Linux is an open-source UNIX-like operating system originally developed by Linus Thorvald. First version was released to the Internet September 17th 1991. You can learn much more about Linux searching the Internet.

Linux is the operating system which handles the hardware, software scheduling, etc. Typically the user interfaces with the computer through a graphical user-interface called the desktop environment. The operating system, the desktop environment and user software is available in "packages" called distribution. Most known distributions are Debian, Red Hat, Fedora, Ubuntu and openSUSE.

Since version OS X also the Mac operating system is a UNIX-like operating system, with Mac's well known graphical desktop environment as primary user-interface - you can however also use the UNIX command prompt... iOS, the operating system in i iPhone and iPads is like in their bigger brother's UNIX based.

Google's Android operating system is Linux based.

I have used Linux the last 12+ years, privately I use only Linux and I can recommend it to everybody. It is a great system not only gratis but also free - as in freedom. Freedom is one of the advantages of the "new economy".  Freedom supports development and innovation. Not like the traditional software business, where no-one actually reads the conditions of use - therefore no-one knows all the constraint that they actually are put under by the conditions...

For privat use most Linux distributions er at the same (or higher) level as Windows and should you have special needs much more is offered by Linux. Linux is safer than Windows - to my knowledge there are no viruses for Linux - you will therefore have no need for the whole virus-scanning circus.

Besides the mentioned computers, smart-phones and tablets much other consumer equipment is using Linux - in my home also my Philips TV and my satellite box is based on Linux.

Linux (and thereby open-source as such) plays a much bigger role in our everyday life than most people realise. Unfortunately many sticks to the traditional software (Windows and derived software) without even checking out what the alternatives could be.

Public authorities, schools, universities, public-service institutions and the like ought to drop software that do not support open-standard files. Using open-standard software would enable citizens, pupils and students to use what ever software they wish to use as long as it supports open-standards. Forcing the use of producer-specific software is very damaging to the free enterprise and entrepreneurship....

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