From Unix to Linux: The Evolution of Open Source

»“Talk is cheap. Show me the code.” — Linus Torvalds

🧪 The Beginning: Bell Labs and the Multics Project (1964–1969)

In 1964, Bell Laboratories in New Jersey joined forces with MIT and General Electric to develop an ambitious operating system called Multics (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service). It aimed to support multiple users and provide advanced time-sharing capabilities.

However, by 1969, the project became too complex and resource-heavy. Bell Labs decided to withdraw from Multics, but two brilliant minds—Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie—weren’t ready to give up.

🔧 The Birth of Unix

Using a spare PDP-7 machine, Thompson and Ritchie began developing a simpler,

more efficient operating system. They initially called it Unics (a pun on Multics), which later evolved into Unix.

Unix introduced revolutionary concepts:

- A hierarchical file system

- Multitasking and multi-user support

- A powerful command-line interface

- The Unix philosophy: small, modular tools that do one thing well

🚀 Unix V6 and the Rise of Open Source

In 1975, Unix Version 6 (V6) was released and became widely adopted in academic institutions. Its source code was shared, making it one of the earliest examples of open-source software.

This openness led to the creation of many Unix flavors, as companies built their own versions:

- IBM AIX

- Sun Solaris

- HP-UX

- Mac OS (based on BSD)

- Linux (we’ll get to that!)

💰 The Commercialization of Unix

As Unix gained popularity, companies began commercializing their versions. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, most Unix systems were proprietary and expensive—some costing up to $5000.

This created a barrier for students and researchers who wanted to explore Unix-like systems freely.

👨‍💻 Enter Linus Torvalds and the Birth of Linux (1991)

In 1991, a Finnish student named Linus Torvalds at the University of Helsinki wanted to build a project for his research. He needed a modern, free Unix-like OS—but all available options were commercial.

Inspired by MINIX (a teaching OS by Andrew Tanenbaum), Linus decided to build his own kernel from scratch. He studied Unix but didn’t copy its code. Instead, he wrote a new kernel and released it as free software.

Thus, Linux was born.

🧠 The GNU Project and the Complete OS

While Linux provided the kernel, it wasn’t a complete operating system. That’s where the GNU Project came in.

Started by Richard Stallman in 1983, the GNU Project aimed to create a free Unix-like OS that respected users' freedom to run, study, modify, and share software. By the early 1990s, GNU had developed most of the essential components—except the kernel (https://www.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-history.html).

In 1991, Linus Torvalds released the Linux kernel, and by 1992, he made it available as free software. This kernel, when combined with the GNU components, formed a complete operating system: GNU/Linux.

🕊️ The Free Software Movement (1991–1996)

During this period, the Free Software Foundation (FSF), founded in 1985, played a crucial role in promoting software freedom. The FSF:

Released GNU General Public License (GPL) v2 in 1991, ensuring that software remained free and open (https://www.fsf.org/history/)

- Advocated for the four essential freedoms of software users:

1. Freedom to run the program for any purpose

2. Freedom to study how the program works and adapt it

3. Freedom to redistribute copies

4. Freedom to improve the program and release improvements

This movement laid the philosophical and legal foundation for the open-source ecosystem we rely on today.

🧠 Fun Fact: The term "open source" wasn’t coined until 1998, but the GNU Project and FSF had already been championing the same principles for over a decade.

🌍 The Rise of Linux Distributions (1991–1996 and Beyond)

With the Linux kernel and GNU tools, developers and companies began creating Linux distributions—customized versions of the OS for different needs.

Popular Linux Flavors:

- Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) – Enterprise-grade, commercial support

- Fedora – Community-driven, cutting-edge features

- Debian – Stable, community-maintained

- Ubuntu – User-friendly, widely adopted in companies (3rd most used)

- CentOS – Community Enterprise OS, known for speed and stability

- Amazon Linux – Optimized for AWS cloud

- Kali Linux – Security-focused, used by ethical hackers

🧃 Think of Linux like an orange. Different companies make their own juice—Tropicana, Real, etc.—but the base fruit is the same. That’s what “flavors of Linux” means.

👨‍🚀 A Bit About Ubuntu and Mark Shuttleworth

Ubuntu was founded by Mark Shuttleworth, a South African entrepreneur and space tourist. He studied at the University of Cape Town and later founded Canonical Ltd. in 2004 to support Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is based on Debian and is known for its ease of use, regular updates, and strong community support.

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🧠 Final Thoughts

From the ashes of a failed project at Bell Labs to a global open-source movement, the story of Unix and Linux is a testament to curiosity, collaboration, and freedom. Today, Linux powers everything from smartphones to supercomputers—and it all started with a student who just wanted to learn.

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• Written by Pankaj Roy | DevOps & Cloud Enthusiast