Linux is an operating system, a large piece of software that manages a computer. It is similar to Microsoft Windows, but it is entirely free. The accurate name is GNU/Linux but "Linux" is used more often.

Linux is not one company's product, but a number of companies and groups of people contribute to it. In fact, the GNU/Linux system is a core component, which is branched off into many different products. They are called distributions

Distributions change the appearance and function of Linux completely. They range from large, fully supported complete systems (endorsed by companies) to lightweight ones that fit on a USB memory stick or run on old computers (often developed by volunteers).
A prominent, complete and friendly distribution to step into GNU/Linux is Ubuntu.

GNU/Linux is no harder to use than Windows, and has many more capabilities. It just takes a dozen minutes to get familiar with a distribution like Ubuntu or Fedora, which come in with many programs installed.

If you need commercial-quality software to work with business documents, Internet/networking, or multimedia and graphics, it's there right out of the box. Want more than that? Linux can do – there are many hundreds of free, high quality applications you can find, install and uninstall neatly and easily.

You shouldn't assume however, that Linux is a clone of Windows.

The Larger Picture

When you get a distribution of GNU/Linux, you also get the freedom to study, copy, change, and redistribute it – that's what makes it truly free software.

Many companies develop their own operating system based on the core GNU software: products they do not have exclusive rights on. How does the wheel turn?

• Most companies make a profit by selling support and services around their GNU/Linux distribution. Corporate customers buy guaranteed security updates and assistance. Other services often include training and on-demand improvements to software.
• Some companies, such as HP or IBM, contribute to Linux because they pre-install it on servers they sell.
• An extremely wide community participates in the development and improvement of software, decreasing costs and improving efficiency.

In the end, individual end-users often get the software at zero cost, while corporate customers are often happy to pay for more support.

A legal copy of Windows is expensive, but what do you get? Windows and Office are licensed, not sold.

By using these products, we have to agree to a number of harsh restrictions. For most Windows licenses, you can't keep the software when you change the hardware. You sometimes can't even give your software away. Who can run the software? On which computer? What can you do with it? The list of restrictions is long and some items are outrageous.

Software should come without locks in it.

Why are Office documents difficult to export? Why are the formats continually changing? Why can you not even uninstall some programs? It might be that if you look for choice, Microsoft products aren't for you.

The source codes of Windows and Office are hidden, so, no one is allowed to understand how these programs work.

If you can't get a right to inspect source code (the human-readable inner workings of a program), you can't have someone correct flaws or evaluate how your privacy is protected for you.

And guess what? On software that comes with source code, viruses and spyware aren't effective, and security isn't bought on extra. The antivirus software industry, in which Microsoft is now a significant player, prefers you to use Windows.

A free society requires free software. Think of "free" as in freedom, not price: the freedoms to inspect, learn from, modify the software you use.

Computers are used to share ideas, culture and information. Without these freedoms over software, we risk losing control over what we share.

This is happening today. From plain annoying technologies such as Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) to downright frightening ones like Trusted Computing, everyone's ability to participate in culture is threatened.

If you have to give up your freedoms to use software, maybe you should not be happy with it.