Artifact Details

Description

Linus Torvalds is the original creator of the Linux kernel, the defining component of the Linux operating system. First released on October 5, 1991, Linux is a Unix-like operating system whose development and distribution are based upon an open source, collaborative process.

In this oral history, Torvalds begins by describing his upbringing and family life in Helsinki, Finland. He then describes his student years at the University of Helsinki during which time he began development of the Linux kernel. Moving to the United States in 1997, he worked at the innovative CPU design company Transmeta where he was allowed to continue development of Linux.

Throughout, Torvalds describes the unique process by which Linux development is undertaken, a process that has seen Linux grow from Torvald’s initial 10,000 lines of code to over seven million at the time of this interview.

Date

2008-07-25

Contributor

Booch, Grady, Interviewer

Spicer, Dag, Editor

Torvalds, Linus, Interviewee

Publisher

Computer History Museum

Place of Publication

Portland, Oregon

Extent

41 p.

Format

PDF

Category

Transcription

Subject

Torvalds, Linus; Helsinki; Finland; Commodore VIC-20; Commodore 64 (Computer); Sinclair QL; MOS Technology 6502; BASIC (Computer program language); Pascal (Computer program language); C (Computer program language); UNIX; Tanenbaum, Andrew S.; Intel 80386 (Microprocessor); Zilog Z80; Motorola 68000; Bach, Maurice J.; MINIX; operating system; Linux; GPL (General Public License); GCC (GNU Compiler Collection); Stallman, Richard M.; Transmeta Corporation; OSDL (Open Source Development Labs)

Collection Title

Oral history collection

Lot Number

X4147.2008