On August 25, 1991, a 21-year-old Finnish computer science student posted a message to the comp.os.minix newsgroup. It would become one of the most famous announcements in computing history:
From: torvalds@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Linus Benedict Torvalds) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Subject: What would you like to see most in minix? Hello everybody out there using minix - I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones.
"Won't be big and professional." History's most understated announcement. Three decades later, Linux runs on everything from smartphones to supercomputers, from cars to the International Space Station. It's the foundation of Android, the backbone of cloud computing, and the kernel inside nearly every piece of networking equipment on Earth.
"Software is like sex: it's better when it's free."
— Linus Torvalds
Article In Progress
This article is being written. Check back soon for the full story of Linux's creation.
Coming Soon
This article will explore:
- Helsinki, 1991: A student and his 386
- The Tanenbaum-Torvalds debate: monolithic vs microkernel
- How the GPL shaped Linux's growth
- From version 0.01 to world domination
- The distributed development revolution
- Git: when version control becomes a problem