How are hundreds of Linux distros maintained if anyone could download them for free?

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I have started using Linux recently and have been enjoying the open-source nature of it. I was browsing a website called [distrowatch.com](http://distrowatch.com) that has hundreds of Linux distros. All of them are free to use (ubuntu, debian, Kali, Quebes, Tails, etc.) How are they maintained if it doesn’t cost anything to download and install them?

Thank you.

In: Technology

13 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Largely, it’s maintained by volunteers. Dedicated individuals or small groups creating and maintaining various distros. That said, there absolutely are corporate interests in Linux as well. Many companies use Linux for servers. If you use an android device, you’re using the Linux kernel. So there are sources of investment into the project. Plus many (not all) of the sites host ads so there is some degree of revenue coming in.

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