What is Linux?

Many people have wondered the question ``What is Linux?'' The first thing people think is that Linux is a company. Because there is no company called Linux, people are often confused. The next thing people tend to thing is that Linux is a software program you install on another operating system. The software idea is closer, but not quite right. I will attempt to give you a little bit of information in the sections about the history, distributions, and about Open Source Software to help you decide that for yourself what Linux really is.