Linux Kept Growing

Linux use grew steadily. Engineers who wanted to quickly test a piece of hardware or students who couldn't afford commercial software were able to adopt Linux for their needs. Linux has at least doubled its user base every year of its existence.

Since 1994 the growth has been particularly impressive. Attention was paid to making Linux easier to install, use, and maintain. People began putting together "distributions" of the Linux kernel bundled with useful applications and utilities. The Linux Documentation Project was begun, ensuring that newcomers would be able to find the information they needed to get the most out of the platform. And commercial companies began paying more attention to Linux, making sure that driver information was avialable for hardware and specifications were available for software.