Red Hat

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What is Red Hat Linux?

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that "Every revolution was first a thought in one man's mind."

That's exactly how the Linux revolution began.

It was created in 1991 by then college student Linus Torvalds. He wanted to create an operating system for his own use based on expensive, proprietary Unix.

He made the new OS available on the Internet with source code, and protected it with a special license that allowed others to improve the software as long as the code remained visible and modifiable. In other words, open.

As the demand for Linux grew, Red Hat and other companies began selling a packaged version of the OS, including documentation and support.

RedHat Linux often found its way into server rooms because it was cheaper to deploy, but stayed because of its reputation as a stable, reliable operating system.

Now Linux rises on a wave of inevitability. It has become the world's fastest growing server OS, according to research firm IDC. And it continues to achieve widespread adoption among the largest enterprises in mission-critical roles. A Merrill Lynch study found that a third of CIOs plan to buy Linux systems this year. Another Merrill Lynch study found that a quarter of CIOs said that Linux is strategic to their enterprise.

But all Linux is not created equal. There's Linux you can download and piece together yourself, and there's Red Hat Linux. Here's the difference:

RedHat engineers assemble the Linux Kernel and other elements of the Linux operating system, compile it, and test it for performance and reliability. Then they add new features, test for compatibility--all while sharing the software with customers, partners and software vendors, and members of the open source community in a structured feedback cycle. No other Linux company has a process this complete or meticulous.