What is Linux?

Before we determine what makes Linux such a great asset to your skill-set, let’s define it first. Linux is operating system software that runs on a hardware computer system. An operating system is software that allows other programs like word processors and web browsers to be installed and run on a computer.
Your cell phone, tablet, laptop and desktop all need an operating system to run the software (often called applications) you want to use. This means that Linux is not limited to only desktops and laptops, and we will expand on that as we continue our discussion.
The main reason why learning Linux is useful is that Linux is used almost everywhere! Linux is used on desktop and laptop computers, web servers, mobile devices (Android), public cloud technology (i.e., Google, Amazon, etc), Chromebooks, and networking (i.e., Cisco Networks). Although you may not have ever used Linux on a desktop or laptop, it is likely that you are using other technology that runs on Linux such as a mobile phone running Android, a tablet or popular websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon. In fact, it is estimated that servers running Linux generate over half of the web pages on the internet.