linux

Linux refers to a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems built around the Linux kernel. It is renowned for its stability, security, and flexibility, serving as the backbone for a vast range of computing, from embedded systems to global cloud infrastructure and supercomputers.

Key facts

First appeared: 1991
Category: operating_system
Problem solved: Linux was created to provide a free, open-source, and Unix-compatible operating system kernel for personal computers, specifically 386 PCs, addressing the limitations and licensing costs of commercial UNIX systems and the restrictive licensing of academic systems like MINIX.
Platforms: x86 (32-bit and 64-bit), ARM (various architectures), PowerPC, MIPS, SPARC, RISC-V, z/Architecture (IBM mainframes), Embedded systems

Related technologies

Android Kernel
RT-Linux (Real-Time Linux Kernels)
FreeBSD
OpenBSD
Windows Server
macOS (Darwin kernel)
GNU utilities
Apache HTTP Server
Nginx
MySQL
PostgreSQL
PHP
Python
Perl
Docker
Kubernetes
GNOME
KDE
AWS
Azure
Google Cloud Platform

Notable users

Google (Android, Chrome OS, Google Cloud)
Amazon (AWS)
Microsoft (Azure, WSL)
IBM (Red Hat)
SpaceX
NASA
New York Stock Exchange
All Top500 supercomputers