Yesterday - October 5 2008, Linux turned 17 years old. That is one year short for attaining adulthood if Linux were a human being. Seventeen years is no mean feat in the life of an operating system. Come to think of it, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, OS/2, all lasted only for a few years before they were superseded by their more mature counterparts.
On the other hand, Linux is going strong even after 17 years; Nay, it is surging up in the popularity chart albeit at a glacial pace. Companies like ASUS, DELL and others have started bundling and supporting different flavors of Linux on their laptops.
On the eve of celebrating the birthday of Linux - all of 17 years, what better way than to take a recap of the history of Linux ? Also read the original mail by Linus Torvalds in the Minix mailing list, introducing the Linux kernel to the outside world.
