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this post was submitted on 09 Apr 2024
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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It did take off, just not so much on the Desktop. I think those infights are really just opinions and part of further development. Having choices might be a great part of the overall success.
Unix already had a significant presence in server computers during the late 80s, migrating to Linux wasn't a big jump. Besides, the price of zero is a lot more attractive when the alternative option costs several thousand dollars
Dang, I WISH. Places that constantly beg for donations like public libraries and schools will have Windows-everything infrastructure "because market share". (This is what I was told when I was interviewing for a library IT position)
They might have gotten "lucky" with a grant at some point, but having a bank of 30+ computers for test-taking that do nothing but run MS Access is a frivilous budget waste, and basically building your house on sand when those resources could go to, I dunno... paying teachers, maybe?
Licensing is weird especially in schools. It may very well be practically free for them to license. Or for very small numbers of computers they might be able to come out ahead by only needing to hire tech staff that are competent with Windows compared to the cost of staff competent with Linux. Put another way, in my IT degree program every single person in my graduating class was very competent as a Windows admin, but only a handful of us were any good with Linux (with a couple actively avoiding Linux for being different)
Convincing companies to switch to no name free software coming from Sun or Digital certainly was a big jump.