Today marks the 33rd anniversary of Linux, so let’s raise a toast to celebrate the journey of Linux over these years!
On this day back in 1991, Linus Benedict Torvalds, a 21-year-old student from Finland, shared a groundbreaking message to the comp.os.minix newsgroup. He announced his development of a free operating system for 386(486) AT clones, merely as a “hobby.”
It’s been three decades since that declaration, and who would have thought that this “hobby” would evolve into a huge global phenomenon, impacting millions of users worldwide.
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. This has been brewing since April, and is starting to get ready. I’d like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons) among other things).
I’ve currently ported bash(1.08) and gcc(1.40), and things seem to work. This implies that I’ll get something practical within a few months, and I’d like to know what features most people would want. Any suggestions are welcome, but I won’t promise I’ll implement them.
Linus
PS. Yes – it’s free of any minix code, and it has a multi-threaded fs. It is NOT portable (uses 386 task switching etc), and it probably never will support anything other than AT-harddisks, as that’s all I have :-(.
Today, Linux is everywhere around us, from Android smartphones, Wi-Fi routers, smart assistants, and smart fridges, to big-screen TVs, satellites, and airplanes. Linux even powers the entire Internet, the world’s top 500 supercomputers, Wall Street, and even the ISS (International Space Station).
Even if you don’t use it or you don’t see it, Linux is there, in your home, believe that. I also like to remind you that the phrase “this is the year of Linux” is irrelevant today because Linux has been in our lives for 33 years.
With that in mind, let’s raise a glass of champagne and wish Linux a happy 33rd birthday! Here’s to many more years of Linux awesomeness and stay right here on 9to5Linux.com for the latest Linux news and Open Source software releases.
I’ve enjoyed Linux for more than 24 years now and I still remember my first Mandrake Linux and Red Hat Linux installations, and how hard Slackware Linux was to install. What do you remember from your early Linux days? Share your Linux journey with us in the comments section below!
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