Linux is a family of operating systems that use the Linux kernel. Widely spread, they provide many convenient tools for developers. Besides, Linux concepts became a source of inspiration for many ideas in programming languages.
The mascot of Linux is a penguin named Tux:
The choice of this symbol was not coincidental. Linus Torvalds, the creator of the operating system's kernel, had a similar toy in his childhood.
A brief history of Linux
Linus Torvalds, a Finnish software engineer, created the Linux kernel in 1991. He based his development on the UNIX operating system, which was popular at that time among many organizations and scientific institutions.
The first version of the kernel turned out to be very raw, with many defects and errors, so Linus decided to publish the source code openly on the Internet. As a result, many people got interested in Torvalds' idea and took part in the development of Linux. They started sending their improvements and corrections of the bugs found in the code.
Distributions
By itself, without software, the kernel is completely useless. However, it can be a basis for developing operating systems. Since the Linux kernel was posted free of charge, everyone could customize the system according to their needs and wants. Thus, it gave rise to distributions. Distribution is one of the operating systems based on the Linux kernel with many pre-installed programs, sometimes with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) out of the box. You have probably heard of some of them at least once: Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch Linux, Gentoo. This is far from a complete list of all the existing distributions.
Commonly used distributions
Besides having some specific knowledge, you can build your own distribution, both from scratch or on the basis of already existing projects.
Where and why people use Linux
Linux kernel is free, customizable, very reliable, and undemanding to resources. Thanks to the well-thought-out file system, you can run distributions without a GUI. It also has extensive hardware support, as all free Linux drivers are built into the kernel. The scope of Linux is vast, much larger than that of all other operating systems. It works perfectly on ordinary personal computers, as well as on servers, embedded systems, and network software. Most of the supercomputers in the world work with Linux, for example, CERN. Even Android OS is based on the Linux kernel.
Such a large range of supported devices means excellent portability of programs. Often, we can run the same application on both an ordinary computer and a Linux-based smartphone with minimal effort.
Conclusion
So you took the first step in studying Linux. You have learned its benefits and realized how, with community support, it has become a major operating system on millions of devices.
Linux can provide a modern, stable, multiuser, and multitasking environment that will cost you nothing. All you have to do is pick the right distribution and, if you wish, customize it to suit your needs.