Klaus Zimmermann's Corner

Happy 30th birthday, Linux!

There you have it: exactly thirty years ago a 21-year old Finnish Computer Science student named Linus Torvalds announced in a usenet board the creation of his Unix-like kernel. Version 0.01 of Linux was released. And the rest, as they say, is history.

A logo by the Linux Foundation celebrating 1991-2021, 30 years of Linux

Who knew what could've happened in the next 10, 20 and now 30 years? I'm so glad to have entered the story back when it turned 20 and now, as a seasoned adult, Linux is more mature, powerful and fun than ever. And it's evolving daily, together with the greater Free Software Ecosystem.

I have a soft spot for the timeline of Linux as it's almost as old as I am, and having discovered it about the same time as I entered my own adulthood, I feel that I have s sort of personal connection to it. "It grows with me," or something like that.

So, to celebrate, what shall we do? Wear our penguin suits, waddle outside with signs showing our favorite Linux distributions and offer free CDs for those curious enough to ask? Play our favorite Free Software Games with Tux or penguin-like characters? You name it, I'm curious on how we should mark this splendid day besides the big corporations backing its development.

How are you going to celebrate Linux's birthday? What do you expect until its 40th one? Let me know on Mastodon!