When Linus Torvalds released the Linux kernel all the way back in 1991, I wonder if he had the faintest inkling of how world-changing it would be. Not only because it’s a robust clean-sheet approach to replicating UNIX, but also thanks to its open software license.
Today, Linux is everywhere. Ironically, the only place Linux is still rare is on desktop computers. While the year of the Linux desktop always seems to be “next year,” when it comes to the other everyday devices you use, there’s a very high chance what you’re working with is none other than Linux.
Your smart TV is basically a Linux computer
It’s penguin-powered
If you have a Samsung TV running Tizen, or an LG TV running webOS, or any Android TV or Google TV device, then you’ll find the Linux kernel at the core for their software.
This makes perfect sense, because the Linux kernel can handle anything these devices would need to do, and because today the Linux kernel is published under a GPL v2 license, manufacturers are allowed to lock their devices down. They don’t need to publish the source code of what they add on to the kernel, and they don’t need to allow other operating systems to run on these devices. Consequently, Linux is a prime choice for a device like a Smart TV.