The Rise of Linux: A Growing Community of Users and Innovative Applications

Strategic Insights -

As the operating system develops, Linux is showing signs of widespread acceptance, with major companies like Intel, Netscape, and Oracle announcing plans to make products available for Linux. However, the question remains: is Linux for the average user? Not if they are a beginner or technically faint of heart. Linux is a simpler clone of the Unix operating system, which has its roots in the engineering and scientific communities in the 1970s. Until recently, Linux found its primary users among Internet service providers, software developers, and universities. But in the past year or so, Linux has been showing up in some large corporations, and it's beginning to spread, ever so slowly, to home computers, especially for running home-based Web sites.

Key Takeaways:

  • Linux has been developed since 1991 by Linus Torvalds, a student at the University of Helsinki, and has engendered strong loyalty among a growing community of users.
  • The operating system is growing in popularity, with Intel, Netscape, Oracle, and other major companies announcing plans to make products available for Linux.
  • Linux is a simpler clone of the Unix operating system, which has its roots in the engineering and scientific communities in the 1970s.
  • Linux is free, powerful, fast, and stable, with the source code available for anyone to tinker with and customize.
  • The spread of Linux is likened to the evolution of the Internet, with graphical user interfaces emerging to make the system easier to use.
  • The dearth of commercial games for Linux remains a problem, but Linux has hundreds of free games available.
  • Machines with Linux installed are becoming more widely available, with VA Research offering machines with Linux installed, ranging in price from $1,200 to $40,000.
  • College students are taking to Linux in increasing numbers, with Linux users often explored in computer science departments.

Statistics:

  • Linux was first developed in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, a student at the University of Helsinki.
  • Linux has been showing up in some large corporations in the past year or so.
  • Some 7 million people worldwide use Linux, and that number is doubling every year.
  • The number of commercial applications available for Linux is beginning to grow, with Corel planning to begin selling Wordperfect 8.0 for Linux.
  • Linux can be made to run on a PC in lieu of Windows, and can also be installed in dual-boot mode.
  • A CD-ROM for installing Linux on a PC is available from Red Hat for $49.

Sources:

  • James Love, director of the Consumer Project on Technology, said that "If you don't want Microsoft running your life, then you should try Linux."
  • Eric Raymond, a programmer and Linux evangelist, said that Linus Torvalds "did it for the hack value."
  • Rob Enderle, an analyst with Giga Information Group, said that 97 percent of all PCs run under some flavor of operating system created by Microsoft.
  • Jon DeVaan, vice president for Microsoft's desktop applications division, said that Microsoft has no plans to develop applications for Linux.
  • Geof Myers, a software engineer and Linux fan, said that Linux is "perfectly easily to use" and that you can do it on a cheaper machine.
  • Ben Drasin, a programmer in Cary, N.C., said that he wouldn't recommend that his mom install Linux because of the complex installation process.
  • Stuart Hysom, a graduate student at Emory University in Atlanta, said that he would recommend that people use a dual boot machine until they felt comfortable enough with Linux as their sole platform.