Linux

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Background: Linux is a computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open-source software development and distribution. It's defining component is the Linux kernel, created on October 5, 1991 by Finnish software engineer Linus Torvalds. While originally developed as a free operating system for personal computers, Linux has since been ported to more computer hardware platforms that any other operating system. Linux is also on embedded systems such as smartphones and tablets running Android (or other Linux derivatives), TiVo (or similar DVRs), facility automation controls, televisions, video game consoles, and smartwatches.

Background Trivia: Linux was originally to be called "Freax", which is a portmanteau of "free", "freak", and "x" (an allusion to Unix). While Torvalds already came up with "Linux", he initially thought that the name was too egotistical. While Linux's core files were being uploaded to the Finnish University and Research Network in September 1991, Linus spoke about the system naming with Ari Lemmke, Torvalds' co-worker at the Helsinki University of Technology, who also happened to be one of the volunteer administrators for the FTP server at the time. Lemmke did not think that "Freax" was a fitting name, so he named the project "Linux" on the server without consulting Torvalds. Later, though, Torvalds consented to "Linux". In 1996, Torvalds announced that there would be a mascot for Linux, a penguin. As they were about to select the mascot, Torvalds mentioned that he was bitten by a little penguin while visiting the the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra, Australia, and then the idea stuck. A name was also suggested for the mascot, Tux. James Hughes suggested the name as a derivative of Torvalds' UniX. Tux the Penguin is still very well known across the globe today.

Note: The music and/or sounds on these logos are the sounds played by the computer at some point during the system startup, and might not be heard on the logos themselves. The usage dates are determined by the release date of the system, up to the date that all support to the OS is discontinued.