After it’s first launch , thousands of programmers and users got attracted towards LINUX . Today we can say that Linux is the first choice of millions of people all over the globe . It is different from other operating systems as it comes with a host of positive developments . This is because of what LINUX offers to users and programmers , such as scalability , security , consistency , user friendliness , freedom and non pirated enterprise software . Many of the advantages of Linux are an aftermath of its origins , deeply rooted in UNIX .

Linux is Free : Linux is a freely distributable operating system . The first thought that comes to mind is what does free means . When we say Linux is free that does not mean it is always free of cost . Here , free implies the freedom to work . You can download the Linux for free from Internet , without registration and without going into per user per year kind of licensing . You are free to use , free to customize , free to modify , free to distribute and also free to brand your modified variant . Modification is possible because its source code is freely available . This makes the Linux free . It has already been explained that no licensing is required for Linux . Again , this does not mean that there is no license . Like any other software Linux also has a license . Linux comes with GNU Public License (GPL) . The license states that anybody who may want to use and apply Linux can do so . Anybody has the right to change Linux and eventually redistribute a changed version , on the condition that he makes available the code after redistribution . In other words we can say that you are always free to grab a kernel image , for any of your functionality as long as your client can still have a copy of that code .

Linux is Hardware Independent : Linux is compatible with nearly all available hardware . As mentioned in the previous section , its source code is freely downloadable and that also comes with the GPL license , you are free to follow the documentation available and customize so as to work with your unsupported hardware . This makes the Linux hardware independent .

Linux is Secure : Linux has proven , beyond doubt , the sound security level it offers . This security aspect is the key feature of Linux and its security model is entirely based on UNIX , which we all know is very robust and of proven quality . In Linux , security is not only restricted to the security from internet threats but it is also very much secure from other system related breaches or malpractices . Linux offers security at all levels , such as User level , Application level , System level , Device level , Inner threats , External threats .

Linux is Scalable : When Linux was in the gestation process , its creators wanted to make an operating system that was extensively suitable for any application , any hardware , and any process . They wanted it to work with computers with high power and capacities like of super computers , mainframes , and with computer for personal use like PCs , laptops and even with computers of limited resources like Palmtop , PDAs , etc., so that Linux fits everywhere .