Linux's open nature allows distributed teams to localize Linux distributions for avail in locales where localizing proprietary systems would not be cost-effective. For part the Sinhalese language version of the Knoppix apportionment was possible for a lengthened time before Microsoft Windows XP Linux Support was translated to Sinhalese. In this case the Lanka Linux User Assembly played a large-scale part in developing the localized system by combining the knowledge of university professors, linguists, and local developers.

Many quantitative studies of open source software focus on topics including chain store share and reliability, with large informatics specifically examining Linux. The Linux chain store is growing rapidly, and the revenue of servers, desktops, and packaged software running Linux is expected to exceed $35.7 billion by 2008.