Peter
Linux Journal reports that the Linux operating system turns 17 years old as of the 5th of October.
From Linus Torvalds' original newsgroup posting on Linux:
As I mentioned a month(?) ago, I'm working on a free version of a
minix-lookalike for AT-386 computers. It has finally reached the stage
where it's even usable (though may not be depending on what you want),
and I am willing to put out the sources for wider distribution. It is
just version 0.02 (+1 (very small) patch already), but I've successfully
run bash/gcc/gnu-make/gnu-sed/compress etc under it.
It really is quite astonishing how far the Linux project has come. Originally it was just a small hobby project, to build a simple operating system like Minix (which at the time had licensing problems).
Especially when you consider its origin and original intentions, it is unbelievable that Linux is now one of the most popular server operating systems, has a small, but loyal following for the desktop and is also used in thousands of embedded devices as well.
The Linux kernel that Torvalds began became the 'missing piece' in a completely GPL operating system. Many other pieces of software had been independently written by the GNU Project. The fusion of Linux, GNU and many other bits and pieces of free software created an operating system that has become not only viable, but in many choices superior to its competitors.
Whether you realise it or not, you almost certainly use Linux everyday, even if indirectly. While its desktop penetration remains fairly low, its use on servers means that sometime today, you will interact with a Linux system.
Happy birthday Linux! Many happy returns.
Quick footnote: posting here has been a little slower recently, due to the fact that I've just started university, living away from home and everything else that goes with that. FOSSwire will continue, but it may be a few weeks before we're back up to full capacity. Thank you for your patience.
