Who is credited with starting Linux?

Linus Torvalds is recognized as the individual who initiated the development of the Linux operating system. In 1991, as a computer science student at the University of Helsinki, he began working on a free and open-source kernel that would later evolve into the widely-used Linux operating system. Torvalds released the first version—Linux 0.01—encouraging collaboration and contributions from the global programming community. This participatory model not only fostered significant enhancements and iterations of the operating system but also laid the groundwork for numerous distributions, making Linux one of the most popular operating systems, particularly for servers and developers today.

The other figures mentioned, while influential in the tech world, did not start Linux. Richard Stallman is known for founding the Free Software Foundation and creating the GNU Project, which works alongside Linux but is distinct from its development. Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft and is primarily associated with the Windows operating system. Steve Jobs was the co-founder of Apple and is known for innovations in personal computing but did not contribute to the inception of Linux.