@PalePimp @charlie_root @dcc @Goalkeeper @Volkish_Observer @tyler >What you call an OS is a combination of programs, and last time I checked there aren't many alternatives with as many programs and hardware support as Linux.
An OS is a system of software that allows you to operate a computer.

Linux is NOT an OS as it does NOT operate on its own; https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/tree/init/main.c#n1525
To explain the C in English, when Linux boots up, it looks for an init (i.e. systemd), or finally a shell and if it can't find either it panics and shuts down.

That init in turn launches the rest of the software that the computer needs to work.


Linux does contain a lot of drivers for hardware, although there are many drivers that run in userspace.


Very few programs are written to interface against Linux's SYSCALL API, programs usually interface with a libc like glibc instead.

The program support is composed of core GNU libraries, as well as many other libraries built on top of GNU.

As a result, programs tend to work just as well when compiled on GNU/Linux or GNU/Hurd.