First, let me say that I am uniquely unqualified to write about this week's topic. Like most of you, I've never used Linux. But Linux users are making themselves heard these days.

My completely unscientific conclusion is drawn from the Linux community's passion for the product. In fact, the number of Linux bigots is bigger than the number of Mac zealots. How do I know? The "get Linux" responses to my all-too-frequent Microsoft Windows columns have increased substantially. Actually, the Linux camp is a pretty reasonable bunch, less inclined to spew vitriol than some of the more wacked Mac fanatics.

According to www.linux.org, the number of registered users sits at a piddling 62,000. But proponents guesstimate 6 million because -- surprise -- most Linux users don't register.

Here are the high points of the Linux story. It's free -- downloadable from 10 or so FTP sites. It can be found preloaded on some PCs or on a CD stitched into a Linux book. It runs on lots of hardware platforms. It's an alternative to Windows. And it was developed by University of Helsinki student Linus Torvalds. He developed Linux in 1991 as something better than Minix, a small Unix business system.

One defense of Linux as a better operating system is found in a clumsily produced FAQ at www.linux.org. With a few typos and some fuzzy language, it challenges assumptions about Linux: that there are no applications for it, that it's hard to install (our Beowulf review also confirms Linux's "for techies only" reputation) and that its security is suspect. The FAQ also says Linux boasts better multitasking and threading than Windows, but that's hardly a pitch to the computing masses.

A short, cogent pitch on why you should use Linux instead of Windows is lacking. Like Unix itself, you sort of have to figure it out for yourself. Perhaps Linux could use some old-fashioned Windows marketing. Then it wouldn't be Linux. But I do think whoever runs the Web site should fix the line, "How to I install Linux?"

Perhaps Torvalds' unusual reasoning on why the Linux logo is a penguin will help: "When you think penguin, you should be imagining a slighly [he left out the 't,' but we forgive him, since his native language is probably Finnish] overweight penguin sitting down after having gorged itself and having just burped. The world is a good place when you have just eaten a few gallons of raw fish and you can feel another burp coming."

Still stumped? Somehow, he translates this image into small and large versions of Linux. But his Usenet quote on the latest version, Linux 2.0, says it better: "Some people have told me they don't think a fat penguin really embodies the grace of Linux, which tells me they've never seen an angry penguin charging at them in excess of 100 mph. They'd be a lot more careful about what they say if they had."

Yes, the Linux camp, like a fat, speedy penguin, is making noise. However, some of the 25 letters I've gotten on Linux simply refer to it as a Windows alternative, not something they worship or even use. Still, it's easy to like the idea of it. And for corporate IT, there's the Linux International users group (www.li.org).

Linux has a snowball's chance in hell of making perceptible inroads against Windows. And Torvalds left UHel last year for the commercial world.

I admit to being a complete coward when it comes to installing Linux. I've read it religiously observes hard disk partitions and won't interfere with other applications and OSes I might have. Understand, though: I have a PC, and when you get one of those running right, you don't touch a thing.

Will someone tell me what's so great about Linux? Write me at john_dodge@zd.com.

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