Linux
/ˈlɪn.ʌks/ · Noun · Open Source · Origin: 1991
Definitions
Linux is an open-source, Unix-like operating system kernel created by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Combined with the GNU userland and other software, it forms complete operating systems known as Linux distributions (distros), including Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch, CentOS, and Alpine. Linux runs most of the world's servers, cloud infrastructure, Android devices, supercomputers, and embedded systems. Its open-source nature allows anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute the source code, which has fostered a massive global community of contributors. Linux supports a rich set of features including multi-user access, process isolation, virtual memory, extensive filesystem support, and robust networking. The kernel follows a monolithic design with loadable modules for device drivers and filesystem support. Package managers (apt, yum, pacman) simplify software installation and updates. Linux is the foundation of container technologies like Docker and the default operating system for most cloud virtual machines, making it an essential skill for developers and system administrators.
In plain English: A free operating system that runs the majority of the world's servers and smartphones — the invisible backbone of the internet that most people use without knowing it.
Etymology
- 1991
- Linus Torvalds posts 'just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu' on comp.os.minix
- 1994
- Linux 1.0 released; Red Hat founded
- 2003
- SCO v. IBM lawsuit threatens Linux; community rallies
Origin Story
A hobby project that powers the world
On August 25, 1991, a 21-year-old Finnish computer science student named Linus Torvalds posted a modest message to the comp.os.minix Usenet newsgroup: 'I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu).'
Torvalds had started writing his own kernel as a personal project to learn about the Intel 386 processor. What began as a hobby grew exponentially as developers around the world contributed code. By 1994, Linux 1.0 was released, and major companies began taking notice.
Today, Linux runs on everything from smartphones (Android uses the Linux kernel) to 96% of the world's top supercomputers to the vast majority of web servers. The hobby project that 'won't be big' became the foundation of modern computing infrastructure, and the open development model Torvalds pioneered influenced an entire generation of software projects.
Coined by: Linus Torvalds
Context: University of Helsinki, August 1991
Fun fact: Torvalds originally considered naming it 'Freax' (free + freak + X). The name 'Linux' came from Ari Lemmke, the FTP server admin who created the directory 'linux' instead of 'freax' because he thought it sounded better.