# Linux Foundation The Linux Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 2000 (as Open Source Development Labs, renamed in 2007) dedicated to fostering the growth of [[Linux]] and collaborative open source development. It employs [[Linus Torvalds]] and [[Greg Kroah-Hartman]], who maintain the Linux kernel, and provides a neutral home for many critical open source projects. Unlike the [[Free Software Foundation (FSF)]], which emphasizes software freedom as an ethical imperative, the Linux Foundation takes a pragmatic, industry-focused approach. It hosts projects across cloud computing, networking, security, and more, with corporate members including Google, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, and most major technology companies. ## Hosted Projects The Linux Foundation hosts hundreds of projects, including: - **Linux Kernel**: The core of Linux operating systems - **Kubernetes**: Container orchestration platform - **Node.js**: JavaScript runtime - **CNCF**: Cloud Native Computing Foundation - **OpenJS Foundation**: JavaScript ecosystem - **Let's Encrypt**: Free SSL/TLS certificates - **TODO Group**: Open source program offices ## Key Activities - **Kernel development**: Funds core Linux development - **Training & certification**: Linux certification programs - **Events**: LinuxCon, Open Source Summit, KubeCon - **Legal**: Patent protection and license compliance - **Research**: Open source surveys and reports ## Linux Foundation vs FSF | Aspect | Linux Foundation | FSF | |--------|------------------|-----| | Focus | Industry collaboration | Software freedom ethics | | Funding | Corporate membership | Donations | | Approach | Pragmatic | Ideological | | Projects | Hundreds hosted | GNU project | ## References - https://www.linuxfoundation.org - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Foundation ## Related - [[Linux]] - [[Linus Torvalds]] - [[Greg Kroah-Hartman]] - [[Open Source]] - [[Free Software Foundation (FSF)]] - [[Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)]]