ABSTRACT
Linux is a UNIX-type operating system, originally created by Linus Torvalds in 1991, that has been enhanced by developers around the world. Linux is an independent POSIX implementation and is compliant with X/Open and POSIX standards. Linux is developed and distributed under the GNU General Public License. The GNU license specifies that the source code for Linux plus any Linux enhancements should be freely available to everyone. For an operating system invented in 1991, the interest in Linux has only recently surged. Like many other computer- and Internet-related phenomena, Linux has again proved that there is strength in numbers. Linux has reached the critical mass of users where vendors have started taking an interest in the operating system. The growth in users has resulted in renewed interest in Linux from many vendors. Intel Corporation and Netscape Communications Corporation have announced an investment in Red Hat Software.
