The enormous consumer market for IBM PCs and compatibles has made them affordable. Now, with a free operating system called Linux, these inexpensive machines can be converted into powerful workstations for teaching, research and software development. For professionals who use Unix-based workstations at work, Linux permits virtually identical working environments on their personal home machines. For cost-conscious educational institutions-especially in developing nations-Linux can create world-class computing environments from inexpensive, easily maintained PC clones. And for university students-especially in science and engineering-Linux provides an essentially cost-free path into Unix and X Windows. >