It isn't the end of the world!
Although definitely keep reading...
In 1983 the GNU project was started to create a Unix-like operating system,
so that users would have the freedom to share and improve the software they
use. There were many pieces that needed to be written and one of the last
pieces was a kernel.
In 1991 Linus Torvalds started a terminal emulator, which he used to access
the large UNIX servers of the university he attended. He later realized that
what he had written was an operating system kernel.
Linus needed a license for his new creation and since the GNU GPL license
suited him it was adopted as the license for the kernel he wrote. This
license choice made it a perfect fit for use with the GNU projects utilities
and thus the distribution was born.
Now the problem was that in the 1990s a 2nd camp formed which decided freedom
was just not that important. They started using the word open source. One of
the reasons this was done was to attract companies to contribute to and use
free software. However this ignored the reasons for free software exists.
Free software exists because of the ethical dilemma of not being able to
share.
Now the name Linux caught on quite by accident. There was no objection
initially. However there was no coinage of the term "open source" either.
There was only free software. Because of this divide in the community it was
important that people be made aware of the importance of freedom. This was
not something the "open source" proponents were advocating so if a user went
to the "Linux" site they would not be introduced to freedom (free software
principles):
There are four freedoms you should know:
Freedom 0: The freedom to run the program for any purpose.
Freedom 1: The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make
it do what you wish.
Freedom 2: The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
Freedom 3: The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements
(and modified versions in general) to the public, so that the whole community
benefits.
