What is Linux?
Linux is an Open Source implementation of UNIX initiated by Linus Torvalds, which runs on many different hardware platforms.
Falconer’s owner has recently earned a Novell Certified Linux Professional (CLP) certification and become a Novell Silver Partner.
Hundreds of application programs have been written for Linux, some of these by the GNU project. Systems using protected memory and pre-emptive multitasking are inherently more stable. Because the source to Linux is open source, it is easy to customize and to update rapidly (total cost of ownership is also low). This flexibility has enabled Linux to run on everything from handheld and embedded systems to clusters of hundreds of servers.
The pronunciation of “Linux” has been a matter of much debate. Many, including Torvalds, insist on the short I pronunciation /li’nuks/ because “Linus” has an /ee/ sound in Swedish (Linus’s family is part of Finland’s 6% ethnic-Swedish minority) and Linus considers English short /i/ to be closer to /ee/ than English long /i:/ dipthong. This is consistent with the short I in words like “linen”. This doesn’t stop others demanding a long I /li:’nuks/ following the english pronunciation of “Linus” and “minus”. Others say /li’niks/ following Minix, which Torvalds was working on before Linux.