Linux Kernel: Today August 25th, exactly 25 years ago, in 1991, (it was a Sunday), the Linus Benedict Torvalds informed users of Minix, that he started developing a new free operating system as a hobby.
"Hi to everyone out there who uses Minix. I'm making a (free) operating system (as a hobby, it won't be big and professional like GNU) for 386 (486) AT clone," the announcement reads.
This simply launched the operating system that supports all the infrastructure of today's digital world. The Linux Foundation published a report on the development of the Linux kernel, along with an infographic that you can see at the end of the article.
The 2016 report will show you how fast Linux has evolved, who's behind it and what they're doing to improve the code every day, as well as companies that are funding the development.
"Even after 25 years, Linux still serves as an example of how collaborative development can work and can be applied to other open source projects," says Jim Zemlin, Executive Director of the Linux Foundation.
So 25 years later, it turns out that Linux has become much bigger than GNU and is all around us. The Linux kernel runs Android, Ubuntu and every Linux distribution, and it exists inside a smartphone or behind 99.9% of the websites you access every day.
Even if you don't see it Linux is there, as the entire Internet is powered by Linux! They are used in airplanes, Wi-Fi routers, smartwatches, smart TVs, and every other smart device you have in your home.
Happy Birthday to Linux!
