Why Supercomputers Use Linux Instead Of Windows Or macOS
Why Supercomputers Use Linux Instead Of Windows Or macOS
https://www.bgr.com/2160167/why-supercomputers-use-linux-not-windows-macos/
Publish Date: 2026-05-05 09:17:00
Source Domain: www.bgr.com
Linux will turn 35 this year, with the free and open source operating system launching in 1991. Linus Torvalds created the Linux kernel, and since then, it has been built upon by an army of programmers. In those 35 years, Linux has gone from a niche project to one of the most installed operating systems of all time, partially thanks to the thousands of variations of distributions available. It has also become synonymous with the supercomputer sector of the tech world.
Key to Linux’s success in this realm is that it’s open source. That means it can be used either commercially or privately for free, however the developer sees fit. With that in mind, having no overhead cost on the core piece of software used to run their servers is immensely appealing to operations building out a supercomputer.
Linux has become even more popular in recent months, with half a million Windows users shifting to it in 2025. While it’s been gaining traction for home users, Linux has been the go-to for powering supercomputers across the world for decades. Microsoft even uses Linux to power some of its Azure Cloud services. So why is it that supercomputers tend to stick with something like Linux over Windows or macOS? It all comes down to flexibility, and being flexible is one of the things Linux can do that Windows 11 can’t. And, of course, Macs are notorious for being virtually unchangeable (though that’s a bit of a myth).
Why do supercomputers use Linux?
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