Linux was born in 1991 when Linus Torvalds, a Finnish computer science student, began developing it as a hobby project. In 1992, the Linux kernel 0.02 was released under the GNU General Public License, making it free and open-source.
From 1993 to 1995, the first major distributions like Slackware, Debian, and Red Hat emerged, making Linux more accessible to a wider audience. In the late 1990s, Linux began gaining traction in enterprise environments, with companies like IBM investing heavily in its development.
The 2000s saw Linux become dominant in server markets, powering much of the internet’s infrastructure. In 2007, Android, based on the Linux kernel, was introduced, bringing Linux to mobile devices.
Throughout the 2010s, Linux became crucial in cloud computing, powered most of the world’s supercomputers, and was widely adopted in embedded systems. In 2021, Linux celebrated its 30th anniversary, continuing to be a cornerstone of modern computing.
Throughout its history, Linux has grown from a student project to a global powerhouse, driving innovation in open-source software and collaborative development. It now powers everything from smartphones to supercomputers, showcasing the success of the open-source model.