MIMMS MUSEUMDIGITAL ARCHIVE
Home › Catalog › Software & Systems
Software & Systems

Linux kernel

A free operating system kernel first released on 17 September 1991 by Linus Torvalds.

Linus Torvalds created the Linux kernel at a time when the GNU project, begun in 1983, still lacked a working kernel. He released the first version on 17 September 1991.

The first fully free Unix for personal computers, 386BSD, did not appear until 1992. Linux distributions combine the kernel with GNU, X.Org and other software. Android uses a Linux-based kernel.

Why it matters

The Linux kernel is considered by many to be the largest free and open source project. With Android, Linux-based systems have the largest installed base of any general-purpose operating system.

Key facts

  • First released on 17 September 1991.
  • Created by Linus Torvalds.
  • Appeared when GNU still lacked a working kernel.
  • 386BSD followed in 1992.
  • Android uses a Linux-based kernel.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Linux", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux, accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. Wikipedia, "Linus Torvalds", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Torvalds, background reading, accessed October 14, 2026.