So you can understand them

Both Linux and the various BSDs (Berkeley Software Distributions) are free and open-source, with more similarities than differences. With that in mind, you might be asking yourself, "If they're so similar, why do they exist at all? Wouldn't it be better to have a single operating system to choose from?"

I can answer this question by also mentioning that their differences are also huge. So big in fact that if I were to cover them all, this article would become a book instead of a simple article. Instead, I will focus on the basics of both open source systems, so that you can decide for yourself which one is the best choice.

Linux is not technically considered an operating system. In reality, it is simply a kernel. A kernel is the core aspect of every operating system out there and it sits somewhere between the software and the hardware.