this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2024
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Also, with windows and Mac OS, the new versions are usually just an excuse to make you pay again.
Pay what?
Mac hasn't charged for an OS in ages, and Windows has given "free upgrades" for several version because they're stealing more data and want people to switch.
This is technically very false. Windows most definitely is not "free" as in air or beer. It's license fee is reduced to 0 but there most certainly is still a license and businesses pay out the ass for them. macOS also has a license, but it comes with the hardware. Technically, you cannot install macOS on non-mac hardware, per EULA, but there's no license check outside of hardware support, which is the space the hackintosh world comes in.
I'm not sure what you think is contradicting me. I put "free" in quotes. But they're not making meaningful additional license purchases by changing the name from 10 to 11 with how much they're begging people to upgrade. And Mac straight up makes zero from licensing fees, so again, a new name doesn't mean anything. They abandon hardware with new versions when enough core functions need hardware features to work properly, which happens regardless of what they call it.
Enterprise pays plenty for Windows, but those licenses are all subscription based so new versions don't mean anything there either.