Linux is an open-source operating system kernel created by Linus Torvalds in 1991. It follows the Unix philosophy of treating everything as a file and using small, single-purpose programs or commands that can be chained together to perform complex tasks. Key aspects of the Unix/Linux design include storing configuration data in text files for easy editing and portability, using small utilities that each perform one specific task well, and piping the output of one program into the input of another.