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The early days of Linux

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Re: The early days of Linux

#11

Post by MilStdJunkie »

eamonnsullivan wrote: post #8

Great read. The first distribution I used was TAMU ( https://archiveos.org/tamu/ ) in 1992, when Linux wasn't yet at 1.0. I had to download dozens of floppy disk images. In those days, getting X to run involved real risk. Get some of the parameters wrong and you could destroy your monitor. My five kids (all in their 20s and 30s now) grew up running Linux. It's still the OS I choose when the option is available.

That was still a thing in 1998, when I got saddled with supporting the Slack boxes. Perspiration!

Re: The early days of Linux

#12

Post by earthscienceman »

I absolutely love articles like this that humanize the creation of such a megalithic thing. It was just someone who was curious enough to tinker for a while on a project who was hanging out with friends. I love it.

I think it would be hard to overstate the impact of Linux and free software. I do climate science research and its pretty obvious that every single paper that contains an important finding was built on FOSS. Latex, Linux, python, all the gnu tools, and so much more. Imagine being a researcher who needed to write any of that, or pay for all of that, in order to work. It's incredible. Thanks to everyone who codes, builds, or contributes to such projects.

Also, it's laughable how little that is recognized in the science community.

Re: The early days of Linux

#13

Post by incanus77 »

eamonnsullivan wrote: post #8

Great read. The first distribution I used was TAMU ( https://archiveos.org/tamu/ ) in 1992, when Linux wasn't yet at 1.0. I had to download dozens of floppy disk images. In those days, getting X to run involved real risk. Get some of the parameters wrong and you could destroy your monitor. My five kids (all in their 20s and 30s now) grew up running Linux. It's still the OS I choose when the option is available.

Same here for RH 5.1 in ‘98. I spent most of a summer messing around with trying to get the proper video modes working on my graphics card and learning the ins and outs of X configuration. Then came the sound card…

Re: The early days of Linux

#14

Post by BanazirGalbasi »

jjice wrote: post #7

If you're interested in Linux history, check out Just For Fun by Linus Torvalds himself. It's written in 1999 if I recall, which is so much closer to Linux's inception than it is to today, so it's so interesting to hear thoughts and predictions about Linux at the time. Super cheap book. I think I got my copy for $4 on ebay.

I found this book in my local library when I was in college, it was a really fun read. I had recently finished the OS course which used PintOS[1] and wanted to learn more about the development process. Unfortunately my C is still fairly rudimentary, and at this point it's going to be a bit longer before I attempt to follow Linus's path.

1: https://web.stanford.edu/~ouster/cgi-bin/cs140-spring20/pint...

Re: The early days of Linux

#15

Post by b112 »

zabzonk wrote: post #5

i started using linux in the mid-90s, after using commercial unices for the previous 10 years. i was amazed at how well-engineered it all was. i think i was using slack - too long ago to remember. thanks linus.

The only guy I knew who used commercial unixes at home back then, lived in Seattle and loved to play games.

Even got his girlfriend interested in them, which was unusual at the time.

Come to think of it, I remember one day some government goons took him away, right around that big nuclear scare. And no one has heard from him ever since.

Hmm.

Re: The early days of Linux

#17

Post by mnw21cam »

I'm pretty sure Linus used Doom to stress-test the memory-management, not Quake. I have had a quote in my stash for ages:

  I've run DOOM more in the last few days than I have the last few
  months.  I just love debugging ;-) -- Linus Torvalds

Re: The early days of Linux

#18

Post by yubiox »

bdcravens wrote: post #4

> The system was initially called Freax Maybe it's common knowledge, but first time I've heard that. I wonder how that would have impacted adoption if it had stuck?

Then instead of the linnux and lynux pronunciation confusion we'd have freaks and free-ax.

Re: The early days of Linux

#19

Post by asciii »

earthscienceman wrote: post #12

I absolutely love articles like this that humanize the creation of such a megalithic thing. It was just someone who was curious enough to tinker for a while on a project who was hanging out with friends. I love it. I think it would be hard to overstate the impact of Linux and free software. I do climate science research and its pretty obvious that every single paper that contains an important finding was built on FOS…

> It was just someone who was curious enough to tinker for a while on a project who was hanging out with friends.

The modern world is underpinned by such discoveries--very accidental or curious types that go on to change the world and impact a lot of people.

To quote a Steve Job's line: "I love and admire my species, living and dead, and am totally dependent on them for my life and well-being" [0]

[0]: https://putsomethingback.stevejobsarchive.com/

Re: The early days of Linux

#20

Post by a_wild_dandan »

earthscienceman wrote: post #12

I absolutely love articles like this that humanize the creation of such a megalithic thing. It was just someone who was curious enough to tinker for a while on a project who was hanging out with friends. I love it. I think it would be hard to overstate the impact of Linux and free software. I do climate science research and its pretty obvious that every single paper that contains an important finding was built on FOS…

It's also endearing that the Linux kernel was rooted in "A"/"B" testing. :)
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