Published on: Nov 24
Author: Fugo
🧱 Before Linux: Unix and MINIX
Linux’s story begins with Unix, a powerful OS developed at Bell Labs in the 1970s. With its modular architecture, hierarchical file system, and “everything is a file” philosophy, Unix laid the groundwork for many modern operating systems.
Because Unix was proprietary, it wasn’t easy for hobbyists to experiment freely. In 1987, computer scientist **Andrew S. Tanenbaum** created MINIX, a simplified Unix-like OS intended for education. While MINIX provided a playground for learning, it lacked the scalability and performance of a full-scale operating system, which motivated Linus Torvalds to begin his own project.
🚀 1991: The Birth of Linux
In 1991, a 21-year-old student named Linus Torvalds started working on what would become the Linux kernel. He announced his project on August 25 with humility:
“I’m doing a (free) operating system … just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like GNU.”
This simple announcement on the Usenet newsgroup comp.os.minix marked the beginning of Linux as we know it.
🔗 GNU + Linux: The Perfect Union
At around the same time, the GNU Project—launched by Richard Stallman—had already built important tools like compilers, libraries, and utilities, but lacked a kernel. Linux filled that gap. The combination of GNU userland and the Linux kernel became what many call “GNU/Linux”—a fully capable, free, open-source operating system.
Tux, the Linux mascot — CC0, via SVGSilh :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
🌍 The Open Source Explosion (1992–1999)
In 1992, Torvalds released the Linux kernel under the GNU General Public License (GPL), enabling anyone to use, study, and modify the code. This sparked global collaboration.
- 1993: The first Linux distributions appeared, including **Slackware** and **Debian**.
- 1994: Linux 1.0 was released, marking a stable, usable kernel.
- 1998: Big companies like IBM and Oracle began endorsing Linux.
- 1999: Linux 2.2 introduced better multi-processor support and networking.
🏢 The 2000s: Linux Goes Mainstream
During the 2000s, Linux made a major leap into enterprise computing:
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux and **SUSE Enterprise** became top choices for businesses.
- **Ubuntu (2004)** made Linux more accessible to desktop users.
- Linux began to dominate web servers and supercomputers thanks to its stability and cost-efficiency.
🌐 The Modern Era: Linux Everywhere (2010s–Today)
Today, Linux powers parts of our daily lives most people don’t even think about:
- Cloud computing: AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure rely heavily on Linux.
- Mobile: Android is built on the Linux kernel.
- Supercomputers: Over 99% of the Top500 run Linux.
- IoT & Embedded devices: Routers, smart TVs, cars and more.
Linux kernel boot (version 6.0) screenshot — Public domain / GNU GPL via Wikimedia Commons :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
💡 Why Linux Thrived
Linux’s success comes from a few core strengths:
- Open collaboration from developers around the world
- Modular, flexible architecture
- Strong security and stability
- No licensing fees for the core OS
- A vibrant, passionate community
🏁 Conclusion
What started as a modest student project has grown into a global technological cornerstone. Linux demonstrates what open-source philosophy can truly build: an operating system that powers the cloud, phones, supercomputers—and maybe even your next project.