Linux turns 33 in 2024

Now that 2024 has gotten off the ground, it’s a good time to reflect on how Linux got its start and where it stands today. For many of us, it’s hard to grasp how long Linux has been actively developed and available. It’s likely even harder to fathom how far it has spread into so many aspects of computing. The availability today of more than 600 Linux distributions demonstrates its amazing success.

It’s interesting to consider that Linux got its start even before Linux Torvalds set down to work on the Linux kernel in 1991 (the exact date is hard to pin down). People like Richard M. Stallman had been getting excited about the concept of a “Free Unix!” – whether that “free” was meant to imply “no cost” or “liberation”. Linux followed its Unix predecessors (like SunOS) in many ways, but with the enticing character of being “open source” – the character which made it available to so many amazing levels of innovation.

The foundation that made the Linux kernel possible was set up back in September of 1983. Richard M. Stallman announced the GNU (which stands for “GNU’s not Unix”) Project – a name that confirmed the distinction between Unix and the evolving varieties of Linux.

As someone who started using SunOS (a Unix OS) early in her career, the appearance of Linux in my company’s computer room only a few years later long immediately caught my interest, though I’d no idea back then how much impact this “free” OS would have on computing technology.

What is the kernel?

The Linux kernel is a primary component of the Linux OS. It stands as an interface between the hardware Linux is operating and the many processes that are running.
Linux Torvalds is a Finnish-American software engineer was the creator and lead developer of the Linux kernel. He just recently turned 55. The Free Software Foundation (FSF) celebrated the 40th anniversary of the GNU operating system this last September and the launch of the free software movement which has so dramatically changed the computing environment.

Why is Linux so successful?

The many characteristics of Linux that lead to its success include:

• Open-source nature: Linux source code is available to anyone, making it easy to use and collaborate with others in development efforts.
• Adaptability: It can be customized to various types of hardware and processing challenges.
• Stability and reliability: It’s often the choice for servers where uptime is highly critical.
• Performance: It’s designed for efficiency and high performance.
• Security: It includes regular updates and security monitoring.
• Cost-efficiency: Most distributions are free, while some enterprise editions come with some costs for support and services.
• Portability: Linux runs on a very wide range of systems, from tiny devices to the world’s most powerful supercomputers.
• Command line versatility and power: The Linux command line continues to provide extensive and powerful control over processing and system management.

Distributions

The variety and number of Linux distributions changes every year, but Wikipedia provides a lot of details on the Linux families (e.g., the Debian-based, RHEL-based and Arch-based distribution groups). Members of the groups of Linux distros are highly related, so these family groupings are quite significant. Check out the range of distributions described here.

Supercomputing

Linux continues to dominate supercomputing primarily because of how well it can be fitted to nearly any kind of hardware. This earlier post of mine details many of the reasons that Linux works so well on the top 500 supercomputers in the world: Linux dominates supercomputing

Linux achievements

Linux dominates cloud computing, provides the basis of the Internet of Things (IoT), and remains the basis of containers. In addition to the major roles it continues to play in supercomputing, Linux is responsible for varieties of computing that likely would never have arrived had it not been for its open source and innovative nature.

Wrap-up

So, happy 33rd birthday to Linux. May its amazing innovations continue!