Red Hat Linux is a complete operating system based on the Linux kernel, which was originally created by Linus Torvalds. Linux continues to be developed by a worldwide team, led by Linus, working over the Internet and is still evolving forward rapidly. The currently stable 2.0.x kernel (on which Red Hat Linux 4.2 is based) demonstrates the remarkable talent and creativity of the Linux development community as well as the value of the cooperative development model. Please see Appendix F, Red Hat and Freely Distributable Software, for more on this subject.
Since the release of version 4.0, Red Hat Linux runs on three leading computing platforms: Intel compatibles PCs, Digital Alpha computers, and Sun SPARC equipment. Our unified source tree and the benefits of RPM (Red Hat Package Management) technology enable us to keep Red Hat Linux releases for these three platforms concurrent, which in turn enables our users to manage and port software between these platforms with minimum effort.
We are pleased to note the growing number of applications being made available on the Linux operating system, several of these from Red Hat Software. We make our versions of the Linux OS available by unrestricted FTP from our site and many mirror sites on the Internet. Red Hat Linux is also available on CD-ROM. For current information on our product offerings and links to other Linux resources please check Red Hat Software's web site at http://www.redhat.com.
On most systems, Red Hat Linux is easy to install: the installation program can walk you through the process in as little as 15 minutes. The system itself is very flexible: you can install and uninstall individual software ``packages'' with only a few mouse clicks. It is easy to maintain: package installations can be verified and corrected, and packages can be installed and uninstalled simply and reliably. Furthermore, Red Hat Linux is easy to administer: a set of graphical administration tools bundled into a ``control-panel'' reduce the hassle of everyday system administration. Complete source code is provided for the freely distributable components of the system.