If you are a technical person especially a systems analyst or someone of a similar cadre then you could definitely witnessed a variety of versions of the Linux operating system in your experience. Still it is pretty evident that they are all just controlled by a single firm. You cannot find such a standard operating system of the Linux class to be offered for free. One would not imagine doing so even in his or her wildest dreams. Still Linux is distributed freely for the benefit and the usage of everyone.
Distributions
The best part of the Linux is their varied distributions. The concept is entirely different from that of the other commercial profit motivated providers. When it comes to the Linux operating system, the various versions are just developed by whole heap of individual as well as clustered scholastic brains as a team.
There are examples of companies that have joined together to have developed their own version of the Linux. So is the case of so many groups and teams of individuals who had gathered to build their versions as well. You could have a specific kind of Linux version that will be suitable for a specified application alone.
Specific applications
For example, if you consider in the case of a few web servers, the amount of traffic flow is expected to be quite enormous at any given point of time. It is for these special reasons; there are specific versions of the Linux operating system that would be compatible to suit these sorts of needs.
It is not only just those busy traffic requirements, but there are a lot more special kinds where you will have to fit in the appropriate variety of Linux operating systems for best efficiency. There are certain junctures where the data and information stored is of prime most importance.
The significance of the data might be of precious value so as to be strictly preserved in fullest security. Some of those good examples would be the military secret resources governing analog computers, the space research organizations main frame computers, the financial institutions such as the banks of prime significance.
Confidentiality
Certain special version of the Linux operating system is particularly meant for heavy protection of the secretive data and information that is stored in these computers. It is quite appropriate to use these kinds of machines incorporating such versions of the Linux for those special applications. When you do so, the entry to access the data is allowable to only a few of those restricted users.
They are entitled with the privilege to access data from the computers of this kind. So any sort of mishap could easily be traced out by noting down the data log files of the users at various point of time. This very fact is known or made known to all those users as well, so that they would not try to meddle with security infrastructure provided in the linux environment.
Also one more attribute is there where you could use the Linux operating system on top of the other operating systems such as the windows. This would allow you the user to just try the various aspects of Linux in the familiar regular ways of their own.