And with Linux being open source, users are not only able to use the platform for free, they can also alter and re-distribute the operating system as their own distribution.

Image: Stack Overflow / Count / Nick Heath Are there open-source operating systems that aren't based on Linux? Yes, while Linux underpins most open-source operating systems, there are OSes built ...

Why switch to Linux? More security, more privacy, and freedom from vendor lock-in. And these distributions are as simple to install and use as MacOS or Windows.

Trying Linux is easy—you can even install it on a USB drive or disc to try it out before committing. Enter the world of open-source here.

What is Linux? That's the question we're answering for PC owners wanting to break away from Windows and MacOS. We cover the past and present.

Russia plans Linux-based mobile operating system to rival Android and iOS Ministry of Communications hopes China and other BRICS nations will join the project.

But now there’s a new effort called Project Halium which is designed to create a single base that can be used to get any non-Android operating system to run on Android-compatible hardware.

Android phones, smart TVs and even a smart refrigerator use Linux. The operating system is also widely used in other areas, like in 97 percent of the world’s top 500 supercomputers.

Linux is a tried-and-true, open-source operating system released in 1991 for computers, but its use has expanded to underpin systems for cars, phones, web servers and, more recently, networking gear.