To describe the development of Linux one must reach back to 1969 when the Unix operating system was first conceived of and implemented at AT&Ts Bell Laboratories. The original developers were Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Douglas McIlroy and Joe Ossanna. The name was actually originally a joke, referring to a different, experimental operating system that was slow and very ineffective, called Multics.
In 1973 Unix was written again in the programming language known as “C” by Dennis Ritchie. This move allowed Unix improved portability to a larger variety of computer platforms. Because of a legal technicality AT&T was forced to license the operating system’s source code, which led to Unix becoming a popular operating system in academic and business settings.
What makes Linux different from other modern, popular operating systems is the fact that it is a free and open version of source software utilizing the Linux kernel. The usage and popularity of Linux has been on the increase in recent years, for use in laptops and desktops. There are a large number of applications on hand for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X which are available also for Linux.