Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.
Linux is an operating system whose kernel was developed by Linus Torvalds and initially distributed in 1991. Linux has evolved to become a widely accepted operating system with a wealth of applications. Today, many Linux distributions also contain a variety of tools and utilities provided by the open source community (e.g., from the GNU project). Linux is platform-independent and executes on many architectures, including IBM System z, IBM Power Systems™, Intel®, Alpha®, or Sparc®. Linux is Open Source software which means that the source code may be downloaded free of charge. You can learn more about Open Source on www.opensource.org.
Although the source code is free, only system programmers build their own distributions. For production purposes, Linux distributions built by Linux distribution partners are used.
Linux on System z is the synonym for Linux running on any IBM mainframe, including:
Linux on System z exploits the strengths and reliability features of the System z hardware, while preserving the openness and stability of Linux.
For more information refer to the Linux on System z homepage at: ibm.com/systems/z/os/linux
Linux on System z distributions are offered by Linux distribution partners who provide services and support.
IBM offers consulting services, defect and remote technical support for all eligible generally available distributions of Linux for System z.
For more information, please contact your IBM representative or business partner or call 1-800-426-4968 (U.S.) or the appropriate IBM number in your region.
These pages are provided to describe Linux on System z functionality for system programmers. Some of the information is useful for users of Linux on System z distributions.