Linux Was Named by Someone Other Than Linus Torvalds
Zusammenfassung
Linus Torvalds did not name Linux. He wanted to call it “Freax” — a blend of “free,” “freak,” and “x” (for Unix). He thought “Linux” was too self-aggrandizing. When Torvalds uploaded his kernel to the FUNET FTP server in September 1991, the server administrator Ari Lemmke disliked the name Freax and renamed the directory “Linux” without asking Torvalds. The name stuck. Torvalds later admitted that Linux was the better choice.
The Name Torvalds Chose
When Torvalds began developing his kernel in 1991, he chose the working name “Freax” — combining “freak” (an eccentric, tinkering type), “free” (as in freedom, reflecting his interest in making the system open), and “x” as the conventional Unix-family suffix. He had considered “Linux” earlier but decided it was too egotistical to name an operating system after himself.
He uploaded version 0.01 of the kernel on September 17, 1991, to the FUNET FTP server at Helsinki University, where he was a student. He uploaded it into a directory he had labeled “freax.”
The Administrator’s Edit
Ari Lemmke administered the FTP server. He found “Freax” unappealing and, without consulting Torvalds, renamed the upload directory to “linux.” The file was already distributed across the network under the new name before Torvalds noticed.
Torvalds initially objected but did not push back strongly. Within weeks, the name “Linux” had propagated across early internet mailing lists and newsgroups. Renaming it was no longer practical. He accepted it.
The Irony
Torvalds had avoided naming the project after himself to avoid appearing arrogant. The administrator named it after him anyway. The result is that “Linux” — which Torvalds considered too egotistical — became one of the most recognized names in software history, while “Freax” survives only as a historical footnote.
Linux 1.0 was released in March 1994. By 2024, the Linux kernel runs on more devices than any other operating system in history: servers, smartphones (via Android), supercomputers, embedded systems, and spacecraft.