Linux ( news - web sites) was created as the people's software, free and open for everyone to use, in an attempt to thwart the commercialization of technology. But now the decade-old operating system is getting as corporate as button-down shirts and PowerPoint presentations.
One in five servers, computers that handle Internet traffic and corporate networks, ran on Linux among those sold last year, and the software is expected to gain market share.
The economic downturn has been brutal toward dot-coms, many of which have disappeared. But Linux, closely associated with Internet start-ups like Yahoo! and Amazon.com, is more than just surviving. It's becoming a player, gaining favor with budget-conscious, old-line companies drawn by its performance improvements and lack of licensing costs.
Tech giants such as International Business Machines , Oracle Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. all back the system.
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