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The Linux kernel was initially written as a hobby by Finnish university student Linus Torvalds while attending the University of Helsinki. Linus originally used Minix on his computer, a simplified kernel written by Andrew Tanenbaum for teaching operating system design. However, Tanenbaum did not support extensions to his operating system, leading Linus to write a replacement for Minix. Although a running Minix system was originally necessary in order to install and run Linux, the Linux system quickly surpassed Minix in functionality.
The first version of Linux was released to the Internet in September 1991, with the second version following shortly thereafter in October [1]. Since then, thousands of developers around the world have participated in the project. The essay The Cathedral and the Bazaar discusses the development model of the Linux kernel and similar software.
The history of Linux is closely tied to that of GNU, a prominent free-software project led by Richard Stallman. The GNU project was started in 1983 for developing a complete Unix-like operating system, including software development tools and user application programs, entirely of free software. By 1991, when the first version of the Linux kernel was written, the GNU project had produced all the necessary components of this system except the kernel. Torvalds and other early Linux-kernel developers adapted their kernel to work with the GNU components to create a fully functional operating system. The kernel is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) but it is not part of the GNU Project. The GNU project does have a kernel, Hurd, but it is still in development.
Tux the penguin is the logo and mascot of Linux. The Linux trademark (SN: 1916230) is owned by Linus Torvalds, registered for "Computer operating system software to facilitate computer use and operation." The assignment of the trademark to Torvalds occurred after an attorney, one William R. Della Croce, Jr, in 1996 began sending letters to various Linux distributors claiming to own the Linux trademark and demanding royalties. The distributors rapidly pooled resources, appealed against the original trademark assignment and had it reassigned to Linus Torvalds. The licensing of the trademark is now handled by the Linux Mark Institute.See also: Timeline of Linux development
In 1992, Torvalds explained [2]:
An audio file of Torvalds saying "Hello, this is Linus Torvalds, and I pronounce Linux as Linux" also exists [3]. Note that in English, "Linux" and "Minix" are usually pronounced with a short I sound that is different from Torvalds' Finland-Swedish pronunciation of these words.
See also List of words of disputed pronunciation#Names for a discussion of the various ways "Linux" is pronounced.
Main article: GNU/Linux naming controversy
Because the GNU tools, an essential part of nearly all Linux distributions, stem from a long-standing free operating system project that predates the Linux kernel, Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation ask that the combined system (regardless of distribution) be referred to as GNU/Linux. Although some distributions do use this name, most notably Debian GNU/Linux, most simply refer to the system as Linux. The distinction between Torvalds' kernel and entire Linux-based systems that contain the kernel is a perennial source of confusion, and the naming remains controversial.
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