Linux is the free clone of the UNIXOperating System.Linux runs on the Intel Processor. Linux is Open Source which is why I like it. Linux can be modified by anyone who has the source code. Linux can be downloaded for free but is available for a nominal fee on CD-ROM.
Linux was developed in 1992 by Linus Torvalds at the University of Helsinki in Finland, as a class project to develop a better version of MINIX which was used at the time to teach UNIX to students. MINIX was created by Andy Tanenbaumwho was a well known Computer Science professor. There was at the time a series of famous debatesbetween Torvalds and Tanenbaum.
By the way the Penguin is the mascot for Linux. His name is Tux. Why a Penguin? I think Linus Torvalds got bitten by one when he was at a zoo once, or something like that. Of course we have to mentionRichard Stallman who created the Free Software Foundation which gave Torvalds the Copyleft which is the license that makes the software free and open.
A good place to read up about Linux is Linux Online and Linux.com A good place for some technical help getting you started is The Linux Newbie There is a searchable Linux Knowledge Basehere you can look up things at. But you can't discount the help you can get from your local LUG or Linux user group.
There is also a guy named Henry White who gives a Free Linux Training Course
It does everything any other Unix computer would do including TCP/IP(SLIP, PPP, PLIP,), X Windows, Gnu C Compiler, Emacs, and all the rest. It is publicly available from CD vendors(Walnut Creek,Pacific HiTech) and many ftp sites including
The Redhat distribution of Linux's Homepage. Redhat is the most
popular version in the World and is good for a beginner.
If you do run into trouble the linux community will come to you assistance. There are some good Linux Newsgroups you can checkout. I find them very helpful even getting answers to specific problems. You can try alt.linux, or comp.os.linux. Of course you can try the groups for your specific distros suc as alt.linux-mandrake or linux.redhat.misc.
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