{http://www.linux.org.au/images/penguin.gif Linux Penguin (Tux)}



Linux aka [GNU]/Linux is an operating system.



It is comprised of a [GPL] kernel, Linux proper, a wide range of libraries and utilities from the [GNU] Project, the [XFree86] X Window System, and various other software.



Typically, Linux is obtained as a distribution: a pre-packaged combination of kernel, libraries, utilities, desktop apps, etc.  This makes the job of assembling a working system very easy, compared to building one from the raw hard disc up. {/regexpicons/emoticons/emoticon-face3.png ;)}



Common distributions include [RedHat], [Debian], [Slackware], [Mandrake] and [SuSE], although there are many others.



Linux is a variety of [Unix].  The exact definition of what Unix actually is depends wholely upon the context of the question, but by example, [FreeBSD], [Solaris] and even [MacOSX] all basically qualify.



Linux is quite suitable for use to set up nodes for MW, as it runs on most hardware including old stuff, supports a lot of the networking hardware out there (though not all, check before you buy), is reasonably secure when configured properly and maintained, provides a great deal of useful server functionality, and costs somewhere between not much (if you buy an official CD) and zero (if you download a distro from the net).  However, there are other operating systems that can serve the purposes of wireless networking quite well.  Melbourne Wireless is not an OS advocacy group or forum!



For more information, check out (http://www.luv.asn.au/ Linux Users of Victoria).