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→Who Created Linux?
== Who Created Linux? ==
The origins of Linux can be traced back to the work of two people. At the heart of the Linux operating system something called the ''kernel''. This is the core set of functions necessary for the operating system to function. The kernel manages the system's resources and handles communitation between the hardware and the applications. The Linux kernel was developed by Linus Torvalds who needed an operating system but didn't want to have to buy one. When he had finishe dthe first version of the kernel he released under an ''open source'' that enabled anyone to downlaod the source code and freely use and modify it without having to pay Linux any money.
Around the same time Richard Stallman at the Free Software Foundation, a strong advocate of free and open source software, was working on an open source operating system of his own. Rather than focusing initially on the kernel, Stallman decided to begin by developing all the tools, utilities can compilers necessary to use and maintain an operating system. By the time he had finished developing this ''infrastructure'' it seemed like the obvious solution was to combine his work with the kernel Linus had written to create a full operating system. This combination became known as GNU/Linux. Purists insist that Linux always be referred to as GNU/Linux (in fact Richard Stallman refuses to give press interviews to any publication which fails to refer to Linux as GNU/Linux). This is not unreasonable given that the GNU tools developed by the Free Software Foundation make up a significant and vital part of GNU/Linux. Unfortunately most people and publications simply refer to Linux as Linux and this will probably always continue to be the case.
== The History of Ubuntu ==
As mentioned previously Ubuntu is one of a number of Linux distributions. The source code that mades up the Ubuntu Linux distribution originates from another, much older Linux distribution known as Debian (so called because it was started by two people named Debra and Ian). Debian is still a widely respected operating system but came under critism for infrequent updates and less than user friendly installation and maintenance.
A South African internet mogul (who made his fortune selling his company to VeriSign for around $500 million) decided it was time for a more user friendly Linux. He took the Debian distribution and worked to make it a more human friendly distribution which he called Ubuntu.
The rest, as they say, is history. Ubuntu has gone from strength to strength. Dell now ship computers pre-loaded with Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu Linux usually tops the chart at DistroWatch.com.
