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Linux

Linux is an open operating system that forms the foundation of nearly all professional server, cloud, and container infrastructure.

For developers: the environment their applications ultimately run in – regardless of the language they're written in.
For operations teams: the stable foundation underneath Kubernetes, databases, and monitoring.
For decision-makers: a proven, openly documented foundation with no license fees.
And for us: the platform we operate every day.

What is Linux?​

Linux is an operating system kernel around which various distributions (e.g. Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux) are built. Unlike desktop operating systems, Linux mostly runs invisibly in the background on servers: it manages processes, networking, and hardware for the systems that are actually in focus – such as Kubernetes is a system for managing containerized applications – automated, scalable, and fault-tolerant. Learn more →, databases, or Containers are isolated, lightweight runtime environments for software. Learn more →.

Important for context: Linux operates at the server level, not the application level. Whether software is written in Python, Java, C#, or any other language makes no difference to running it on Linux – almost any modern application can run inside a Linux container.

Why does this matter?​

  • Prevalence: The vast majority of the world's server and cloud infrastructure runs on Linux.
  • Transparency: The source code is openly available and auditable – no black box.
  • Security updates: An established ecosystem provides regular, well-documented Patch management keeps systems secure, stable, and reliably up to date. Learn more →.
  • No license costs: Unlike commercial server operating systems, there are no ongoing license fees per server or core.

Does my software need to be written for Linux?​

No. Linux is the layer RiKuWe operates – servers, clusters, databases, monitoring. Your application itself can be built in any common language; it runs inside a Linux container or a Linux VM without requiring any code changes. This separation between the operating system layer and the application layer is exactly why Linux became the common foundation for such different software landscapes.

How we handle this at RiKuWe​

For us, Linux isn't a single building block – it's the common foundation under everything we operate:

  • We install, harden, and maintain the server operating systems underneath your applications
  • Security updates run documented and traceable, not ad hoc
  • Kubernetes, databases, and monitoring are consistently built on this shared foundation
  • We operate exclusively at the server level – not your workstations or end-user devices

Your software can be written in any language. What runs underneath it, with us, is Linux.

Linux with RiKuWe​

Almost all of our services are built on this shared foundation:

Frequently Asked Questions​

Does my software need to be written for Linux?

No. Linux is the server layer that RiKuWe operates. Your application can be built in any common language and runs inside a Linux container or Linux VM without any code changes.

Does Linux mean everything has to be open source?

No. Linux is the operating system we use to run servers – independent of whether your application itself is open source or proprietary. If you also want to replace commercial software with open-source tools, that is a separate offering.

Does RiKuWe also manage Linux on workstations or laptops?

No. We operate exclusively at the server and infrastructure level – not workstations, PCs, or end-user devices. That is what sets us apart from a classic IT service provider.

Is Linux more secure than other server operating systems?

Thanks to its prevalence and openness, Linux has a mature security ecosystem with regular, well-documented updates. What actually determines security, though, is less the operating system alone than ongoing maintenance – which is exactly what we take on.

Last updated on by Thomas Kugi
Thomas Kugi
Thomas Kugi
Version: v1.25.1