What is Linux® anyway?

First of all, the politically correct name of the operating system is not Linux®, but GNU with the Linux® kernel and is spelled GNU/Linux. That is why there was a name dispute.

GNU is a collection of software that was created by the Free Software Movement founded by Richard Stallman. In 1991, the Finnish computer science student Linus Torvalds published his hobby project called Linux®. Since the GNU Kernel Hurd was not yet ready for use, the GNU operating system was combined with the Linux® kernel. The newborn child is officially called GNU/Linux and goes by the name Linux®.

In the early 2000s, Ubuntu was one of the most common distributions installed because it was and still is a comprehensive operating system. Easy to install, very easy to use with the mouse, just like Apple’s macOS® or Microsoft Windows®. However, it has 3 fundamental differences:

• Free (Available free of charge)
• Customizable (source code is open)
• Performance (more resource efficient)

Several distributions have been developed and many of them have been discontinued. A distribution is when a functional operating system has been put together from individual programs. Distrowatch is an English website that lists current Linux® distributions.

There are also so-called “tough guy” Linux® distributions such as Gentoo, where you receive all programs as source code and have to compile them into an executable program yourself. Here you should have a very fast computer, otherwise you won’t have any fun, because compiling an Internet browser, for example, will take several hours.

For those who really want to learn, understand and grasp Linux®, you can also take a closer look at the Linux From Scratch project. Here you compile the entire GNU/Linux as an exercise.

Before you dive headlong into an adventure, you should inform yourself and read up a little beforehand. The most important question for prospective Linux® users is always the same:

• “Which distribution should I install on my desktop/notebook computer?”

I’ll simply say that it depends on your type. Are you someone who attaches great importance to a very nice graphical user interface (called GUI) or are you someone who likes to learn and also wants to know what Linux® does in the background and how?

For a cautious start, Ubuntu or Linux Mint in a virtual environment VirtualBox is my recommendation. You can experiment with it and try it out without fear of breaking anything. Only if it “breaks”, then you install it again. If you have installed Linux® using VirtualBox, you can save the current status temporarily (snapshot). If necessary, you can switch to a previous state and start the fun all over again.

Microsoft®, Windows®, Windows NT®, Windows Server® and Windows VistaTM are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Linux® is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.