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Linux explained quickly and easily

Linux is a free, open source operating system built on the Linux kernel and usually combined with software from the GNU project. It runs on servers, embedded systems and smartphones as well as on desktop computers, and anyone may use it, modify it and pass it on.

Infrastructure & hosting ·1 Min. Lesezeit ·Glossary

How Linux came about

Linus Torvalds developed the first version in the early 1990s and released it under a licence of his own that excluded commercial use. Placing Linux under the GNU General Public License changed that and created the first free operating system that could also be used commercially.

It quickly established itself on servers, in embedded systems and on smartphones. On desktop computers adoption was slower; that improved with graphical user interfaces operated much like Windows. Today Linux is among the most widely used operating systems in the world.

The distribution is usually available free of charge and can be used in parallel with a second operating system. Various versions are available on the market. Depending on the area of application, these differ in the actual operating system, the Linux kernel as well as in the supplied software. The graphical user interface is also adapted to individual needs and is available in different versions. An example of this is the Linux distribution Mint, which is available in the versions Cinnamon and Mate. Complete Linux distributors such as Ubuntu are easy to install, even for computer novices. Linux explained quickly and easily

The hardware support under the operating system is the main point of criticism. Hardware manufacturers rarely supply drivers for this operating system. It is classified as a secure system. Worms and viruses often don’t stand a chance. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that this operating system has a strict subdivision of access rights, on the other hand, anyone can study the source code. Security gaps are recognized and eliminated earlier.

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