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History of Linux and GNU

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tagsgeschichte, gnu, linus-torvalds, unix, richard-stallman

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History of Linux and GNU

In short: Linux is the kernel, GNU the package of programs around it. Together they form the operating system usually called “Linux”. The history runs from Unix via a student project to the foundation of servers, phones and supercomputers.

Before Linux

  • 1969: Unix is created at Bell Labs. It becomes a model for many systems but soon is no longer free.
  • 1983/84: Richard Stallman starts the GNU project (“GNU’s Not Unix”): a fully free Unix-like system. Compilers (GCC), a shell (Bash), an editor (Emacs) and many tools arise. Only the kernel is missing. In 1985 he founds the Free Software Foundation; later the GPL arises (Open-source licences).
  • 1987: Minix, a teaching Unix by Andrew Tanenbaum.

Linux

  • 1991: the Finnish student Linus Torvalds announces a “hobby” operating system for PCs and releases the first kernel (version 0.01). In 1992 the kernel is under the GPL.
  • GNU tools + Linux kernel make a complete free system. The naming question (“GNU/Linux”) is still a topic of dispute.
  • 1993-1996: the first distributions arise: Slackware, Debian, Red Hat (Linux distributions).
  • From 1998: companies such as IBM, Oracle and Google invest. Linux soon runs on servers.
  • 2005: Linus develops Git for kernel work (Git).
  • 2007/2008: Android with the Linux kernel appears; today billions of devices.
  • Since 2017: all 500 fastest supercomputers run Linux.

Why it worked

The source code is open, anyone may learn, improve and pass it on. This attracts developers and companies who together achieve more than alone, see How Linux is developed.

See also: Open Source

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