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I have few questions.

When we say Linux, does it refer to only the kernel?

When we say Linux is opensource/free, does it mean only the Linux Kernel is free? or does it mean that the linus kernel source code is free but it's distributed code is not free?

How is RedHat Enterprise Linux different from Linux?

Kusalananda
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Sudipta Mohapatra
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  • @Martin_in_AUT Well, I think the second point may be on-topic here. But agreed the first and third are off-topic, and also (as I know you're aware) posts should be only one question. – Philip Kendall Feb 23 '23 at 15:59
  • There are 10s, if not 100s of similar questions answered on Unix & Linux SE (also similar to the second question). I really believe that is the better place. –  Feb 23 '23 at 16:26
  • @Martin_in_AUT . I am new here. I wasn't aware of "Unix & Linux SE group". Thanks for pointing that out. – Sudipta Mohapatra Feb 23 '23 at 17:15
  • @SudiptaMohapatra Don't worry! I am glad you found us. I am just trying to refer you to the place that is focused on your topic, where you get the (in my opinion) best answer to your questions. Please come back when you have a specific open-source related question. –  Feb 23 '23 at 22:56
  • Does this answer your question? Why do people call Linux a kernel rather than an OS? – AdminBee Feb 24 '23 at 13:26

1 Answers1

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When we say Linux, does it refer to only the kernel?

Depends on who does the saying...

A strict interpretation would be that Linux is indeed just the kernel, and e.g. the userspace tools coming from other projects is the background for the "GNU/Linux" phrase, which e.g. Debian uses. In practice, a lot of people probably don't care, and just call whole distributions "Linux". To add to the confusion, next to no-one seems to call Android "Linux", even though it uses the Linux kernel, just with a significantly different userspace from other common Linux systems (e.g. Debian).

How is RedHat Enterprise Linux different from Linux?

RHEL is an operating system that uses (the) Linux (kernel) as one component, the kernel. But it contains other stuff too, like the actual userspace programs that are necessary to use the kernel in any meaningful way. Plus it packages applications programs.

"Linux" is either just the kernel, and as such distributed as part of RHEL; or it's the wider concept of various systems using that kernel, and as such RHEL is part of it. Depends on the context.

ilkkachu
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