Iyini I-Linux?
Igama elithi "Linux" lisetshenziselwa ukubhekisela ezintweni ezintathu ezifanayo kodwa ezihluke kancane, ezingadida wonke umuntu ngaphandle kwe-hardcore geek. Lezi zisetshenziswa ezintathu ziyahlukahluka kuye ngokuthi isikhulumi sikhuluma ngohlelo lwesofthiwe oluphelele kangakanani.  Ezingeni eliphansi kakhulu, zonke izinhlelo ze-Linux zisekelwe ku-Linux kernel - isofthiwe esezingeni eliphansi kakhulu elawula i-computer yakho, eyenza imisebenzi eminingi izinhlelo eziningi ezisebenza nganoma yisiphi isikhathi, nezinye izinto ezibalulekile. Le misebenzi esezingeni eliphansi isetshenziswa ezinye izinhlelo, ngakho abalobi bayo bangagxila ekusebenzeni okuthile abafuna ukukuhlinzeka. Ngaphandle kwe-kernel, i-computer yakho iyisivimbela-mnyango esibizayo. Inakho konke izici zesistimu yesimanje yokusebenza: i-multitasking yangempela, imicu, inkumbulo ebonakalayo, imitapo yolwazi eyabiwe, ukulayishwa okufunwayo, okwabiwe, amakhophi okubhala okulayishwayo, ukuphathwa kwememori okufanele, amamojula wesilawuli sedivayisi angalayishwa, ukuhlelwa kwesikrini sevidiyo, kanye nenethiwekhi ye-TCP / IP.  Ngokuvamile, igama elithi "Linux" lisetshenziselwa ukubhekisela ku-Linux Operating System. I-OS ihlanganisa i-kernel, kodwa futhi inezela izinsiza ezihlukahlukene - izinhlobo zezinhlelo ozidingayo ukuze wenze noma yini. Ngokwesibonelo, luhlanganisa i - shell (uhlelo olunikeza umyalo osheshayo futhi lukuvumela ukuba ugijime izinhlelo), uhlelo lokukopisha amafayela, uhlelo lokususa amafayela, nezinye izinto eziningi. Abanye abantu bahlonipha isicelo sikaRichard Stallman kanye ne-GNU Project, futhi babiza i-Linux OS ngokuthi i-GNU/Linux, ngoba iningi lalezi zinhlelo zokusebenza zabhalwa abantu base-GNU.