Linux
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| OS family | Unix-like |
|---|---|
| Working state | Current |
| Latest stable release | 2.6.28.7 (February 20, 2009) [+/−] |
| Latest unstable release | 2.6.29-rc5-git3 (Feb 19, 2009) [+/−] |
| Supported platforms | x86, MIPS, SPARC, DEC Alpha,Itanium, PowerPC, ARM, m68k,PA-RISC, s390, SuperH, M32Rand more |
| Kerneltype | Monolithic kernel |
| License | Components released under GNU General Public License and others |
Linux (commonly pronounced IPA: /ˈlɪnəks/ in English; variants exist[1]) is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GNU GPL[2] and other free licenses.
Linux distributions are predominantly known for their use in servers, although they are installed on a wide variety of computer hardware, ranging from embedded devices and mobile phones tosupercomputers,[3] and their popularity as a desktop/laptop operating system has been growing lately due to the rise of netbooks and the Ubuntu distribution of the operating system.[4][5]
The name "Linux" comes from the Linux kernel, originally written in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. The rest of the system, including utilities and libraries, usually comes from the GNU operating system announced in 1983 by Richard Stallman. The GNU contribution is the basis for the alternative nameGNU/Linux.[6]
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[edit]History
- See also: History of Linux
The Unix operating system was conceived and implemented in the 1960s and first released in 1970. Its wide availability and portability meant that it was widely adopted, copied and modified by academic institutions and businesses, with its design being influential on authors of other systems.
The GNU Project, started in 1984 by Richard Stallman, had the goal of creating a "complete Unix-compatible software system"[7] made entirely of free software. The next year Stallman created the Free Software Foundation and wrote the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) in 1989. By the early 1990s, many of the programs required in an operating system (such as libraries, compilers, text editors, a Unix shell, and a windowing system) were completed, although low-level elements such as device drivers, daemons, and the kernel were stalled and incomplete.[8] Linus Torvalds has said that if the GNU kernel had been available at the time (1991), he would not have decided to write his own.[9]
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