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Linux mascot Tux the penguin hits 30 years old — Linus Torvalds outlined the design of the 'slightly overweight penguin' on May 9, 1996
Quoting: Linux mascot Tux the penguin hits 30 years old — Linus Torvalds outlined the design of the 'slightly overweight penguin' on May 9, 1996 —
Torvalds’ contextual sketching of Tux came in response to another developer who was talking about using a clipart concoction involving a map of the world to represent the open-source OS.
The Linux supremo was open to holding a logo competition, but instead of a complex encapsulation of the world as a logo, he proposed a penguin. Penguins embodied three positives, thought Torvalds, being universally considered cute, cuddly, and contented. The Linux founder wanted the penguin to be highly stylized, “not a lot of detail - just a black brush-type outline,” as per the logotype rule of thumb. He also basically dismissed any complex penguin + world map fabrication.
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Linux's adorable Tux the Penguin mascot turns 30 today, and the OG design is still being used
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.