Answer
What most people commonly refer to as "Linux" is actually the kernel or operating system for GNU/Linux. The operating system by itself provides amongst other things a (software) platform for programs to execute on. The reason for the "GNU" prefix relates the the utilities that form part of the user's view of the operating system. These utilites allow the creation of directories, the editing of files, deleting files, etc. These utilities are not distributed in a bundled form with the Linux kernel.
The Linux kernel itself is distributed under a special license known as the GNU Public Licence (GPL) which allows people to distribute is legally, and to obtain it freely. Freely here does not refer to price, however.
Many software vendors have started creating tools and bundled packages which include the Linux kernel. These vendors, such as Red Hat, or Mandrake, or SuSe, will then give their particular release a version number, such as Red Hat Linux 4, or Mandrake Linux 10.1.
The difference mainly includes updated utilities, and an updated (newer) version of the Kernel itself. It is important to realise, however, that there is really no such thing as Linux 4, or Linux 9.
One may see something along the Lines of Linux 2.4.26 or Linux 2.6, which is referring to the version or release of the Linux Kernel.
First answer by RuntuGen. Last edit by RuntuGen. Contributor trust: 101 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 40 [recommend question]
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