If there's one aspect of Linux that has lead to its popularity it is the ability of a suitably enthused individual to produce their own distribution. It has spawned thousands of different solutions and, in turn, has lead to the creation of numerous tools and products that we all find useful; the RPM package management system was introduced to help install the packages that made up the RedHat system. Today, most software is distributed in RPM format, even if your system isn't necessarily Redhat based.

The distribution model of Linux has also spawned companies: RedHat, SuSe and others would not exist without Linux.