By someone who still remembers when floppy disks were cool.
When most people hear the word “Linux,” they either picture a green terminal screen filled with cryptic commands, or a penguin mascot that looks like it wandered out of a children’s cartoon. In reality, Linux is neither scary nor a cartoon character—it’s one of the most powerful and influential pieces of software in the modern world. From powering the servers that run the internet, to hiding inside your television, car, and even your fridge, Linux is everywhere.
This article takes you on a journey through Linux’s origins, its surprising everyday uses, its connection to both iOS and Android, and a frank comparison with Microsoft Windows—warts and all.
Linux began in 1991, when a Finnish student named Linus Torvalds decided he wanted a free, open-source alternative to the proprietary UNIX operating systems that dominated universities and businesses at the time. Linus released the first Linux kernel under the GNU General Public License (GPL), meaning anyone could use, modify, and distribute it—provided improvements were shared back with the community.
Combined with the GNU tools created by Richard Stallman’s Free Software Foundation, Linux quickly became a complete operating system. It wasn’t long before hackers, academics, and companies began adopting it, attracted by the philosophy of freedom and the ability to adapt the software to their own needs.
Fun fact: Linus originally wanted to call the system “Freax” (a mix of “free,” “freak,” and “Unix”). Thankfully, a friend uploaded it to an FTP server as “Linux,” and the rest is history.
You may not realise it, but Linux is already part of your life. In fact, unless you live in a cave without Wi-Fi (and if you do, well done for still reading this), you interact with Linux-powered systems daily.
Roughly 70% of all web servers run on Linux. Google, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Wikipedia all rely on it. Every time you stream a movie, post a selfie, or check your bank account, there’s a Linux box somewhere keeping the lights on. Windows does have a slice of the server market, but Linux dominates because it’s stable, secure, and free from licensing fees.
Android, which powers the majority of the world’s smartphones, is based on the Linux kernel. While Google has built its own interface, services, and app ecosystem, under the hood your Samsung Galaxy or Pixel phone is running Linux. That’s right: millions of people who swear they’d “never use Linux” are actually carrying it in their pockets.
Smart TVs, Wi-Fi routers, printers, and even some fridges run on Linux. Car infotainment systems often do as well. The reason is simple: Linux can be trimmed down to run on small chips, while still providing rock-solid reliability. If Windows had to power your washing machine, you’d probably still be waiting for the spin cycle to finish while it reboots for updates.
At the other extreme, Linux powers 100% of the world’s top 500 supercomputers. These are the machines used for climate modelling, scientific research, AI, and more. Microsoft Windows is conspicuously absent from this arena.
You might wonder: if Android is Linux-based, is iOS as well? The short answer is: not exactly, but there’s a family resemblance.
Apple’s iOS (and macOS) is based on Darwin, which in turn is derived from BSD Unix—a cousin of the same Unix family tree that inspired Linux. This makes iOS more like Linux’s posh cousin: related, but preferring to hang out at private parties instead of public ones. Both share core Unix-like principles: process isolation, hierarchical file systems, and multi-user capabilities.
Android, however, is Linux’s direct offspring. The Linux kernel provides the foundation, while Google added its own runtime, application framework, and services. If Linux is the sturdy old family home, Android is the flashy modern extension with a lot more neon lights.
So in a sense, Linux is the unseen glue that links billions of devices, whether you’re swiping on an iPhone or an Android.
Now for the age-old debate: is Linux better than Windows? Like all good rivalries (coffee vs tea, Beatles vs Stones), the answer is: it depends.
Linux shows no signs of disappearing. If anything, its quiet dominance is increasing. As more devices become “smart” and connected, Linux’s adaptability ensures it will remain the operating system of choice for embedded systems and servers. Desktop adoption may never rival Windows, but Linux doesn’t need to: it already rules the world from behind the curtain.
The biggest trend is the blending of Linux with cloud services and containers (like Docker and Kubernetes), which are revolutionising how software is deployed and scaled. Guess what powers them? Linux again.
Linux is the unsung hero of modern technology. Born from one student’s hobby project, it now powers everything from pocket-sized phones to globe-spanning supercomputers. It connects to iOS as a distant cousin, and to Android as a direct parent. Compared to Windows, Linux offers freedom, stability, and security—but with trade-offs in ease of use and software compatibility.
Whether you love it, fear it, or just unknowingly use it daily, Linux is here to stay. And next time you complain about your Windows update taking all evening, just remember: somewhere out there, a Linux server has been running non-stop for a decade without a single reboot. Beat that.