Linux Distributions. This is a good question and one not so easily answered. Everybody has their own opinion as to what they need an operating system to do and more than that people have different needs. read more
Most Linux distros come with libraries of pre-compiled, tested software that is virus-free and ready to install, entirely free, no credit card, no trials, no registration. Linux Mint for instance comes with 40,000 free programs - and that's just the beginning of what's available. read more
There are some Linux distributions which charge money such as Red Hat Linux and ELive but the majority are provided free at the point of use. The free as in speech term refers to how you use the components that make up Linux such as the tools, the source code, the documentation, the images and everything else. read more
That's why GNU/Linux can be truncated to just Linux. Some may cry and wail, but it's just easier this way. Another thing that should be cleared up is that there isn't just one Linux OS. read more