Linux was initially launched as an underlying GNU project by Richard Stallman in 1983. It later became a widely used operating system known for its open-source nature.

Richard Stallman founded the Free Software Foundation in 1985 to focus on the development of the GNU kernel, known as GNU HURD.

Linux, a free and open-source operating system, was introduced in 1991, becoming popular on affordable Intel machines.

Linus Torvalds made the first post about Linux on Usenet, asking a question about Gcc-1.40 and POSIX.

On 25 August 1991, a 21-year-old student from Helsinki University named Linus Torvalds sent a mail to a newsgroup on Usenet, discussing the development of a free operating system as a hobby project. He expressed that it wouldn't be as big and professional as GNU.

On September 1, 1991, Linux 0.01 was released on the internet. This initial release laid the foundation for the development and evolution of the Linux operating system.

The first release of Linux, version 0.01, is posted on ftp.funet.fi. It is free of any Minix code and includes Bash v1.08 and GCC v1.40.

On January 5, 1992, the Linux kernel was relicensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) with the v0.12 release. This change allowed for the distribution and sale of modified and unmodified versions of Linux under the same license.

On January 29, 1992, Andrew S. Tanenbaum posted a message titled 'LINUX is obsolete' to the comp.os.minix mailing list, sparking a debate on Linux and kernel architecture. Tanenbaum argued for microkernels over monolithic kernels, challenging the relevance of Linux at that time.

Hacker Orest Zborowski ports X Windows to Linux with version 0.95, enhancing its capabilities.

On April 5, 1992, the first Linux newsgroup, comp.os.linux, was proposed and initiated by Ari Lemmke. This newsgroup provided a platform for discussions and collaboration within the Linux community.

Peter MacDonald announced the release of SLS, the first standalone Linux install, which could be installed using floppy disks. It included advanced features like TCP-IP networking support and the X Window System.

Patrick Volkerding released Slackware, considered to be the first successful Linux distribution. It is still in use today.

On July 17, 1993, Slackware Linux version 1.0 was released. It is the oldest Linux distribution that is still actively maintained and developed.

Ian Murdock released the first version of the Debian Linux distribution, which became one of the most influential distros and served as the basis for many others like MEPIS, Mint, and Ubuntu.

Matt Welsh released the first book on Linux, titled Linux Installation and Getting Started, version 1.

Version 1.0 of the Linux kernel was released, supporting single-processor i386-based computer systems. The kernel code base had grown significantly within three years.

The first issue of Linux Journal was published, featuring an interview with Linus Torvalds and articles by various prominent figures in the Linux community.

William R. Della Croce, Jr. filed for the trademark 'Linux' and it was registered in September. He later assigned the mark to Linus Torvalds after a legal dispute.

Version 1.2.0 of Linux addresses portability issues and gains support for processors based on the Alpha, SPARC, and MIPS architectures.

Marc Ewing announced the availability of the Red Hat Software Linux on CD-ROM, a commercial product that shipped for a retail price of $49.95 and included 30 days of installation support. Red Hat became the first $1 billion open source company in 2012.

The Tux mascot was created by Larry Ewing in 1996 after an initial suggestion made by Alan Cox and further refined by Linus Torvalds on the Linux kernel mailing list. The concept of the Linux mascot being a penguin came from Linus Torvalds.

Version 2.0 of the Linux Kernel was released, being the first stable kernel to support multiple processors in a single system (SMP) and more processor types. Linux becomes a serious alternative for many companies.

Matthias Ettrich founded the KDE project in 1996 as he was troubled by the inconsistency of applications running on the Unix desktop.

Bliss, the first 'Linux Virus', was discovered. It does not bypass system security but relies on users with privileges to make mistakes. Users are reminded to only install digitally signed software from trusted sources and verify signatures before installation.

KDE, the first advanced desktop environment, released version 1.0 in July 1998. It utilized the then-proprietary Qt toolkit, which sparked controversy. KDE was sponsored by the German nonprofit KDE e.V.

Linux users worldwide observed Windows Refund Day on February 15th, 1999 by returning their unused licenses of Windows to Microsoft's offices.

Steve Jobs offered Linus Torvalds to work on Mac OS to create 'Unix for the biggest user base' and tried to convince him to stop working on Linux. Linus declined the offer and continued his work on Linux.

The US National Security Agency (NSA) released SELinux under the GPL, providing an additional layer of security checks beyond the standard UNIX-like permissions system.

Version 2.5.5 of Linux becomes the first to support AMD 64-bit (x86-64) and PowerPC 64-bit CPUs.

The SCO Group (SCO) announced a $1 billion lawsuit against IBM, alleging that IBM had transferred SCO trade secrets into Linux. This legal battle led to SCO making claims and threats against various major companies in the computer industry.

A major overhaul is done in version 2.6.0 of Linux, focusing on Loadable Kernel Modules (LKM) and improving performance for enterprise-class hardware.

On October 20, 2004, Ubuntu 4.10 was launched, positioning itself as a user-friendly Linux distribution designed for the general public. This release played a pivotal role in making Linux more accessible to non-technical users.

On August 21, 2005, Linus Torvalds made an announcement in response to community displeasure over the increased Linux trademark royalties. He clarified the situation and explained the need for trademark protection costs.

Experimental support for the ext4 filesystem is introduced in version 2.6.19 of Linux.

On 22 January 2007, the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL) and the Free Standards Group merged to create The Linux Foundation. The focus of the merger was to promote Linux as a competitor to Microsoft Windows. Linus Torvalds continued to be associated with The Linux Foundation as a Fellow.

Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) is merged into Linux with version 2.6.20, adding Intel and AMD hardware virtualization extensions.

The Linux Foundation was founded in 2007 by merging the Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) and the Free Standards Group (FSG). It sponsors the work of Linux creator Linus Torvalds and is supported by leading Linux and open source companies.

The Linux graphics stack undergoes a complete rewrite in version 2.6.28 to fully utilize modern GPU capabilities.

In January 2009, the New York Times reported that more than 10 million people were estimated to run Ubuntu, a popular Linux distribution.

In 2010, Red Hat achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first open source company to reach a billion-dollar valuation. This highlighted the growing importance and success of open source software in the tech industry.

Linus Torvalds announced the release of Linux 3.0 in June 2011, a significant milestone in the development of the Linux kernel.

Version 3.0 of Linux marks the kernel's 20th anniversary, without significant technological changes.

An EFI boot stub is introduced in version 3.3 of Linux, enabling x86 bzImage to be loaded and executed directly by EFI firmware.

Canonical Ltd unveiled the smartphone and tablet version of Ubuntu with the Unity interface in January 2013.

In 2014, the popular Linux distribution Ubuntu reached a milestone of 22 million users, highlighting its widespread adoption and popularity among desktop users.

Linus Torvalds decides to increment the next release to version 4.x with the release of version 4.0, also approving the name.

A comment mentioning the recursive acronym GNU, which stands for 'GNU's Not Unix'.

Version 5.0 of Linux introduces major additions including WireGuard, USB 4, Spectre fixes, RISC-V support, exFAT, and AMDGPU.

In April 2021, Ubuntu 21.04 was released with an updated Gnome desktop environment, improved ZFS file system support, and new security features.

Linux is a popular choice in cloud computing and server environments due to its current distributions supported by developer communities, wide hardware compatibility, centralized software installation, low resource requirements, and high compatibility for building application ecosystems and tooling.

In January 2023, Linux celebrated its 25th anniversary, marking a significant milestone in the history of software development.

A user conducting research on the history of Linux for an infographic and seeking input from others.

The information on Linux was last updated on March 18, 2024.

Rak Siva introduces Guider Daemon, a tool that automates Linux performance monitoring, simplifying the process for users.

Jack Wallen introduces the Guider Daemon, which automates the process of monitoring performance on Linux systems.

Giordano Ricci and Dimitris Sotirakis present the process of deploying the Netdata Server Performance Monitor on Linux systems.