erm.......sorry stupid question, but what is Linux, is it a software, a platform a type of computer, what? please answer in simple terms for me. Thanx

[MikeV]

It's an Operating System. Like Windows, MacOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, BeOS, etc. Not to go into too much detail, it's a Unix clone invented by a Finnish student, Linus Torvalds, in the early 90's. He made the source code freely available to other developers, who in turn did the same with their software or tweaks, and the ultimate software snowball has been created.
http://www.linux.com/firststep/whatis/ is a good description.
-M

so what is the best OS?

What will that new windows xp be like?

[WindowsBUM]

LINUX is a very powerful and very stable OS. I wish that I had learned it back when I was in highschool when I had more time. Now at my ripe old age of 20. I work and goto school and have little time to learn the OS. In your name it says '86 I am wondering if you are 14 or 15. If you are and you want to be a computer guy(nerd) the rest of you days then LEARN LINUX and Windows. If not then don't even really worry about LINUX.

i am 15 on a week on sunday, i would love to a computer freak, but the trouble is, I don't hardly know anything about them!

[maxim]

If you want to become a computer freak, then do what I did. That is watch TechTv everyday (Mainly 'The Screensavers'), and read as much as you can. Just a few weeks ago, I was clueless about computers. Then I watched 'The Screensavers', kept on watching it, and then started reading everything that I could on the internet about computers and UNIX/Linux. Better yet, Just read everything on this website, and then you will become one of the best. I too, am going to get Linux soon. Good Luck!

--maxim