What Is Linux?

Linux is an open source operating system with a few different ways to interact with your computer. This About.com video will give you the basics on getting and using Linux.

Meaning of Linux

Linux is a type of operating system. Just like Windows on PCs or OS X on Macs, it is the software that allows your computer to perform its most basic functions.
Right now, we are in a Linux system. This particular distribution is called Ubuntu. But really, Linux has many different faces. If you go to www.linux.com, you will see that there are literally scores of distributions--operating system variations--all based on Linux. Linux has an open source code, so anyone can contribute to it. All these distributions that you see here are developed by different groups based on that source code.

Linux Software is Usually Free

The Linux website will connect you to the developers of a distribution you would like to download. For instance, the website for Ubuntu is www.ubuntu.com. And because Linux is open source software, most of its distributions are free to download, use, and share. So anyone can take advantage of this operating system without paying hundreds of dollars in licensing fees.

Linux is User-Friendly

The functionality of Linux is identical to the mainstream operating systems. As you can see in our Ubuntu graphic interface, it is very familiar looking and user-friendly. On the side of the screen you see a dashboard that launches the commands you use most frequently. The file structure in the graphic interface is arranged in the shape of folders, and very easy to navigate.
One great thing about Ubuntu is its Software Center that connects you to a great variety of free, open source software. It makes it incredibly easy to search and download various applications: media applications, Internet applications, games, graphic programs, office software--anything you would usually want to use on your desktop computer. Installation is incredibly easy: you just click the icon of the software, hit "Install," enter your user password, and it's done.

Using the Linux Terminal

So as you can tell, performing tasks on your Linux system is very easy with the help of a graphic interface. However, Linux also has an alternative way for you to interact with your system--and that is the terminal. Anything you do in your graphic interface, you can also do by entering a command in your terminal.
For example, if you wanted to see the contents of your Documents folder, in the graphic interface you would simply double-click the respective icon. In the terminal, you would use the command "ls," which lists the contents of a given directory. In both cases, you would get the same result.