How Linux is built

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Sharing is Caring

Linux is the family of operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by the legendary Linus Torvalds. The Linux in itself was another name for rebellion against the concealed world, being the open-source software it supports the philosophy of

let those who deserve, have!!

CREATION STORY

It was 1991 and Linus Torvalds, a young computer science student at the time, started a project during which he created a program that will allow him to use the functions of his new PC the way he wanted. He developed his program on a MINIX system using the GNU C Compiler for 386 (486) AT clones and after a while decided to share his accomplishment with interested colleagues.

According to the testimony in his book, Just for Fun, Linus ended up creating a kernel about which he made an announcement in a MINIX newsgroup on 25 August 1991.
He wrote:

Hello everybody out there using minix
I’m doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I’d like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons) among other things).
I’ve currently ported bash(1.08) and gcc(1.40), and things seem to work. This implies that I’ll get something practical within a few months, and I’d like to know what features most people would want. Any suggestions are welcome, but I won’t promise I’ll implement them 🙂
Linus (torvalds@kruuna.helsinki.fi)

PS. Yes – it’s free of any minix code, and it has a multi-threaded fs. It is NOT portable (uses 386 task switching etc), and it probably never will support anything other than AT harddisks, as thats all I have :-( .

Thereafter, Linux began to gain traction in the following year when it was relicensed under the GNU GPL and the first Linux distros were created. By the time 1993 came along there were over 100 developers contributing to its code and as you mknow by now, the rest is history.

Linux was originally developed for personal computers based on the Intel x86 architecture but has since been ported to more platforms than any other operating system. Linux is the leading operating system on servers and other big iron systems such as mainframe computers. Linux is also the only OS used on TOP500 supercomputers (since November 2017, having gradually eliminated all competitors). It is used by around 2.3 percent of desktop computers. Even the server in which this blog is currently hosted uses Linux. And the laptop which was used to create this post uses a flavor of Linux. Even the android is powered by Linux.

As Albert Einstein once said

Everything Should Be Made as Simple as Possible, But Not Simpler

Linux can be intimidating for first-time users. Or for the people coming from a Windows or Mac environment. As they are not used to that level of control. But the deeper they go the better they understand the beauty.

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