The story of Linux begins with a group of visionary pioneers at Bell Labs in New Jersey. In 1969, five brilliant minds set out to create a multi-user operating system, calling it UNICS (Uniplexed Information and Computing Service). These five individuals were:
Ken Thompson
Dennis Ritchie
Brian Kernighan
Joe Ossanna
Douglas McIlroy
However, in 1972, the project was withdrawn. But this wasn't the end; it was just the beginning. Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie continued their work, resuming the project, and making it freely available to everyone. This was a key moment that led to the evolution of UNIX, a name chosen by Brian Kernighan to highlight the system's simplicity and its single-tasking nature.
UNIX Flavours and the Birth of Linux
Following the success of UNIX, companies around the world began to create their own versions of the operating system. Some notable versions include:
IBM AIX
MacOS
Sun Solaris
HP-UX
But the story doesn’t end there—this is where Linux comes into play.
The Rise of Linux: A Student’s Dream
In 1991, a Finnish student named Linus Torvalds wanted to build a free operating system. At the time, UNIX V6 was far too expensive, so Linus set out to create an alternative that would be accessible to all. Inspired by MINIX, a UNIX-like operating system created by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Linus wrote the Linux kernel from scratch, a fresh take on the UNIX idea.
Meanwhile, a larger movement was brewing—the Free Software Movement. Initiated by Richard Stallman in the 1980s, the movement advocated for the freedom to run, modify, and distribute software without restrictions. Through this movement, Stallman also launched the GNU Project in 1983, with the goal of creating a free UNIX-like operating system. This project laid the groundwork for the tools that would eventually be used in Linux.
When Linus combined the Linux kernel in with the tools from the GNU Project, it formed a complete and functional operating system—Linux—which quickly gained widespread popularity for its open-source nature and flexibility.
Linux Distributions
As Linux grew, so did the number of Linux distributions (distros). These are operating systems built around the Linux kernel and a collection of software packages. Each distribution serves a different purpose, and users can choose the one that best fits their needs. Some popular distributions include:
RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux)
Fedora
Debian
Ubuntu
CentOS
Kali Linux
Amazon Linux
A key thing to know about Linux
It’s important to note that Linux is not a derivative of UNIX—it was written from scratch by Linus Torvalds. A Linux distribution consists of the Linux kernel and a collection of software packages that together form a complete operating system.
Advantages of Linux
Linux has become one of the most popular operating systems in the world, and it's easy to see why. Here are some of its key advantages:
Open Source: Linux is open-source, so anyone can check out, change, and share the code. This openness has helped build a strong community of developers and users who are constantly working to make it better.
Security: Linux is known for being secure, with fewer risks of malware, viruses, and other threats. Because it's open-source, vulnerabilities can be quickly spotted and patched by the community.
Simplified: Linux is built to be efficient and user-friendly, whether you're using it on a desktop or managing a server. Its straightforward design cuts out unnecessary complexity.
Lightweight: Linux doesn't require a lot of system resources, so it can run on older machines and still perform well. It's efficient and doesn't demand heavy resources like other operating systems.
Multi-User: Linux is designed to handle multiple users at once, making it ideal for servers and environments where people need to work together without interfering with each other.
Multiple Distributions: With numerous Linux distributions available, users have the freedom to choose one that meets their specific needs—whether that’s for development, security, or everyday use.
What We Learned So Far
In this blog, we’ve covered the foundation of Linux and its evolution. Here’s a quick recap:
The origins of UNIX: How a group of brilliant minds at Bell Labs in 1969 laid the foundation for an operating system that would later become UNIX.
The rise of Linux: How Linus Torvalds, inspired by the MINIX operating system and the Free Software Movement, wrote the Linux kernel from scratch in 1991, creating the Linux operating system.
GNU and Linux: The role of the GNU Project in providing the tools that made the Linux kernel a fully functional operating system.
Linux distributions: The creation of various Linux distros, like Ubuntu and Fedora, which allow users to tailor their systems to different needs.
Advantages of Linux: From open-source to lightweight and secure, we explored why Linux is one of the most popular operating systems in the world.
The Road Ahead
As we move forward, we’ll dive deeper into the world of Linux—particularly, how to work with the Linux kernel and explore the core concepts that make Linux so powerful. I’ll also be getting hands-on with coding in Linux and sharing my journey, from commands to scripting, so you can follow along and build your own skills.
This is just the beginning, so stay tuned for the next blog where we’ll dive deeper into the Linux command line, exploring some of the powerful tools and tips that will make you feel like a Linux pro in no time!