it's useless without all the basic apps that comprise the functional part of the operating system, the meat.

GNU stands for GNU is Not Unix and is a project started by Richard M. Stallman (the leader of the free software movement) in order to create a completely free (as in freedom) operating system. What they were missing was just a kernel, and Linus Torwalds filled that hole. That is how Linux kernel (core) and GNU system apps became GNU/Linux, too many times reffered to as just Linux.

Here are some additional resources in this regard:

GNU.org - The homesite of the GNU project and the free software foundation
GNU Manifesto - The original announcement for GNU project.
History of UNIX and Linux - unix and linux history by years
Linus Torvalds from Wikipedia
GNU from Wikipedia
Linux from wikipedia

I hope this helps in answering the historical question; WHAT IS LINUX?

Thanks
Daniel