These 10 open-source apps built Linux into what it is today
These 10 open-source apps built Linux into what it is today
https://www.howtogeek.com/these-open-source-apps-built-linux-into-what-it-is-today/
Publish Date: 2026-04-04 07:30:00
Source Domain: www.howtogeek.com
An operating system is only as good as the apps it runs. Linux has been able to challenge proprietary systems because it can deliver some “killer apps.” Here are some of the best applications, both on servers and on the desktop, that have grown up alongside Linux.
Apache
Linux’s original “killer app”
The Apache web server, officially the Apache HTTP Server Project, could be considered the “killer app” of Linux, at least on the server side. This server powered the dot-com boom of the ’90s. It took Linux from a curiosity among computer hobbyists and academic computer scientists, to a mainstream alternative to Windows and traditional Unix servers. Along with MySQL and Samba, it’s the main reason that Linux is the cornerstone of modern IT. If anything could be a “killer app” for Linux for real use, it could be Apache.
While nginx has overtaken Apache in deployments, it’s still a popular web server.
MySQL/MariaDB
The premier open-source database
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