Linux, the Open-Source Operating System

Dozens of volunteers contribute every day to improve the Linux open-source operating system. Therefore, no one company owns it. Few companies like VA Linux tried to fool the investors to think that they own the operating system when they went public. Only few, such as Red Hat, benefitted from the open-source operating system successfully. The open-source operating system once considered to be the front runner to compete with the Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

Linux is a free software system available in the market. The idea was developed by the AT&T Bell laboratories in 1969 and first released for public use in 1971. Since then a countless number of people all over the world contribute to the free software operating system. Linux dominates the mainframe and supercomputer operating segments. Linux also runs on mobile phones (Android runs on Linux), network routers, tablets, video game consoles and televisions.

Red Hat takes a snap shot of the system and freezes it in time. Their engineers then review the material and market it as a package to data center services. Red Hat seems to be the most popular company to benefit from Linux. Its revenue for the Fiscal Year ended February 29, 2012 recorded $1.9 billion.