Maybe there is such a thing as a free lunch – when it comes to computer programs, at least. Linux, a clone of commercial UNIX operating systems, allows users to run off any number of software programs ...

What are open-source operating systems? Underpinning an operating system, for example Windows on your PC or Android on your phone, is many, many lines of code. Allowing anyone to inspect the source ...

Developers talk a lot about “immutability.” Outside the technical world, it usually means something negative: unmoving, inflexible, and entrenched. However, in the technical field, these features ...

The computer's master control program. When a computer is turned on, a small "boot program" loads the operating system. Although additional system modules may be loaded as needed, the main part, known ...

Operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Linux and Apple OSx are the software “bridge” between application code and computer hardware. It’s the operating system (OS) that defines the capabilities ...