The topic Linux’s adorable Tux the Penguin mascot turns 30 today, and the OG design is… is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
Whenever people think of Linux, the first thing that springs to mind, regardless of whether they’re an open-source vet or if they’ve never even touched a Linux PC before, is Tux. Tux is the penguin associated with the Linux kernel as a whole, and he’s found his way onto operating systems, merch, and various memes that depict the image creator’s distaste for Windows.
Well, the chubby little fella has just celebrated a major milestone, as it has now been 30 years since he was released into the world. And his story is just as interesting as his age.
The reason why the creator of the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds, made the mascot a penguin specifically is a bit of a mystery; even Torvalds himself isn’t sure. However, his wife, Tove Torvalds, believed that penguins entered the forefront of Linus’ mind when he was bitten by a fairy penguin at Canberra Zoo in 1993.
Fast forward to May 9th, 1996, and Linus Torvalds is spitballing a penguin mascot for the Linux kernel. He sent out a message asking for people to think of a penguin that was both “cuddly” and “contented,” as if it had just eaten a ton of fish and was settling down to rest:
NOW comes the hard part. With this image firmly etched on your eyeballs, you then scetch a stylizied version of it. Not a lot of detail – just a black brush-type outline (you know the effect you get with a brush where the thickness of the line varies). THAT requires talent. Give people the outline, and they should say [ sickly sweet voice, babytalk almost ]”Ooh, what a cuddly penguin, I bet he is just _stuffed_ with herring”, and small children will jump up and down and scream “mommy mommy, can I have one too?”.
Larry Ewing submitted an entry of a penguin made using GIMP, and it became the kernel’s official mascot. In fact, the penguin you see today is still the one that Ewing designed all those years ago, because you can’t improve on perfection. Tux wouldn’t get his name until June, when James Hughes recommended it as a short form way of saying “(T)orvolds (U)ni(X).” Plus, the penguin is tuxedo colored, so it was a slam dunk in two different ways.
Linux is a completely different beast than it was a decade ago.