Linux dirilis di bawah [[Lisensi Publik Umum GNU]] versi 2.<ref>{{Cite web|title=COPYING - kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git - Linux kernel source tree|url=https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/tree/COPYING?h=v5.13-rc7|website=git.kernel.org|access-date=2021-06-21}}</ref> Linux aslinya dikembangkan untuk [[komputer pribadi]] berarsitektur [[X86|Intel x86]], tetapi seiring waktu telah [[Porting|diportasi]] ke berbagai arsitektur, lebih banyak daripada sistem operasi lainnya.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Levine|first=Barry|date=2013-08-26|title=Linux' 22th Birthday Is Commemorated - Subtly - by Creator|url=https://www.cmswire.com/cms/information-management/linux-22th-birthday-is-commemorated-subtly-by-creator-022244.php|website=SMG/CMSWire|publisher=Simpler Media Group, Inc.|language=en|access-date=2021-06-21|quote=Originally developed for Intel x86-based PCs, Torvalds’ “hobby” has now been released for more hardware platforms than any other OS in history.}}</ref>
Sejak pertengahan 1990-an hingga 2000-an, Linux menjadi sistem operasi yang mendominasi dimengungguli pasar [[peladen]], [[komputasi awan]], dan [[superkomputer]] (dan sejak 2017, Linux adalah sistem operasi yang satu-satunya digunakan dalam daftar superkomputer [[TOP500]]).<ref>{{Cite news|last=Finley|first=Klint|date=2016-08-25|title=Linux Took Over the Web. Now, It's Taking Over the World|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/08/linux-took-web-now-taking-world/|newspaper=Wired|language=en-US|issn=1059-1028|access-date=2021-06-21}}</ref> [[komputasi awan]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=RayomeVaughan-Nichols|first=Alison DeNiscoSteven|date=2019-0706-0130|title=HowMicrosoft developer reveals Linux tookis overnow everything,more includingused Microsofton Azure than Windows Server|url=https://www.techrepubliczdnet.com/article/howmicrosoft-developer-reveals-linux-tookis-overnow-everythingmore-includingused-microsofton-azure-than-windows-server/|website=TechRepublicZDNET|language=en|access-date=20212024-0612-2130}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Germain|first=Jack M.|date=2014-02-12|title=Has Linux Conquered the Cloud?|url=https://linuxinsider.com/story/has-linux-conquered-the-cloud-79969.html|website=LinuxInsider|language=en-US|access-date=2021-06-21}}</ref> dan [[superkomputer]] (dan sejak 2017, Linux adalah sistem operasi yang satu-satunya digunakan dalam daftar superkomputer [[TOP500]]).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Vaughan-Nichols|first=Steven J.|date=2017-11-14|title=Linux totally dominates supercomputers|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-totally-dominates-supercomputers/|website=ZDNet|language=en|access-date=2021-06-21}}</ref> Linux juga mendominasi di pasar [[ponsel]] melalui sistem operasi [[Android (sistem operasi)|Android]] buatan [[Google]], yang digunakan sekitar 71 persen secara global per 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mobile Operating System Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/worldwide|website=StatCounter GlobalStats|language=en|access-date=2021-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Says|first=Jymm|date=2020-09-03|title=Linux: 29 Years and Counting as a Powerhouse OS|url=https://linuxinsider.com/story/linux-29-years-and-counting-as-a-powerhouse-os-86831.html|website=LinuxInsider|language=en-US|access-date=2021-06-21}}</ref> Dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, Linux semakin banyak digunakan di [[komputer pribadi]] meskipun [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] tetap mendominasi.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ayres|first=Jed|date=2018-10-08|title=Council Post: How Linux Is Changing The Face Of End-User Computing|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/10/09/how-linux-is-changing-the-face-of-end-user-computing/|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2022-04-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Vaughan-Nichols|first=Steven J.|date=2020-05-06|title=Most popular operating systems of 2020: The more things change...|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/whats-2020s-most-popular-operating-systems/|website=ZDNet|language=en|access-date=2022-04-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=German state ditches Microsoft for Linux and LibreOffice|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/german-state-ditches-microsoft-for-linux-and-libreoffice/|website=ZDNET|language=en|access-date=2024-12-29}}</ref>
