Linux kernel

**Linux** is an operating system kernel used by a group of Unix-like operating systems.  These are known as Linux operating systems.

The **Linux kernel** is released with the GNU General Public License version 2 (GPLv2) and developed by programmers worldwide.

## History

In April 1991, Linus Torvalds, then 21 years old, started working on some simple ideas for an operating system. Then, on 25 August 1991, Torvalds posted to _comp.os.minix_:

After the post, many people made code for the project. By September 1991, Linux version 0.01 was released. It had 10,239 lines of code. In October 1991, Linux version 0.02 was released.

The newsgroup _alt.os.linux_ was started, and on January 19, 1992, the first post to alt.os.linux was made. On March 31, 1992, alt.os.linux became _comp.os.linux_.

The X Window System was soon moved to Linux.  In March 1992, Linux version 0.95 was the first to be capable of running X. This large version number jump (from 0.1x to 0.9x) was because of a feeling that a version 1.0 with no major missing parts would be released soon.

On March 14, 1994, Linux 1.0.0 was released, with 176,250 lines of code. In March 1995, Linux 1.2.0 was released (310,950 lines of code).

Linus decided, on May 9, 1996, to adopt Tux the penguin as the mascot for Linux.

Version 2 of Linux, released on June 9, 1996, was a landmark.  Strong development continued:
- January 25, 1999 - Linux 2.2.0 was released (1,800,847 lines of code).
- December 18, 1999 - IBM mainframe patches for 2.2.13 were published, allowing Linux to be used on enterprise-class machines.
- January 4, 2001 - Linux 2.4.0 was released (3,377,902 lines of code).
- December 17, 2003 - Linux 2.6.0 was released (5,929,913 lines of code).
- April 16, 2008 - Linux 2.6.25 was released (9,232,484 lines of code).
- May 31, 2019 - Linux 5.1.6 was released.

Currently a new kernel version is released in every 2 3/4 months.

### Licensing terms

In the start, Torvalds released Linux under a license which did not allow anyone to sell it. This was soon changed to the GNU General Public License (GPL), during version 0.12. This license allows distribution and sale of modified and unmodified versions of Linux, but requires that all those copies be released under the same license, and be accompanied by the complete corresponding source code.

Torvalds has said licensing Linux under the GPL as the "best thing I ever did".

## Related pages

- menuconfig
- Git (software)
- Modprobe
- System.map
- User space
- Userspace header

## References

**Sources:**

- (audio tape, abridged ed., read by David Diamond) - on the beginnings of the Linux kernel
- _Nikolai Bezroukov_, Portraits of Open Source Pioneers. Ch 4: A benevolent dictator (Softpanorama e-book).
- FreeBSD/Linux kernel source code cross-reference.  Browsable Linux (and other operating system) kernel source cross-reference.
- LXR: The Linux Cross-Reference project .  Browsable Linux kernel source.
- KernelHQ - a browsable kernel source tree - with _all_ versions present, and with browsable diffs
- The LWN 2001 Linux Timeline
- Everyone's Favorite Linux Mascot
- Linux Timeline
- History of Linux
- Upgrade to 2.6 kernel
- The Wonderful World of Linux 2.6 ; Joseph Pranevich; December 2003
- ; Josh Aas, 17 February 2005
- LinuxChanges
- Seminar Paper on Linux Kernel 2.6
- Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Edition
- Understanding the Linux Kernel, 3rd Edition (Book)
- Linux: The GPL And Binary Modules
- Anatomy of the Linux kernel

## Other websites

- kernel.org - The Linux Kernel Archives, the official kernel repository
- Email lists for linux kernel developers
- kernelnewbies.org - information for (beginning) Linux kernel developers
- Interactive Linux Kernel Map and poster  gives you a graphical view of the kernel source
- Linux Kernel in a Nutshell - a book about kernel configuration and building

- KernelTrap
- LWN.net kernel page
- Linux Kernel Janitor
- Anatomy of the Linux kernel
- http://LinuxDriverProject.org/
- Linux Kernel Development (April 2008)

## Infobox (os)

- **name**: Linux
- **title**: Linux kernel
- **logo**: Tux.svg
- **logo caption**: Tux (mascot), Tux the penguin, mascot of Linux
- **screenshot**: Linux 3.0.0 boot.png
- **caption**: Linux kernel 3.0.0 booting
- **developer**: Linus Torvalds and thousands of collaborators
- **programmed in**: C (programming language), C and Assembly language, assembly
- **family**: Unix-like
- **released**: 0.01 <small>()</small>
- **language**: English
- **kernel type**: Monolithic kernel, Monolithic
- **license**: GNU General Public License, GPLv2 with optional binary blobs
- **author**: Linus Torvalds