Chapter 1. Introducing Linux

This chapter introduces Linux. Linux is the UNIX-like kernel of an operating system initially developed by Linus Torvalds at the University of Helsinki in the early 1990s. Hundreds of programmers that were connected through the Internet helped develop Linux into a fullfunction operating system. In this chapter we explore these questions:

• What does Linux offer as an enterprise-class operating system?

• What is the role of Open Source in Linux development?

• How can Linux run on the mainframe architecture?