What is GNU/Linux? When you hear the word Linux, you may think of programmers with a beard typing obscure code on a black screen. Good news! things have changed.

The picture GNU/Linux is an operating system, a large piece of software that manages a computer. It is similar to Microsoft Windows, but it is entirely free. The accurate name is GNU/Linux but "Linux" is used more often. GNU/Linux is not one company's product, but a number of companies and groups of people contribute to it. In fact, the GNU/Linux system is a core component, which is branched off into many different products. They are called distributions. Distributions change the appearance and function of GNU/Linux completely. They range from large, fully supported complete systems (endorsed by companies) to lightweight ones that fit on a USB memory stick or run on old computers (often developed by volunteers).

Using GNU/Linux GNU/Linux is no harder to use than Windows, and has many more capabilities. It just takes a dozen minutes to get familiar with a distribution like the ones we recommend for newcomers, which come in with many programs installed. If you need commercial-quality software to work with business documents, Internet/networking, or multimedia and graphics, it's there right out of the box. Want more than that? GNU/Linux can do – there are many hundreds of free, high quality applications you can find, install and uninstall neatly and easily. You shouldn't assume however, that GNU/Linux is a clone of Windows. To know what to expect when stepping into it, we suggest you read our Making the switch page.