3.1. Which Type of Linux?

Unlike Windows and Mac OS X (which are created, updated, and sold exclusively by either Microsoft or Apple), Linux is available from many different sources. Linux is an open-source program—crafted, improved, and spun off in its early years by an army of volunteers in a software version of an Amish barn-raising. These days, big companies like Oracle and IBM are developing Linux for corporate and professional use.

Because of this freedom to create, many different flavors or distributions of Linux have popped up over the years. Linux distributions are often colorfully named: BlueCat Linux, Yellow Dog Linux, or Red Hat Linux. Then there's Mandriva Linux, Linpus Linux, Debian/GNU Linux, SuSE Linux, Slackware Linux, and the list goes on. (You can see the list yourself at http://www.linux.org/dist/list.html.)