Linux : a kernel and the most famous piece of Free software

Kernel: the core of an operating system (manages hardware...).

By 1990, the GNU operating system was almost complete; the only major missing component was the kernel.

1991, Linus Torvalds: I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones.

Linux was quickly released under the GNU GPL, and got to version 1.0 in 1994!

One should talk about the Linux kernel, and the GNU/Linux operating system.

Linux is also emblematic of the success of the Free software development model.