Linux was created by Linus Torvalds, is an operating system that is freely distributed under the GNU public. It behaves like Unix, but not of the same code base. Linux is available in both source code and binary form.
Linux offers the standard features of Unix, such as support for multiuser, multitasking, networking, and compliance with POSIX. It supports all the standard Unix utilities, and can make most of the major Unix packages with minimal effort. DOS emulation is also available with the X Window System based on Microsoft Windows compatibility layer, called the wine is under construction.
The complete Linux operating system consists of the Linux kernel, or core, in combination with the tools and applications necessary for a complete operating system. There are several such combinations, called distributions, put in different companies, and there is no such thing as an official version.
The Linux OS is available in a variety of distributions, each of which contains the Linux kernel, various settings and applications, as well as other special features. Some distributions are very similar to each other with minor differences, while other distributions have some important differences. Furthermore, some distributions are designed for specific types of computers.
Some of the major distributions include Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, SuSE, Mandriva, Gentoo, Slackware.