Linux appreciation time

Sometimes we don’t know how relevant Linux is in our lives. Especially if we are used to blogging on some software set up by someone else, checking our email, etc. etc. Chances are the servers where those applications are on are running on Linux. A post on Raiden’s Realm discusses Linux in movies, airplanes and all other places you probably never thought of before. The post basically points out to readers that even though you don’t know it, Linux is in your life. Not just Linux but free and open source software. It’s not just about some geeky operating system but it’s also about how this operating system makes it easy to do certain things or enjoy certain activities. Examples? The author of the post listed the following:

• DreamWorks had over 2,000 Linux-based CPUs online by the summer of 2001. Their Shrek blockbuster was rendered on more than 1,000 mostly Linux machines, while Pixar have machines running Linux in their production and software development studios.
• In Brazil, Banrisul, one of the largest banks in South America, run all their ATM machines via a Linux operating system.
• While Paypal, used by online shoppers the world over, run their web presence and middleware tier on thousands of Linux servers.

There are probably a whole lot more of examples out there. Try asking your sys ad in the office about what he does. Or just read some articles like the one on Raiden’s Realm. Every single day those Linux machines and apps make our lives easier and I think that is a good starting point for us to get friendly with the OS, aside from our daily computing needs.