A Linux download is a downloadable software installation, or distribution, of the Linux open source operating system, a freely distributable, cross-platform operating system based on Unix. Popular Linux download distributions include Debian, Ubuntu, Gentoo, Fedora, Red Hat and openSUSE.
Linux downloads are available for both desktop and server use, and include the Linux kernel (the core of the operating system) as well as supporting tools and libraries. The term Linux download can also refer to software applications available for the Linux OS such as OpenOffice.org, Evolution and Amarok.
See Linux and operating system terms in Webopedia, and learn more about Open Source in Webopedia’s “Did You Know…?” section.
