Gender Lens Project
Linux is a complicated piece of software that functions as a kernel. The kernel is an essential part of any operating system. References to the ‘Linux operating system’ simply describe a computer system of any configuration, type, or structure that uses the Linux kernel as a foundation.
Linux is released under an open source license. There are three major types of software licenses: free, open source, and proprietary. Software released as open source only means that the underlying code may be directly viewed and edited; it does not imply that the software itself is free to use without purchase.
Linux is revolutionary. In traditional operating system development, the kernel is by far the most expensive component to build. When Linux was released both free and open source, it allowed users around the world to build a complete, working operating system entirely free of monetary costs.
Read more about the Linux timeline, or about the social atmosphere it created.
