Disclaimer: This article is FAR from comprehensive… If you want some comprehensive, try the links at the end of the article or search Google.

Linux is an operating system that is based on Minix (a small Unix-like Operating System).  Linux was created by a man named Linus Torvlads in 1991 while he was studying at University of Helsinki in Finland.

Linus released his Linux OS under the GNU GPL and made the source code available to anyone. Since then, Linux has grown to be quite an amazing operating system. There are currently hundreds (not sure that is a large enough guess) of variants (called Distributions or Distros) of Linux available.

Typically Linux is distributed freely (think free as in free pizza).

In the early years Linux was ignored by many people who believed it to be for hobbyists… In recent years Linux is finally getting the respect it deserves!

Many people all over the world consider Linux to be a viable and useful desktop OS option and many have made the switch from Windows to Linux without regrets!

If you have switched from Windows to Linux and want to share your testimony, please feel free to email me or leave a comment!

One of the most exciting features (in my opinion) is the community involvement in Linux! Even if you are a complete Novice (gamers think n00b) at Linux, you can find people who are more than willing to offer help for free. Most distributions have a forum section where you can get help fast, or just chat with others who enjoy Linux.

It is also really easy to find free (meaning no $$ necessary and you can mess around with the source code without legal worries) programs to do just about anything you need or want to do!

With many Linux Distributions offering “Live CD’s” (which means you can try Linux without installing it) …. Why not give Linux a try today!

To learn more check out the following links:

http://www.linux.org/info/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux