this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2024
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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Makes me wonder, are there closed-source desktop environments for Linux?
Android? It’s not wholly closed source similar to RedHat they’ve got closed source elements while using open source elements.
Linux and its kernel are based on GPL and so to distribute something using it would require a compatible license. That means a full distro can’t be anything but open source and actually be distributed in free or paid versions. That doesn’t mean there aren’t closed source interfaces being used personally or undistributed.