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Tens of thousands of independent programmers contribute code to
project maintainers for inclusion in Linux. Improvements and bug fixes
developed and submitted by companies and individual programmers are
included in Linux releases based on technical merit alone. When a new
Linux kernel is released, it is put up on the main Linux kernel site,
www.kernel.org.
There are a number of good Linux news web sites keeping the programmer
and user community continuously updated about the latest developments
in the kernel. The best way to keep track of the kernel development
though is undoubtedly the Linux kernel mailing list. One can find all
the Linux source code in the /usr/src/ directory of a native Linux
partition. Also, a detailed documentation including discussions of
major issues such as kernel hacking has been kept in the
/usr/src/linux*/Documentation directory. The users interested in
extracting details about the configuration workings of the OS at
runtime can take a look at the contents of the /proc file system which
is used by the kernel to provide information to the user programs. A
user who has worked on Microsoft Windows OS will understand the
difference here.
A program to extract and print the currently running kernel's
information can be as small as 5 lines of C code in Linux. To achieve
the same task under MS Windows would leave the programmer clueless as
to how to hack the system to get these details. When a Linux system
crashes on a user's machine he may post the crash log on a mailing
list such as one listed above, and he might find the bug-fix within
hours of posting. If such type of system crash happens on any other
proprietary OS, the user may need to wait for months or even years
till the next expensive release/update comes into market. The above
two examples show us where Open Source Software scores over its
rivals.

A Linux distribution includes the Linux kernel plus utilities,
programming tools, window managers, and other software that make up a
full operating system. Distribution companies, such as Caldera, Red
Hat, SuSE, Turbo Linux, and nonprofit organizations such as Debian,
download the latest Open Source packages from the Internet, QA them,
add utilities such as installation programs, and package them on a
CD-ROM with a manual.

The underlying code in each distribution is exactly the same. Slight
differences may occur in the following:
• Hardware installation programs
• Default X-windows configuration
• Graphical systems management tools
• Proprietary software packages (very few)
In the vast majority of cases, Linux applications are compatible with
all distributions of Linux, which accounts for the aphorism "Linux is
Linux is Linux."
Distribution vendors take the kernel as is, with all changes and fixes
that are contributed by members of the development community. Each
distribution company releases new distributions about twice a year.
The Open Source development model discourages distribution vendors
from forking the Linux code base into incompatible code streams. The
GPL specifies that additions, modifications, and extensions to Linux
be distributed in source code form whenever executables are made
available. If a distribution company were to acquire development
expertise and attempt to build unique features into Linux, its
innovations would be released back to the development community. Truly
valuable changes would then be included in the next release of Linux
and/or freely adopted by other distribution vendors, eliminating any
competitive advantage. Currently, independent developers contribute
the vast majority of fixes, patches, and additions to Linux. Each one
of these modifications improves the stability and functionality of
Linux.