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an attempt at creating a completely free operating system
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work begins on GNU operating system
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free software foundation is established as a non-profit organization to promote the development of free software. GNU is the sponsors the project
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The textbook Operating System:Design and Implementation is published which includes the copy of a teachin version of Unix called Minix
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Larry Wall releases version 1.0 of Pearl
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version 1 of GNU gerneral public licences (GPL) is released
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version 2 of GNU general public lincense (GPL) is realeased
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Linus Torvalds announces he is working on an operating system to Minix
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Version 0.01 of Torvalds project is made availible via ftp.funet.fi.Ari Lemmke, the system administrator,gives the dictory the name Linix
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Richard Stallman expresses interest in having the free software foundation distribution a GNU system with the Linix kernal
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Robert Blum post the first Linix FAQ
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Minix creator Andrew Tannenbaum claims 'Linix is obsolete" in a posting to comp.os.minix and starts a public discussion on the merits of lunix in which Linus torvalds participates.
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what could be described as the first linux 'distrabution', called MCC interrim linux is released by the university of Manchester,England
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this version will be able to support X - windows
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A Linux distribution called Softlanding Linux System (SLS) is released. Early users include Patrick Volkerding and Ian Murdock.
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Software und System Entwicklung GmbH (SuSE) founded in Nuremberg, Germany. Distributes a German version of SLS with corresponding manuals
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Matt Welsh issues the Linux Documentation Project Manifesto. He states that the goal of the LDP is to "collaborate in taking care of all of the issues of Linux documentation".
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Version 1.0 of Slackware released by Patrick Volkerding. It is based on the SLS distribution.
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Linux kernel version 1.0 released.
First issue of Linux Journal publis -
Version 1.0 of SuSE Linux released. It is based on SLS.
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Version 1.0 of SuSE Linux released. It is based on SLS.
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Michael McLagan registers the linux.org domain.
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Jon 'maddog' Hall founds Linux International
Rasmus Lerdorf releases the first version of the PHP scripting language. -
William R. Della Croce, Jr. of Boston, Massachusetts registers the Linux trademark. He begins, shortly thereafter, to ask for compensation for the use of the word Linux.
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Marc Ewing releases the first version of Red Hat Linux.
Linux distributor Caldera founded by Ray Noorda of Novell and Ransom Love. -
Bob Young partners with Marc Ewing and forms Red Hat Software.
Apache web server project started as a series of patches to the NCSA HTTPd server (a patchy server). -
Linux kernel version 2.0 released.
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Linux kernel version 2.0 released.
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Linus Torvalds suggests that a "slightly overweight penguin" would be the best mascot for Linux. He recommends Larry Ewing's "Tux" penguin images.
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Linus Torvalds along with Linux Journal, Yggdrasil Computing, Inc., Linux International Work Group Solutions and with the help of Digital Equipment Corporation and Red Hat, file suit against William R. Della Croce, Jr. to re-assign the Linux trademark to Linus Torvalds. The firm of Davis & Schroeder handles the case on an almost pro-bono basis.
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Linus Torvalds along with Linux Journal, Yggdrasil Computing, Inc., Linux International Work Group Solutions and with the help of Digital Equipment Corporation and Red Hat, file suit against William R. Della Croce, Jr. to re-assign the Linux trademark to Linus Torvalds. The firm of Davis & Schroeder handles the case on an almost pro-bono basis.
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Kool Desktop Environment (KDE) project announced.
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Linus Torvalds moves to California and begins working for Transmeta, a microprocessor manufacturer.
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Eric S. Raymond gives a paper entitled The Cathedral and the Bazaar at Linux Kongress. It outlines the principles of what would become known as the "open source" method.
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Google search engine appears using servers running Linux.
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The Linux trademark dispute between William Della Croce and Linus Torvalds is settled, with Della Croce re-assigning the trademark to Torvalds.
Miguel de Icaza starts the GNOME project. -
Bruce Perens and Eric S. Raymond found the Open Source Initiative, an organization to promote the use of open source software and establish guidelines for open source licenses.
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Sam Ockman founds Penguin Computing. It is the first hardware company to produce Linux-only systems.
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Forbes magazine devotes its cover story to Linus Torvalds.
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Eric S. Raymond releases internal Microsoft memos, known as the "Halloween Documents", that show that the company is formulating plans to deal with the increasing use of Linux.
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Corel releases Word Perfect 8 for Linux as a free download.
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Corel releases Word Perfect 8 for Linux as a free download.
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Linux kernel version 2.2 released.
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The Burlington Coat Factory announces that it is using Linux in its stores.
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GNOME 1.0 desktop released
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Dell pre-installs Red Hat Linux on some servers and workstations.
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Red Hat has its initial public offering (IPO) and becomes a publicly traded company.
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VA Linux systems stock reaches $320 US after starting its initial public offering (IPO) at $30. Ending the day at $239.25, it is the largest first-day gain in history to date
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Matthew Szulik replaces Bob Young as CEO of Red Hat.
Corel releases Linux distribution. -
A Netcraft survey reveals that Apache webserver powers 60% of the World Wide Web.
Linux distributor Caldera Systems Inc has its initial public offering (IPO). -
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer calls Linux "a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches." in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times.
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Caldera Systems acquires the Santa Cruz Operation's (SCO) Unix server division.
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Caldera Systems acquires the Santa Cruz Operation's (SCO) Unix server division.
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Trolltech releases the QT libraries, used by KDE, under the GPL.
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IBM CEO Louis Gerstner announces that the company will invest $1 billion in Linux development.
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Linux kernel version 2.4 released.
Corel announces that it is selling its Linux unit. -
Linus Torvalds publishes his autobiography entitled Just for Fun with the help of journalist David Diamond.
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MP3.com founder Michael Robertson starts development on Lindows, a Debian-based distribution which promises to be a Linux distribution that can be used by anybody.
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Amazon.com reveals in a SEC filing that switching to Linux has saved them over $20 million.
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Microsoft files a trademark infringement suit against Lindows, claiming the similarity to the name Windows "confuses the public".
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Linus Torvalds begins using BitMover's BitKeeper to manage kernel development. Bitkeeper is proprietary software and many, including Richard Stallman, criticize the decision.
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Linux distributors Caldera, SuSE, Turbolinux and Conectiva sign an agreement to form UnitedLinux and jointly develop a Linux distribution for servers.
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Walmart begins selling Microtel PCs through their online store with Lindows and Mandrake Linux pre-installed
Version 1.0 of the free sound codec Ogg Vorbis is released. -
Caldera announces that they are changing their name to The SCO Group and are going to concentrate on Unix development
Free office suite OpenOffice.org 1.0 is released. Shares of VA Linux stock reach an history low $0.64 US. Having been the highest climber in IPO history, VA Linux becomes the poster child for the dot-com bust -
Maureen O'Gara of LinuxGram posts a story that SCO is planning on suing Linux vendors for using proprietary Unix intellectual property. The SCO Controversy begins.(see separate SCO timeline)
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The city of Munich, Germany announces that it's switching 14,000 PCs from Windows to Linux.
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La Junta de Extremadura (Spain) announces that 80,000 computers in their schools are running a distribution called GNU/LinEx.
Linus Torvalds announces that he's leaving Transmeta to work full time on the kernel for the Open Source Development Labs. The Torvalds family moves to Oregon. -
Red Hat announces that they will no longer sell boxed sets of their Linux distribution for retail customers. Instead, they will distribute Linux to end users via a development distribution called Fedora Core.
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Novell buys Linux desktop software company Ximian.
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Novell acquires German Linux distributor SuSE.
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Linux kernel version 2.6 is released.
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Microsoft settles its trademark dispute with Lindows. Lindows changes its name to Linspire and assigns Microsoft the rights to the Lindows name. Microsoft pays $20 million and grants Linspire licenses to use certain Windows media libraries.
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First version of Ubuntu Linux released.
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First version of Ubuntu Linux released.
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During the Superbowl, IBM runs a commercial promoting Linux featuring Muhammed Ali and other celebrities
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Larry McVoy, creator of BitKeeper, discontinues support for the free BitKeeper client after complaining about attempts to reverse engineer it. Linus Torvalds announces that he will no longer use BitKeeper for kernel development. Torvalds starts work on a replacement he calls Git.
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In strongly worded emails to the GNOME mailing list, Linus Torvalds reveals that he prefers KDE to GNOME, starting a small controversy. "Gnome seems to be developed by interface nazis...", claims Torvalds.