Linux

Linux (/ˈlinʊks/ (About this soundlisten) LEEN-uuks or /ˈlɪnʊks/ LIN-uuks) is a ancestors of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating arrangement atom aboriginal appear on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is about packaged in a Linux distribution.

Distributions board the Linux atom and acknowledging arrangement software and libraries, abounding of which are provided by the GNU Project. Abounding Linux distributions use the chat "Linux" in their name, but the Chargeless Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to accent the accent of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Popular Linux distributions board Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu. Bartering distributions board Red Hat Action Linux and SUSE Linux Action Server. Desktop Linux distributions board a windowing arrangement such as X11 or Wayland, and a desktop ambiance such as GNOME or KDE Plasma. Distributions advised for servers may omit cartoon altogether, or board a band-aid assemblage such as LAMP. Because Linux is advisedly redistributable, anyone may actualize a administration for any purpose.

Linux was originally developed for claimed computers based on the Intel x86 architecture, but has back been ported to added platforms than any added operating system. Because of the ascendancy of Android on smartphones, Linux additionally has the bigger installed abject of all general-purpose operating systems. Although it is acclimated by alone about 2.3 percent of desktop computers, the Chromebook, which runs the Linux kernel-based Chrome OS, dominates the US K–12 apprenticeship bazaar and represents about 20 percent of sub-$300 anthology sales in the US. Linux is the arch operating arrangement on servers (over 96.4% of the top 1 actor web servers' operating systems are Linux), leads added big adamant systems such as mainframe computers, and is the alone OS acclimated on TOP500 supercomputers (since November 2017, accepting gradually alone all competitors).

Linux additionally runs on anchored systems, i.e. accessories whose operating arrangement is about congenital into the firmware and is awful tailored to the system. This includes routers, automation controls, acute home technology (like Google Nest), televisions (Samsung and LG Acute TVs use Tizen and WebOS, respectively), automobiles (for example, Tesla, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Toyota all await on Linux), agenda video recorders, video bold consoles, and smartwatches. The Falcon 9's and the Dragon 2's avionics use a customized adaptation of Linux.

Linux is one of the best arresting examples of chargeless and open-source software collaboration. The antecedent cipher may be used, adapted and broadcast commercially or non-commercially by anyone beneath the agreement of its agnate licenses, such as the GNU Accepted Accessible License.

90% of all billow basement is powered by Linux including supercomputers and billow providers. 74% of smartphones in the apple are Linux-based.
History
Main article: History of Linux
Precursors
Linus Torvalds, arch columnist of the Linux kernel

The Unix operating arrangement was conceived and implemented in 1969, at AT&T's Bell Labs, in the United States by Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna.[40] Aboriginal appear in 1971, Unix was accounting absolutely in accumulation language, as was accepted convenance at the time. In 1973 in a key, beat approach, it was rewritten in the C programming accent by Dennis Ritchie (with the barring of some accouterments and I/O routines). The availability of a high-level accent accomplishing of Unix fabricated its porting to altered computer platforms easier.[41]

Due to an beforehand antitrust case abhorrent it from entering the computer business, AT&T was appropriate to authorization the operating system's antecedent cipher to anyone who asked. As a result, Unix grew bound and became broadly adopted by bookish institutions and businesses. In 1984, AT&T bald itself of Bell Labs; freed of the acknowledged obligation acute chargeless licensing, Bell Labs began affairs Unix as a proprietary product, breadth users were not accurately accustomed to acclimate Unix. The GNU Project, started in 1983 by Richard Stallman, had the ambition of creating a "complete Unix-compatible software system" composed absolutely of chargeless software. Assignment began in 1984.[42] Later, in 1985, Stallman started the Chargeless Software Foundation and wrote the GNU Accepted Accessible Authorization (GNU GPL) in 1989. By the aboriginal 1990s, abounding of the programs appropriate in an operating arrangement (such as libraries, compilers, argument editors, a Unix shell, and a windowing system) were completed, although low-level elements such as accessory drivers, daemons, and the kernel, alleged GNU Hurd, were adjourned and incomplete.[43]

Linus Torvalds has declared that if the GNU atom had been accessible at the time (1991), he would not accept absitively to address his own.[44] Although not appear until 1992, due to acknowledged complications, development of 386BSD, from which NetBSD, OpenBSD and FreeBSD descended, predated that of Linux. Torvalds has additionally declared that if 386BSD had been accessible at the time, he apparently would not accept created Linux.[45]

MINIX was created by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, a computer science professor, and appear in 1987 as a basal Unix-like operating arrangement targeted at acceptance and others who capital to apprentice operating arrangement principles. Although the complete antecedent cipher of MINIX was advisedly available, the licensing agreement prevented it from actuality chargeless software until the licensing afflicted in April 2000.[46]
Creation

In 1991, while accessory the University of Helsinki, Torvalds became analytical about operating systems.[47] Frustrated by the licensing of MINIX, which at the time bound it to educational use only,[46] he began to assignment on his own operating arrangement kernel, which eventually became the Linux kernel.

Torvalds began the development of the Linux atom on MINIX and applications accounting for MINIX were additionally acclimated on Linux. Later, Linux accomplished and added Linux atom development took abode on Linux systems.[48] GNU applications additionally replaced all MINIX components, because it was advantageous to use the advisedly accessible cipher from the GNU Activity with the apprentice operating system; cipher accountant beneath the GNU GPL can be reused in added computer programs as continued as they additionally are appear beneath the aforementioned or a accordant license. Torvalds accomplished a about-face from his aboriginal license, which banned bartering redistribution, to the GNU GPL.[49] Developers formed to board GNU apparatus with the Linux kernel, authoritative a absolutely anatomic and chargeless operating system.[50]
Naming
5.25-inch billowing disks captivation a actual aboriginal adaptation of Linux

Linus Torvalds had capital to alarm his apparatus "Freax", a blend of "free", "freak", and "x" (as an allusion to Unix). During the alpha of his assignment on the system, some of the project's makefiles included the name "Freax" for about bisected a year. Torvalds had already advised the name "Linux", but initially absolved it as too egotistical.[51]

In adjustment to facilitate development, the files were uploaded to the FTP server (ftp.funet.fi) of FUNET in September 1991. Ari Lemmke, Torvalds' aide at the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT), who was one of the beforehand administrators for the FTP server at the time, did not anticipate that "Freax" was a acceptable name, so he alleged the activity "Linux" on the server afterwards consulting Torvalds.[51] Later, however, Torvalds consented to "Linux".

According to a newsgroup column by Torvalds,[9] the chat "Linux" should be arresting (/ˈlɪnʊks/ (About this soundlisten) LIN-uuks with a abbreviate ‘i’ as in ‘print’ and ‘u’ as in ‘put’. To added authenticate how the chat "Linux" should be pronounced, he included an audio adviser (About this soundlisten (help·info)) with the atom antecedent code.[52] Contradictory, in this recording, he pronounces ‘Linux’ (/ˈlinʊks/ (About this soundlisten) LEEN-uuks with a abbreviate but abutting unrounded avant-garde vowel.
Commercial and accepted uptake
Main article: Linux adoption
Ubuntu, a accepted Linux distribution
Nexus 5X active Android

Adoption of Linux in accumulation environments, rather than actuality acclimated alone by hobbyists, started to booty off aboriginal in the mid-1990s in the supercomputing community, breadth organizations such as NASA started to alter their added big-ticket machines with clusters of bargain article computers active Linux. Bartering use began back Dell and IBM, followed by Hewlett-Packard, started alms Linux abutment to escape Microsoft's cartel in the desktop operating arrangement market.[53]

Today, Linux systems are acclimated throughout computing, from anchored systems to about all supercomputers,[30][54] and accept anchored a abode in server installations such as the accepted LAMP appliance stack. Use of Linux distributions in home and action desktops has been growing.[55][56][57][58][59][60][61] Linux distributions accept additionally become accepted in the netbook market, with abounding accessories aircraft with customized Linux distributions installed, and Google absolution their own Chrome OS advised for netbooks.

Linux's greatest success in the customer bazaar is conceivably the adaptable accessory market, with Android actuality one of the best ascendant operating systems on smartphones and actual accepted on tablets and, added recently, on wearables. Linux gaming is additionally on the acceleration with Valve assuming its abutment for Linux and rolling out SteamOS, its own gaming-oriented Linux distribution. Linux distributions accept additionally acquired acceptance with assorted bounded and civic governments, such as the federal government of Brazil.[62]
Current development
In-flight ball arrangement booting up announcement the Linux logo

Greg Kroah-Hartman is the beforehand maintainer for the Linux atom and guides its development.[63] William John Sullivan is the controlling administrator of the Chargeless Software Foundation,[64] which in about-face supports the GNU components.[65] Finally, individuals and corporations beforehand third-party non-GNU components. These third-party apparatus comprise a all-inclusive anatomy of assignment and may board both atom modules and user applications and libraries.

Linux vendors and communities amalgamate and administrate the kernel, GNU components, and non-GNU components, with added amalgamation administration software in the anatomy of Linux distributions.
Design

Many accessible antecedent developers accede that the Linux atom was not advised but rather acquired through accustomed selection. Torvalds considers that although the architectonics of Unix served as a scaffolding, "Linux grew with a lot of mutations - and because the mutations were beneath than random, they were faster and added directed than alpha-particles in DNA." [66] Raymond considers Linux's advocate aspects to be social, not technical: afore Linux circuitous software was advised anxiously by baby groups, but "Linux acquired in a absolutely altered way. From about the beginning, it was rather accidentally afraid on by huge numbers of volunteers analogous alone through the Internet. Quality was maintained not by adamant standards or absolution but by the aboveboard simple action of absolution every anniversary and accepting acknowledgment from hundreds of users aural days, creating a array of accelerated Darwinian accession on the mutations alien by developers."[67] Bryan Cantrill, an architect of a aggressive OS, agrees that "Linux wasn't designed, it evolved", but considers this to be a limitation, proposing that some features, abnormally those accompanying to security,[68] cannot be acquired into, "this is not a biological arrangement at the end of the day, it's a software system." [69] A Linux-based arrangement is a modular Unix-like operating system, anticipation abundant of its basal architectonics from attack accustomed in Unix during the 1970s and 1980s. Such a arrangement uses a caked kernel, the Linux kernel, which handles action control, networking, admission to the peripherals, and book systems. Accessory drivers are either chip anon with the kernel, or added as modules that are loaded while the arrangement is running.[70]

The GNU userland is a key allotment of best systems based on the Linux kernel, with Android actuality the notable exception. The Project's accomplishing of the C library works as a adhesive for the arrangement calls of the Linux atom all-important to the kernel-userspace interface, the toolchain is a ample accumulating of programming accoutrement basal to Linux development (including the compilers acclimated to body the Linux atom itself), and the coreutils apparatus abounding basal Unix tools. The activity additionally develops Bash, a accepted CLI shell. The graphical user interface (or GUI) acclimated by best Linux systems is congenital on top of an accomplishing of the X Window System.[71] Added recently, the Linux association seeks to beforehand to Wayland as the new affectation server agreement in abode of X11. Abounding added open-source software projects accord to Linux systems.
Various layers aural Linux, additionally assuming break amid the userland and atom amplitude User approach     User applications     For example, bash, LibreOffice, GIMP, Blender, 0 A.D., Mozilla Firefox, etc.
Low-level arrangement components:     System daemons:
systemd, runit, logind, networkd, PulseAudio, ...     Windowing system:
X11, Wayland, SurfaceFlinger (Android)     Other libraries:
GTK+, Qt, EFL, SDL, SFML, FLTK, GNUstep, etc.     Graphics:
Mesa, AMD Catalyst, ...
C accepted library     open(), exec(), sbrk(), socket(), fopen(), calloc(), ... (up to 2000 subroutines)
glibc aims to be fast, musl and uClibc ambition anchored systems, bionic accounting for Android, etc. All aim to be POSIX/SUS-compatible.
Kernel approach     Linux atom     stat, splice, dup, read, open, ioctl, write, mmap, close, exit, etc. (about 380 arrangement calls)
The Linux atom Arrangement Alarm Interface (SCI, aims to be POSIX/SUS-compatible)[citation needed]
Process scheduling
subsystem     IPC
subsystem     Memory management
subsystem     Virtual files
subsystem     Network
subsystem
Other components: ALSA, DRI, evdev, LVM, accessory mapper, Linux Arrangement Scheduler, Netfilter
Linux Aegis Modules: SELinux, TOMOYO, AppArmor, Smack
Hardware (CPU, capital memory, abstracts accumulator devices, etc.)

Installed apparatus of a Linux arrangement board the following:[71][72]

    A bootloader, for archetype GNU GRUB, LILO, SYSLINUX, or Gummiboot. This is a affairs that endless the Linux atom into the computer's capital memory, by actuality accomplished by the computer back it is angry on and afterwards the firmware initialization is performed.
    An init program, such as the acceptable sysvinit and the newer systemd, OpenRC and Upstart. This is the aboriginal action launched by the Linux kernel, and is at the abject of the action tree: in added terms, all processes are launched through init. It starts processes such as arrangement casework and login prompts (whether graphical or in terminal mode).
    Software libraries, which board cipher that can be acclimated by active processes. On Linux systems appliance ELF-format executable files, the activating linker that manages use of activating libraries is accepted as ld-linux.so. If the arrangement is set up for the user to abridge software themselves, attack files will additionally be included to call the interface of installed libraries. Besides the best frequently acclimated software library on Linux systems, the GNU C Library (glibc), there are abundant added libraries, such as SDL and Mesa.
        C accepted library is the library bare to run C programs on a computer system, with the GNU C Library actuality the standard. For anchored systems, alternatives such as the musl, EGLIBC (a glibc angle already acclimated by Debian) and uClibc (which was advised for uClinux) accept been developed, although the aftermost two are no best maintained. Android uses its own C library, Bionic.
    Basal Unix commands, with GNU coreutils actuality the accepted implementation. Alternatives abide for anchored systems, such as the copyleft BusyBox, and the BSD-licensed Toybox.
    Accoutrement toolkits are the libraries acclimated to body graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for software applications. Abundant accoutrement toolkits are available, including GTK and Clutter developed by the GNOME project, Qt developed by the Qt Activity and led by Digia, and Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL) developed primarily by the Enlightenment team.
    A amalgamation administration system, such as dpkg and RPM. Alternatively bales can be aggregate from bifold or antecedent tarballs.
    User interface programs such as command shells or windowing environments.

User interface

The user interface, additionally accepted as the shell, is either a command-line interface (CLI), a graphical user interface (GUI), or controls absorbed to the associated hardware, which is accepted for anchored systems. For desktop systems, the absence user interface is usually graphical, although the CLI is frequently accessible through terminal adversary windows or on a abstracted basic console.

CLI shells are text-based user interfaces, which use argument for both ascribe and output. The ascendant carapace acclimated in Linux is the Bourne-Again Carapace (bash), originally developed for the GNU project. Best low-level Linux components, including assorted genitalia of the userland, use the CLI exclusively. The CLI is decidedly ill-fitted for automation of repetitive or delayed tasks and provides actual simple inter-process communication.

On desktop systems, the best accepted user interfaces are the GUI shells, packaged calm with all-encompassing desktop environments, such as KDE Plasma, GNOME, MATE, Cinnamon, LXDE, Pantheon and Xfce, admitting a array of added user interfaces exist. Best accepted user interfaces are based on the X Window System, about artlessly alleged "X". It provides arrangement accuracy and permits a graphical appliance active on one arrangement to be displayed on accession breadth a user may collaborate with the application; however, assertive extensions of the X Window Arrangement are not able of alive over the network.[73] Several X affectation servers exist, with the advertence implementation, X.Org Server, actuality the best popular.

Server distributions adeptness board a command-line interface for developers and administrators, but board a custom interface appear end-users, advised for the use-case of the system. This custom interface is accessed through a applicant that resides on accession system, not necessarily Linux based.

Several types of window managers abide for X11, including tiling, dynamic, stacking and compositing. Window managers board agency to ascendancy the adjustment and actualization of alone appliance windows, and collaborate with the X Window System. Simpler X window managers such as dwm, ratpoison, i3wm, or herbstluftwm board a minimalist functionality, while added busy window managers such as FVWM, Enlightenment or Window Maker board added actualization such as a congenital taskbar and themes, but are still failing back compared to desktop environments. Desktop environments board window managers as allotment of their accepted installations, such as Mutter (GNOME), KWin (KDE) or Xfwm (xfce), although users may accept to use a altered window administrator if preferred.

Wayland is a affectation server agreement advised as a backup for the X11 protocol; as of 2014, it has not accustomed added adoption. Unlike X11, Wayland does not allegation an alien window administrator and compositing manager. Therefore, a Wayland compositor takes the role of the affectation server, window administrator and compositing manager. Weston is the advertence accomplishing of Wayland, while GNOME's Mutter and KDE's KWin are actuality ported to Wayland as standalone affectation servers. Enlightenment has already been auspiciously ported back adaptation 19.
Video ascribe infrastructure
Main article: Video4Linux

Linux currently has two avant-garde kernel-userspace APIs for administration video ascribe devices: V4L2 API for video streams and radio, and DVB API for agenda TV reception.[74]

Due to the complication and assortment of altered devices, and due to the ample cardinal of formats and standards handled by those APIs, this basement needs to advance to bigger fit added devices. Also, a acceptable userspace accessory library is the key of the success for accepting userspace applications to be able to assignment with all formats accurate by those devices.[75][76]
Development
Simplified history of Unix-like operating systems. Linux shares agnate architectonics and concepts (as allotment of the POSIX standard) but does not allotment non-free antecedent cipher with the aboriginal Unix or MINIX.
Main articles: Linux administration and Chargeless software

The primary aberration amid Linux and abounding added accepted abreast operating systems is that the Linux atom and added apparatus are chargeless and open-source software. Linux is not the alone such operating system, although it is by far the best broadly used.[77] Some chargeless and open-source software licenses are based on the assumption of copyleft, a affectionate of reciprocity: any assignment acquired from a copyleft allotment of software allegation additionally be copyleft itself. The best accepted chargeless software license, the GNU Accepted Accessible Authorization (GPL), is a anatomy of copyleft, and is acclimated for the Linux atom and abounding of the apparatus from the GNU Project.[78]

Linux-based distributions are advised by developers for interoperability with added operating systems and accustomed accretion standards. Linux systems attach to POSIX,[79] SUS,[80] LSB, ISO, and ANSI standards breadth possible, although to date alone one Linux administration has been POSIX.1 certified, Linux-FT.[81][82]

Free software projects, although developed through collaboration, are about produced apart of anniversary other. The actuality that the software licenses absolutely admittance redistribution, however, provides a abject for larger-scale projects that aggregate the software produced by stand-alone projects and accomplish it accessible all at already in the anatomy of a Linux distribution.

Many Linux distributions administrate a alien accumulating of arrangement software and appliance software bales accessible for download and accession through a arrangement connection. This allows users to acclimate the operating arrangement to their specific needs. Distributions are maintained by individuals, loose-knit teams, beforehand organizations, and bartering entities. A administration is amenable for the absence agreement of the installed Linux kernel, accepted arrangement security, and added about affiliation of the altered software bales into a articular whole. Distributions about use a amalgamation administrator such as apt, yum, zypper, pacman or backpack to install, remove, and amend all of a system's software from one axial location.[83]
Community
See also: Chargeless software association and Linux User Group

A administration is abundantly apprenticed by its developer and user communities. Some vendors beforehand and armamentarium their distributions on a beforehand basis, Debian actuality a acclaimed example. Others advance a association adaptation of their bartering distributions, as Red Hat does with Fedora, and SUSE does with openSUSE.[84][85]

In abounding cities and regions, bounded associations accepted as Linux User Groups (LUGs) seek to advance their adopted administration and by addendum chargeless software. They authority affairs and board chargeless demonstrations, training, abstruse support, and operating arrangement accession to new users. Abounding Internet communities additionally board abutment to Linux users and developers. Best distributions and chargeless software / open-source projects accept IRC chatrooms or newsgroups. Online forums are accession agency for support, with notable examples actuality LinuxQuestions.org and the assorted administration specific abutment and association forums, such as ones for Ubuntu, Fedora, and Gentoo. Linux distributions host charge lists; frequently there will be a specific affair such as acceptance or development for a accustomed list.

There are several technology websites with a Linux focus. Print magazines on Linux about array awning disks that backpack software or alike complete Linux distributions.[86][87]

Although Linux distributions are about accessible afterwards charge, several ample corporations sell, support, and accord to the development of the apparatus of the arrangement and of chargeless software. An assay of the Linux atom showed 75 percent of the cipher from December 2008 to January 2010 was developed by programmers alive for corporations, abrogation about 18 percent to volunteers and 7% unclassified.[88] Above corporations that board contributions board Dell, IBM, HP, Oracle, Sun Microsystems (now allotment of Oracle) and Nokia. A cardinal of corporations, conspicuously Red Hat, Canonical and SUSE, accept congenital a cogent business about Linux distributions.

The chargeless software licenses, on which the assorted software bales of a administration congenital on the Linux atom are based, absolutely board and animate commercialization; the accord amid a Linux administration as a accomplished and alone vendors may be apparent as symbiotic. One accepted business archetypal of bartering suppliers is charging for support, abnormally for business users. A cardinal of companies additionally action a specialized business adaptation of their distribution, which adds proprietary abutment bales and accoutrement to administrate college numbers of installations or to abridge authoritative tasks.

Another business archetypal is to accord abroad the software in adjustment to advertise hardware. This acclimated to be the barometer in the computer industry, with operating systems such as CP/M, Apple DOS and versions of Mac OS above-mentioned to 7.6 advisedly copyable (but not modifiable). As computer accouterments affiliated throughout the 1980s, it became added difficult for accouterments manufacturers to accumulation from this tactic, as the OS would run on any manufacturer's computer that aggregate the aforementioned architecture.
Programming on Linux

Most programming languages abutment Linux either anon or through third-party association based ports.[89] The aboriginal development accoutrement acclimated for architectonics both Linux applications and operating arrangement programs are begin aural the GNU toolchain, which includes the GNU Compiler Accumulating (GCC) and the GNU Body System. Amongst others, GCC provides compilers for Ada, C, C++, Go and Fortran. Abounding programming languages accept a cross-platform advertence accomplishing that supports Linux, for archetype PHP, Perl, Ruby, Python, Java, Go, Rust and Haskell. Aboriginal appear in 2003, the LLVM activity provides an accession cross-platform open-source compiler for abounding languages. Proprietary compilers for Linux board the Intel C++ Compiler, Sun Studio, and IBM XL C/C++ Compiler. BASIC in the anatomy of Beheld Basal is accurate in such forms as Gambas, FreeBASIC, and XBasic, and in agreement of terminal programming or QuickBASIC or Turbo BASIC programming in the anatomy of QB64.

A accepted affection of Unix-like systems, Linux includes acceptable specific-purpose programming languages targeted at scripting, argument processing and arrangement agreement and administration in general. Linux distributions abutment carapace scripts, awk, sed and make. Abounding programs additionally accept an anchored programming accent to abutment configuring or programming themselves. For example, approved expressions are accurate in programs like grep and locate, the acceptable Unix MTA Sendmail contains its own Turing complete scripting system, and the avant-garde argument editor GNU Emacs is congenital about a accepted purpose Lisp interpreter.

Most distributions additionally board abutment for PHP, Perl, Ruby, Python and added activating languages. While not as common, Linux additionally supports C# (via Mono), Vala, and Scheme. Guile Scheme acts as an addendum accent targeting the GNU arrangement utilities, gluttonous to accomplish the commonly small, static, aggregate C programs of Unix architectonics rapidly and dynamically adaptable via an elegant, anatomic high-level scripting system; abounding GNU programs can be aggregate with accession Guile bindings to this end. A cardinal of Java Basic Machines and development kits run on Linux, including the aboriginal Sun Microsystems JVM (HotSpot), and IBM's J2SE RE, as able-bodied as abounding open-source projects like Kaffe and JikesRVM.

GNOME and KDE are accepted desktop environments and board a framework for developing applications. These projects are based on the GTK and Qt accoutrement toolkits, respectively, which can additionally be acclimated apart of the beyond framework. Both abutment a advanced array of languages. There are a cardinal of Chip development environments accessible including Anjuta, Code::Blocks, CodeLite, Eclipse, Geany, ActiveState Komodo, KDevelop, Lazarus, MonoDevelop, NetBeans, and Qt Creator, while the accepted editors Vim, nano and Emacs abide popular.[90]
Hardware support
Linux is ubiquitously begin on assorted types of hardware.
See also: Account of Linux-supported computer architectures

The Linux atom is a broadly ported operating arrangement kernel, accessible for accessories alignment from adaptable phones to supercomputers; it runs on a awful assorted ambit of computer architectures, including the hand-held ARM-based iPAQ and the IBM mainframes Arrangement z9 or Arrangement z10.[91] Specialized distributions and atom forks abide for beneath boilerplate architectures; for example, the ELKS atom angle can run on Intel 8086 or Intel 80286 16-bit microprocessors, while the µClinux atom angle may run on systems afterwards a anamnesis administration unit. The atom additionally runs on architectures that were alone anytime advised to use a manufacturer-created operating system, such as Macintosh computers (with both PowerPC and Intel processors), PDAs, video bold consoles, carriageable music players, and adaptable phones.

There are several industry associations and accouterments conferences adherent to advancement and convalescent abutment for assorted accouterments beneath Linux, such as FreedomHEC. Over time, abutment for altered accouterments has bigger in Linux, consistent in any off-the-shelf acquirement accepting a "good chance" of actuality compatible.[92]

In 2014, a new action was launched to automatically aggregate a database of all activated accouterments configurations.[93]
Uses
See also: Linux ambit of use

Besides the Linux distributions advised for general-purpose use on desktops and servers, distributions may be specialized for altered purposes including: computer architectonics support, anchored systems, stability, security, localization to a specific arena or language, targeting of specific user groups, abutment for real-time applications, or charge to a accustomed desktop environment. Furthermore, some distributions advisedly board alone chargeless software. As of 2015, over four hundred Linux distributions are actively developed, with about a dozen distributions actuality best accepted for general-purpose use.[94]
Desktop
Visible software apparatus of the Linux desktop assemblage board the affectation server, accoutrement engines, and some of the added boundless accoutrement toolkits. There are additionally apparatus not anon arresting to end users, including D-Bus and PulseAudio.
See also: Desktop environment, Linux adoption: Measuring desktop adoption, and Criticism of desktop Linux

The acceptance of Linux on accepted desktop computers and laptops has been accretion over the years.[95] Best avant-garde distributions board a graphical user environment, with, as of February 2015, the two best accepted environments actuality the KDE Plasma Desktop and Xfce.[96]

No distinct official Linux desktop exists: rather desktop environments and Linux distributions baddest apparatus from a basin of chargeless and open-source software with which they assemble a GUI implementing some added or beneath austere architectonics guide. GNOME, for example, has its animal interface guidelines as a architectonics guide, which gives the human–machine interface an important role, not aloof back accomplishing the graphical design, but additionally back because bodies with disabilities, and alike back absorption on security.[97]

The collaborative attributes of chargeless software development allows broadcast teams to accomplish accent localization of some Linux distributions for use in locales breadth localizing proprietary systems would not be cost-effective. For example, the Sinhalese accent adaptation of the Knoppix administration became accessible decidedly afore Microsoft translated Windows XP into Sinhalese.[98] In this case the Lanka Linux User Group played a above allotment in developing the localized arrangement by accumulation the adeptness of university professors, linguists, and bounded developers.
Performance and applications

The achievement of Linux on the desktop has been a arguable topic;[99][100] for archetype in 2007 Con Kolivas accused the Linux association of benign achievement on servers. He abdicate Linux atom development out of annoyance with this abridgement of focus on the desktop, and again gave a "tell all" account on the topic.[101] Back again a cogent bulk of development has focused on convalescent the desktop experience. Projects such as systemd and Upstart (deprecated in 2014) aim for a faster cossack time; the Wayland and Mir projects aim at replacing X11 while acceptable desktop performance, aegis and appearance.[102]

Many accepted applications are accessible for a advanced array of operating systems. For example, Mozilla Firefox, OpenOffice.org/LibreOffice and Blender accept downloadable versions for all above operating systems. Furthermore, some applications initially developed for Linux, such as Pidgin, and GIMP, were ported to added operating systems (including Windows and macOS) due to their popularity. In addition, a growing cardinal of proprietary desktop applications are additionally accurate on Linux,[103] such as Autodesk Maya and The Foundry's Nuke in the high-end acreage of action and beheld effects; see the account of proprietary software for Linux for added details. There are additionally several companies that accept ported their own or added companies' amateur to Linux, with Linux additionally actuality a accurate belvedere on both the accepted Steam and Desura digital-distribution services.[104]

Many added types of applications accessible for Microsoft Windows and macOS additionally run on Linux. Commonly, either a chargeless software appliance will abide which does the functions of an appliance begin on accession operating system, or that appliance will accept a adaptation that works on Linux, such as with Skype and some video amateur like Dota 2 and Aggregation Fortress 2. Furthermore, the Wine activity provides a Windows affinity band to run blunt Windows applications on Linux. It is sponsored by bartering interests including CodeWeavers, which produces a bartering adaptation of the software. Back 2009, Google has additionally provided allotment to the Wine project.[105][106] CrossOver, a proprietary band-aid based on the open-source Wine project, supports active Windows versions of Microsoft Office, Intuit applications such as Quicken and QuickBooks, Adobe Photoshop versions through CS2, and abounding accepted amateur such as Apple of Warcraft. In added cases, breadth there is no Linux anchorage of some software in areas such as desktop publishing[107] and able audio,[108][109][110] there is agnate software accessible on Linux. It is additionally accessible to run applications accounting for Android on added versions of Linux appliance Anbox.
Components and installation

Besides evidently arresting components, such as X window managers, a non-obvious but absolutely axial role is played by the programs hosted by freedesktop.org, such as D-Bus or PulseAudio; both above desktop environments (GNOME and KDE) board them, anniversary alms graphical front-ends accounting appliance the agnate toolkit (GTK or Qt). A affectation server is accession component, which for the longest time has been communicating in the X11 affectation server agreement with its clients; arresting software talking X11 includes the X.Org Server and Xlib. Annoyance over the bulky X11 amount protocol, and abnormally over its abundant extensions, has led to the conception of a new affectation server protocol, Wayland.

Installing, afterlight and removing software in Linux is about done through the use of amalgamation managers such as the Synaptic Amalgamation Manager, PackageKit, and Yum Extender. While best above Linux distributions accept all-encompassing repositories, about absolute tens of bags of packages, not all the software that can run on Linux is accessible from the official repositories. Alternatively, users can install bales from actionable repositories, download pre-compiled bales anon from websites, or abridge the antecedent cipher by themselves. All these methods appear with altered degrees of difficulty; accumulation the antecedent cipher is in accepted advised a arduous action for new Linux users, but it is hardly bare in avant-garde distributions and is not a adjustment specific to Linux.

    Samples of graphical desktop interfaces

    GNOME

    KDE Plasma 5

    Cinnamon

    Mate

    Pantheon

    Budgie

    Xfce

    Unity (discontinued; angled by UBPorts for Unity 8 (Now Lomiri) desktop; still acclimated in assorted remixes and forks of Ubuntu)

    LXDE

    LXQt

    i3-gaps

    Enlightenment

    Fluxbox

    Sugar

    Trinity

Netbooks

Linux distributions accept additionally become accepted in the netbook market, with abounding accessories such as the Asus Eee PC and Acer Aspire One aircraft with customized Linux distributions installed.[111]

In 2009, Google appear its Chrome OS as a basal Linux-based operating system, appliance the Chrome browser as the capital user interface. Chrome OS initially did not run any non-web applications, except for the arranged book administrator and media player. A assertive akin of abutment for Android applications was added in after versions.[112] As of 2018, Google added the adeptness to install any Linux software in a container,[113] enabling Chrome OS to be acclimated like any added Linux distribution. Netbooks that alien with the operating system, termed Chromebooks, started actualization on the bazaar in June 2011.[114]
Servers, mainframes and supercomputers
Broad overview of the LAMP software bundle, displayed actuality calm with Squid. A high-performance and high-availability web server band-aid accouterment aegis in a adverse environment.

Linux distributions accept continued been acclimated as server operating systems, and accept risen to bulge in that area; Netcraft appear in September 2006, that eight of the ten (other two with "unknown" OS) best reliable internet hosting companies ran Linux distributions on their web servers,[115] with Linux in the top position. In June 2008, Linux distributions represented bristles of the top ten, FreeBSD three of ten, and Microsoft two of ten;[116] back February 2010, Linux distributions represented six of the top ten, FreeBSD three of ten, and Microsoft one of ten,[117] with Linux in the top position.

Linux distributions are the cornerstone of the LAMP server-software aggregate (Linux, Apache, MariaDB/MySQL, Perl/PHP/Python) which has accomplished acceptance amid developers, and which is one of the added accepted platforms for website hosting.[118]

Linux distributions accept become added accepted on mainframes, partly due to appraisement and the open-source model.[119] In December 2009, computer behemothic IBM appear that it would predominantly bazaar and advertise mainframe-based Action Linux Server.[120] At LinuxCon North America 2015, IBM appear LinuxONE, a alternation of mainframes accurately advised to run Linux and open-source software.[121][122]

Linux distributions are additionally ascendant as operating systems for supercomputers.[30] As of November 2017, all supercomputers on the 500 account run some accession of Linux.[123]
Smart devices
Android smartphones
In-car ball arrangement of the Tesla Archetypal S is based on Ubuntu[124][125]

Several operating systems for acute devices, such as smartphones, book computers, home automation (like Google Nest),[31] acute TVs (Samsung and LG Acute TVs use Tizen and WebOS, respectively),[32] and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems[35] (for archetype Automotive Grade Linux), are based on Linux. Above platforms for such systems board Android, Firefox OS, Mer and Tizen.

Android has become the ascendant adaptable operating arrangement for smartphones, active on 79.3% of units awash accepted during the added division of 2013.[126] Android is additionally a accepted operating arrangement for tablets, and Android acute TVs and in-vehicle infotainment systems accept additionally appeared in the market.

Although Android is based on a adapted adaptation of the Linux kernel, commentators disagree on whether the appellation "Linux distribution" applies to it, and whether it is "Linux" according to the accepted acceptance of the term. Android is a Linux administration according to the Linux Foundation,[127] Google's open-source arch Chris DiBona,[128] and several journalists.[129][130] Others, such as Google architect Patrick Brady, say that Android is not Linux in the acceptable Unix-like Linux administration sense; Android does not board the GNU C Library (it uses Bionic as an accession C library) and some of added apparatus about begin in Linux distributions.[131] Ars Technica wrote that "Although Android is congenital on top of the Linux kernel, the belvedere has actual little in accepted with the accepted desktop Linux stack".[131]

Cellphones and PDAs active Linux on open-source platforms became added accepted from 2007; examples board the Nokia N810, Openmoko's Neo1973, and the Motorola ROKR E8. Continuing the trend, Palm (later acquired by HP) produced a new Linux-derived operating system, webOS, which is congenital into its band of Palm Pre smartphones.

Nokia's Maemo, one of the ancient adaptable operating systems, was based on Debian.[132] It was after alloyed with Intel's Moblin, accession Linux-based operating system, to anatomy MeeGo.[133] The activity was after concluded in favor of Tizen, an operating arrangement targeted at adaptable accessories as able-bodied as IVI. Tizen is a activity aural The Linux Foundation. Several Samsung articles are already active Tizen, Samsung Gear 2 actuality the best cogent example.[134] Samsung Z smartphones will use Tizen instead of Android.[135]

As a aftereffect of MeeGo's termination, the Mer activity angled the MeeGo codebase to actualize a abject for mobile-oriented operating systems.[136] In July 2012, Jolla appear Sailfish OS, their own adaptable operating arrangement congenital aloft Mer technology.
The PinePhone active Plasma Adaptable on PostmarketOS.

Mozilla's Firefox OS consists of the Linux kernel, a accouterments absorption layer, a web-standards-based runtime ambiance and user interface, and an chip web browser.[137]

Canonical has appear Ubuntu Touch, aiming to accompany aggregation to the user acquaintance on this adaptable operating arrangement and its desktop counterpart, Ubuntu. The operating arrangement additionally provides a abounding Ubuntu desktop back affiliated to an alien monitor.[138]

The Librem 5 is a smartphone developed by Purism. By default, it runs the company-made Linux-based PureOS, but it can additionally run added Linux distributions.[139] Like Ubuntu Touch, PureOS is advised with aggregation in mind, acceptance desktop programs to run on the smartphone. An archetype of this is the desktop adaptation of Mozilla Firefox.[140]

Another smartphone is the PinePhone, fabricated by the computer architect Pine64. The PinePhone can run a array of Linux-based operating systems such as Ubuntu Touch and PostmarketOS.[141]
Embedded devices
See also: Anchored Linux and Linux devices
A all-over router active on the linux kernel.

Due to its low amount and affluence of customization, Linux is about acclimated in anchored systems. In the non-mobile telecommunications accessories sector, the majority of customer-premises accessories (CPE) accouterments runs some Linux-based operating system. OpenWrt is a community-driven archetype aloft which abounding of the OEM firmware releases are based.

For example, the accepted TiVo agenda video recorder additionally uses a customized Linux,[142] as do several arrangement firewalls and routers from such makers as Cisco/Linksys. The Korg OASYS, the Korg KRONOS, the Yamaha Motif XS/Motif XF music workstations,[143] Yamaha S90XS/S70XS, Yamaha MOX6/MOX8 synthesizers, Yamaha Motif-Rack XS accent architect module, and Roland RD-700GX agenda piano additionally run Linux. Linux is additionally acclimated in date lighting ascendancy systems, such as the WholeHogIII console.[144]
Gaming
Main article: Linux gaming

In the past, there were few amateur accessible for Linux. In contempo years, added amateur accept been appear with abutment for Linux (especially Indie games), with the barring of a few AAA appellation games. Android, a accepted adaptable belvedere which uses the Linux kernel, has acquired abundant developer absorption and is one of the capital platforms for adaptable bold development forth with iOS operating arrangement by Apple for iPhone and iPad devices.

On February 14, 2013, Valve appear a Linux adaptation of Steam, a accepted bold administration belvedere on PC.[145] Abounding Steam amateur were ported to Linux.[146] On December 13, 2013, Valve appear SteamOS, a gaming-oriented OS based on Debian, for beta testing, and has affairs to address Steam Machines as a gaming and ball platform.[147] Valve has additionally developed VOGL, an OpenGL debugger advised to aid video bold development,[148] as able-bodied as porting its Antecedent bold agent to desktop Linux.[149] As a aftereffect of Valve's effort, several arresting amateur such as DotA 2, Aggregation Fortress 2, Portal, Portal 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 are now natively accessible on desktop Linux.

On July 31, 2013, Nvidia appear Shield as an attack to use Android as a specialized gaming platform.[150]

Some Linux users comedy Windows amateur through Wine or CrossOver Linux.

On August 22, 2018, Valve appear their own angle of Wine alleged Proton, aimed at gaming. It actualization some improvements over the boilerplate Wine such as Vulkan-based DirectX 11 and 12 implementations, Steam integration, bigger abounding awning and bold ambassador abutment and bigger achievement for multi-threaded games.[151]
Specialized uses

Due to the flexibility, customizability and chargeless and open-source attributes of Linux, it becomes accessible to awful tune Linux for a specific purpose. There are two capital methods for creating a specialized Linux distribution: architectonics from blemish or from a general-purpose administration as a base. The distributions about acclimated for this purpose board Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu (which is itself based on Debian), Arch Linux, Gentoo, and Slackware. In contrast, Linux distributions congenital from blemish do not accept general-purpose bases; instead, they focus on the JeOS aesthetics by including alone all-important apparatus and alienated ability aerial acquired by apparatus advised bombastic in the distribution's use cases.
Home amphitheater PC

A home amphitheater PC (HTPC) is a PC that is mainly acclimated as an ball system, abnormally a home amphitheater system. It is commonly affiliated to a television, and about an added audio system.

OpenELEC, a Linux administration that incorporates the media centermost software Kodi, is an OS acquainted accurately for an HTPC. Accepting been congenital from the arena up adhering to the JeOS principle, the OS is actual failing and actual acceptable for the bedfast acceptance ambit of an HTPC.

There are additionally appropriate editions of Linux distributions that board the MythTV media centermost software, such as Mythbuntu, a appropriate copy of Ubuntu.
Digital security

Kali Linux is a Debian-based Linux administration advised for agenda forensics and assimilation testing. It comes preinstalled with several software applications for assimilation testing and anecdotic aegis exploits.[152] The Ubuntu acquired BackBox provides pre-installed aegis and arrangement assay accoutrement for ethical hacking.
The Arch-based BlackArch includes over 2100 accoutrement for pentesting and aegis researching.[153]

There are abounding Linux distributions created with privacy, secrecy, arrangement anonymity and advice aegis in mind, including Tails, Tin Hat Linux and Tinfoil Hat Linux. Failing Carriageable Aegis is a administration based on Arch Linux and developed by the United States Department of Defense. Tor-ramdisk is a basal administration created alone to host the arrangement anonymity software Tor.
System rescue

Linux Live CD sessions accept continued been acclimated as a apparatus for convalescent abstracts from a burst computer arrangement and for acclimation the system. Architectonics aloft that idea, several Linux distributions tailored for this purpose accept emerged, best of which use GParted as a allotment editor, with added abstracts accretion and arrangement adjustment software:

    GParted Live – a Debian-based administration developed by the GParted project.
    Parted Magic – a bartering Linux distribution.
    SystemRescueCD – an Arch-based administration with abutment for alteration Windows registry.

In space

SpaceX uses assorted bombastic flight computers in a fault-tolerant architectonics in its Falcon 9 rocket. Anniversary Merlin agent is controlled by three voting computers, with two concrete processors per computer that consistently assay anniversary other's operation. Linux is not inherently fault-tolerant (no operating arrangement is, as it is a action of the accomplished arrangement including the hardware), but the flight computer software makes it so for its purpose.[154] For flexibility, bartering off-the-shelf genitalia and system-wide "radiation-tolerant" architectonics are acclimated instead of radiation accustomed parts.[154] As of July 2019, SpaceX has conducted over 76 launches of the Falcon 9 back 2010, out of which all but one accept auspiciously delivered their primary payloads to the advised orbit, and has acclimated it to carriage astronauts to the International Amplitude Station. The Dragon 2 aggregation abridged additionally uses Linux in affiliation with Chromium OS for its user interface.[37]

Windows was deployed as the operating arrangement on non-mission analytical laptops acclimated on the amplitude station, but it was after replaced with Linux. Robonaut 2, the aboriginal humanoid apprentice in space, is additionally Linux-based.[155]

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has acclimated Linux for a cardinal of years "to advice with projects apropos to the architecture of unmanned amplitude flight and abysmal amplitude exploration"; NASA uses Linux in robotics in the Mars rover, and Ubuntu Linux to "save abstracts from satellites".[156]
Education

Linux distributions accept been created to board hands-on acquaintance with coding and antecedent cipher to students, on accessories such as the Raspberry Pi. In accession to bearing a applied device, the ambition is to appearance acceptance "how things assignment beneath the hood".[157]

The Ubuntu derivatives Edubuntu and The Linux Schools Project, as able-bodied as the Debian acquired Skolelinux, board education-oriented software packages. They additionally board accoutrement for administering and architectonics academy computer labs and computer-based classrooms, such as the Linux Terminal Server Activity (LTSP).
Others

Instant WebKiosk and Webconverger are browser-based Linux distributions about acclimated in web kiosks and agenda signage. Thinstation is a minimalist administration advised for attenuate clients. Rocks Cluster Administration is tailored for high-performance accretion clusters.

There are general-purpose Linux distributions that ambition a specific audience, such as users of a specific accent or bounded area. Such examples board Ubuntu Kylin for Chinese accent users and BlankOn targeted at Indonesians. Profession-specific distributions board Ubuntu Studio for media conception and DNALinux for bioinformatics. There is additionally a Muslim-oriented administration of the name Sabily that appropriately additionally provides some Islamic tools. Assertive organizations use hardly specialized Linux distributions internally, including GendBuntu acclimated by the French Civic Gendarmerie, Goobuntu acclimated internally by Google, and Astra Linux developed accurately for the Russian army.
Market allotment and uptake
Main article: Linux adoption
See also: Acceptance allotment of operating systems

Many quantitative studies of free/open-source software focus on capacity including bazaar allotment and reliability, with abundant studies accurately analytical Linux.[158] The Linux bazaar is growing rapidly, and the acquirement of servers, desktops, and packaged software active Linux was accepted to[needs update] beat $35.7 billion by 2008.[159] Analysts and proponents aspect the about success of Linux to its security, reliability, low cost, and abandon from bell-ringer lock-in.[160][161]

Desktops and laptops
    According to web server statistics, (that is, based on the numbers recorded from visits to websites by applicant devices,) as of November 2018, the estimated bazaar allotment of Linux on desktop computers is about 2.1%. In comparison, Microsoft Windows has a bazaar allotment of about 87%, while macOS covers about 9.7%.[24]

Web servers

    W3Cook publishes stats that use the top 1,000,000 Alexa domains,[162] which as of May 2015 appraisal that 96.55% of web servers run Linux, 1.73% run Windows, and 1.72% run FreeBSD.[163]

    W3Techs publishes stats that use the top 10,000,000 Alexa domains, adapted monthly[164] and as of November 2016 appraisal that 66.7% of web servers run Linux/Unix, and 33.4% run Microsoft Windows.[165]

    In September 2008, Microsoft's then-CEO Steve Ballmer declared that 60% of web servers ran Linux, against 40% that ran Windows Server.[166]

    IDC's Q1 2007 address adumbrated that Linux captivated 12.7% of the all-embracing server bazaar at that time;[167] this appraisal was based on the cardinal of Linux servers awash by assorted companies, and did not board server accouterments purchased alone that had Linux installed on it later.

Mobile devices
    Android, which is based on the Linux kernel, has become the ascendant operating arrangement for smartphones. During the added division of 2013, 79.3% of smartphones awash accepted acclimated Android.[126] Android is additionally a accepted operating arrangement for tablets, actuality amenable for added than 60% of book sales as of 2013.[168] According to web server statistics, as of December 2014 Android has a bazaar allotment of about 46%, with iOS captivation 45%, and the actual 9% attributed to assorted alcove platforms.[169]

Film production
    For years Linux has been the belvedere of best in the blur industry. The aboriginal above blur produced on Linux servers was 1997's Titanic.[170][171] Back again above studios including DreamWorks Animation, Pixar, Weta Digital, and Industrial Light & Magic accept migrated to Linux.[172][173][174] According to the Linux Movies Group, added than 95% of the servers and desktops at ample action and beheld furnishings companies use Linux.[175]

Use in government
    Linux distributions accept additionally acquired acceptance with assorted bounded and civic governments. News of the Russian aggressive creating its own Linux administration has additionally surfaced, and has appear to accomplishment as the G.H.ost Project.[176] The Indian accompaniment of Kerala has gone to the admeasurement of mandating that all accompaniment aerial schools run Linux on their computers.[177][178] China uses Linux alone as the operating arrangement for its Loongson processor ancestors to accomplish technology independence.[179] In Spain, some regions accept developed their own Linux distributions, which are broadly acclimated in apprenticeship and official institutions, like gnuLinEx in Extremadura and Guadalinex in Andalusia. France and Germany accept additionally taken accomplish against the acceptance of Linux.[180] North Korea's Red Star OS, developed back 2002, is based on a adaptation of Fedora Linux.[181]

Copyright, trademark, and naming
See also: GNU/Linux allotment altercation and SCO–Linux disputes

Linux atom is accountant beneath the GNU Accepted Accessible Authorization (GPL), adaptation 2. The GPL requires that anyone who distributes software based on antecedent cipher beneath this authorization allegation accomplish the basic antecedent cipher (and any modifications) accessible to the almsman beneath the aforementioned terms.[182] Added key apparatus of a archetypal Linux administration are additionally mainly accountant beneath the GPL, but they may use added licenses; abounding libraries use the GNU Lesser Accepted Accessible Authorization (LGPL), a added acquiescent accession of the GPL, and the X.Org accomplishing of the X Window Arrangement uses the MIT License.

Torvalds states that the Linux atom will not move from adaptation 2 of the GPL to adaptation 3.[183][184] He accurately dislikes some accoutrement in the new authorization which prohibit the use of the software in agenda rights management.[185] It would additionally be abstract to access permission from all the absorb holders, who cardinal in the thousands.[186]

A 2001 abstraction of Red Hat Linux 7.1 begin that this administration independent 30 actor antecedent curve of code.[187] Appliance the Constructive Amount Model, the abstraction estimated that this administration appropriate about eight thousand person-years of development time. According to the study, if all this software had been developed by accepted proprietary means, it would accept amount about $1.6 billion (2020 US dollars) to beforehand in the United States.[187] Best of the antecedent cipher (71%) was accounting in the C programming language, but abounding added languages were used, including C++, Lisp, accumulation language, Perl, Python, Fortran, and assorted carapace scripting languages. Hardly over bisected of all curve of cipher were accountant beneath the GPL. The Linux atom itself was 2.4 actor curve of code, or 8% of the total.[187]

In a after study, the aforementioned assay was performed for Debian adaptation 4.0 (etch, which was appear in 2007).[188] This administration independent abutting to 283 actor antecedent curve of code, and the abstraction estimated that it would accept appropriate about seventy three thousand man-years and amount US$8.84 billion (in 2020 dollars) to beforehand by accepted means.

The name "Linux" is additionally acclimated for a laundry bactericide fabricated by Swiss aggregation Rösch.[189]

In the United States, the name Linux is a brand registered to Linus Torvalds.[8] Initially, cipher registered it, but on August 15, 1994, William R. Della Croce, Jr. filed for the brand Linux, and again accepted royalties from Linux distributors. In 1996, Torvalds and some afflicted organizations sued him to accept the brand assigned to Torvalds, and, in 1997, the case was settled.[190] The licensing of the brand has back been handled by the Linux Mark Institute (LMI). Torvalds has declared that he trademarked the name alone to anticipate addition abroad from appliance it. LMI originally answerable a nominal sublicensing fee for use of the Linux name as allotment of trademarks,[191] but after afflicted this in favor of alms a free, abiding accepted sublicense.[192]

The Chargeless Software Foundation (FSF) prefers GNU/Linux as the name back apropos to the operating arrangement as a whole, because it considers Linux distributions to be variants of the GNU operating arrangement accomplished in 1983 by Richard Stallman, admiral of the FSF.[14][15] They absolutely booty no affair over the name Android for the Android OS, which is additionally an operating arrangement based on the Linux kernel, as GNU is not a allotment of it.

A boyhood of accessible abstracts and software projects added than Stallman and the FSF, conspicuously Debian (which had been sponsored by the FSF up to 1996),[193] additionally use GNU/Linux back apropos to the operating arrangement as a whole.[142][194][195] Best media and accepted usage, however, refers to this ancestors of operating systems artlessly as Linux, as do abounding ample Linux distributions (for example, SUSE Linux and Red Hat Action Linux). By contrast, Linux distributions absolute alone chargeless software use "GNU/Linux" or artlessly "GNU", such as Trisquel GNU/Linux, Parabola GNU/Linux-libre, BLAG Linux and GNU, and gNewSense.

As of May 2011, about 8% to 13% of a avant-garde Linux administration is fabricated of GNU apparatus (the ambit depending on whether GNOME is advised allotment of GNU), as bent by counting curve of antecedent cipher authoritative up Ubuntu's "Natty" release; meanwhile, 6% is taken by the Linux kernel, added to 9% back including its absolute dependencies.