what is linux

you know, i thought i knew what linux was, i use windows, what is linux, how is it different? why do programmers tend to preffer linux if they do? is it stablity or what?

Lunix = l33t.

But seriously.  If you run into linux fanboys, I give odds 10 to 1 that it's an elitist thing.  That's what I've generally run into.  If you run into someone who uses it and understands that all operating systems exist for a reason and that some are better than others in various areas, but there's no "best" OS, you're talking to someone who probably uses linux because they're interested in the way it works and they enjoy tinkering with it.  (Much as your dedicated mechanic loves tinkering with cars, but with less grease.)

Don't let slashdot convince you that the entire IT industry is filled with linux fanboys.  It's not.  Slashdot *is* filled with a lot of 16 year old elitist twits, though.

Linux *can* be very stable or very unstable, depending on the software running on it.  Pretty much just like windows.  Linux has one advantage in that it's free and the source code is available to play with in your own time.  Windows has one advantage in that it's easier to use, more widely supported, and (lately) has a much easier upgrade path for fixing OS bugs.

Any OS that requires I recompile the kernel even *once* isn't going to be an OS that I recommend to Grandma.

Referring to Linux as though it were a single monolithic OS is, of course, a bit of a misrepresentation.  There are dozens of flavors of linux, all with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Now, as far as *you're* concerned, stick with windows.  Don't start using linux unless you have a burning desire to do so, because it will take that burning desire to stick through the rough spots.