Linux

Definition	:	named after Linus Torvalds, who initiated the development of the open source Linux kernel.
Category	:	Computing » Software & Applications
Country/Region	:	Worldwide
Popularity	:

What does Linux mean?

Linux is a free and open-source Unix-like computer operating system originally developed for Intel x86-based personal computers by Linus Torvalds.
The name Linux is used in many ways: as a kernel, as an operating system as GNU/Linux (because so many of the Linux programs and commands come from the GNU project), the term Linux is also used for a Linux distribution.
During the development of Linux, Torvalds stored the files to the FTP server (ftp.funet.fi) of Finnish University and Research Network (FUNET) under the name “Freax” (as a portmanteau of “freak”, “free”, and “x” for UniX). One of the administrators for the FTP server at the time, did not think that “Freax” was a good name. So he renamed the project name to “Linux” (as a portmanteau of Linus Torvalds and Unix) on the server.