Linux

48230 readers

876 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
No misinformation
No NSFW content
No hate speech, bigotry, etc

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS

nooter692@lemmy.ml

AgreeableLandscape@lemmy.ml

MarcellusDrum@lemmy.ml

cypherpunks@lemmy.ml

cyclohexane@lemmy.ml

d3Xt3r@lemmy.nz

962

Linux hits 4% on the desktop 🐧 📈 (gs.statcounter.com)

submitted 8 months ago by markus99@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml

235 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] jackpot@lemmy.ml 2 points 8 months ago (2 children)

wjy would it be better

[–] geoma@lemmy.ml 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Its more of a niche. You probably won't have the huge support you have on gnu/Linux nowadays

[–] scratchandgame@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

"gnu/Linux nowadays" is unusable on old hardware (except distros like Alpine) I think?

[–] geoma@lemmy.ml 2 points 8 months ago

There are a bunch of distros focused on old hardware compatibility. I often install Linux on 32 bit laptops from around 2008 and they work perfectly

[–] flying_gel@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

It's not necessarily better, some things are a personal preference. Though some might be able to list some technical pros and cons.

Some things I appreciate are:

base systems and packages are completely separate. Packages and their configuration goes in /usr/local/ No where else. (Thought they might write to /var/ )
bsd init, not systemd. Feels more home to me as a late 90s slackware user.
first class zfs support. Linux has caught up lately, especially now that there is a shared zfs codebase for both Linux and FreeBSD. When I switched to FreeBSD on my home server ~10 years ago that wasn't the case.