A Linux device is a computer appliance that is powered by the Linux kernel and possibly parts of the GNU operating system. Linux is an open-source and community-developed operating system for computers, servers, mainframes, mobile devices, and embedded devices. It is supported on almost every platform and is used in many different settings, supporting many different use cases. Linux is similar to other operating systems such as Windows, macOS, or iOS, but it is different in many important ways. For example, Linux is open-source software, meaning that the code used to create Linux is free and available to the public to view, edit, and contribute to.
Many devices that people own, such as Android phones and tablets, Chromebooks, digital storage devices, personal video recorders, cameras, wearables, and more, run Linux. Linux is also used as a network OS for routers, switches, domain name system servers, home networking devices, and more. Linux is used in scientific computing tasks that require huge compute clusters, running databases, desktop and endpoint computing, and running mobile devices with OS versions like Android.
In summary, a Linux device is a computer appliance that runs on the Linux operating system. Linux is an open-source and community-developed operating system that is used in many different settings and supports many different use cases.