Linux What is Linux? history of Linux the Linux Kernel areas of application

What is Linux? free, platform independent, multi-user operating system supports a large amount of processors stands under GPL (general public license) distributed in form of Linux-Distributions For example: SUSE, Slackware, Fedora Core, Gentoo

History of Linux Linus Torvalds, the “father” of Linux, started to develop Linux in 1991 1993 licensed under GPL "Making Linux GPL'd was definitely the best thing I ever did.", Linus Torvalds 1997 until now, a lot of projects developed around the kernel For example the X Windows System, KDE, GNOME

The Linux Kernel a hybrid monolithic operating system kernel It contains the whole operating system functionality like memory and process management and virtual interface over hardware runs on almost every exotic hardware like iPAQ or also digital cameras and number crunchers developed by a big international community of not profit oriented programmers