Where were you August 25, 1991? I can’t recall exactly where I was or what I was doing, but I can tell you that day has had a profound effect on my life and career. Twenty-five years ago today, Linus Torvalds introduced the linux operating system, and I believe that makes August 25, 1991 one of the most important dates in technology history.
Intel has a long, proud relationship with Linux. Linux was launched on Intel architecture because of IA’s market leadership, exceptional performance, and strong documentation. And Linux has grown up on Intel platforms: from the 386 to today’s powerful computing systems. Our involvement extends beyond hardware; Intel has been active in the Linux software community since the mid-90s. Our first major Linux milestone was the Intel Dot.Station, launched in 1999, not only Intel’s first Linux-based device but our first consumer operating system as well.
In 2001, Intel led the industry to create a specification for Carrier Grade Linux, defining requirements for Linux in network and telecommunications infrastructure. This work enabled telco/network providers to deploy open, standards-based systems based on Linux and Intel Architecture in place of proprietary systems, resulting in lower cost, improved performance, and better scalability. Carrier Grade Linux was key for Intel to move from zero involvement to market leadership with IA used in 85% of telco deployments.
The Open Source Technology Center (OTC) was formed in the Software and Services Group (SSG) in 2003, consolidating core competencies and creating a home where luminaries rock stars in the open source software world continue to work today. This reflected a fundamental shift where Intel contributed directly to open source projects. Led by OTC, Intel has become a top contributor to the Linux kernel at the heart of the operating system. In fact, Intel is the #1 corporate contributor of changesets over the past 3 years, submitting 12.9% of all changes from kernel version 3.19 (Feb 2015) to the current kernel 4.7. Over that time, Intel has also been a leader in bringing in new Linux developers and pushing for increased diversity.

Our influence in Linux is a strategic advantage for Intel. We employ a high number of kernel maintainers who influence the direction Linux follows. Every platform Intel introduces is optimized so that Linux can harness the latest capabilities. Our expertise in Android and Chrome both Linux based has helped drive a stronger relationship with Google. And we launched the Yocto Project in 2010 to help embedded device developers create custom Linux-based OSes. Yocto coalesced a highly fragmented ecosystem, making it easier for developers to innovate on top of the OS.
Considering Linus’ first post claimed his new OS wouldn’t be “big and professional,” it’s amazing to see how far Linux has come. Today, you would be seriously challenged to not use Linux as part of your daily routine. As of May 2016 , more than 88% of global smartphones, tablets, and similar devices ran a Linux variant OS and Linux is the dominant OS powering six of the seven largest cloud computing platforms. Similarly, Linux owns high performance computing with 497 of the top 500 supercomputers running a Linux-based OS, and is increasingly used in the networking infrastructure that connects devices to the cloud.
While the first 25 years of Linux have been awesome, I’m really excited about the future, as we create a world of connected experiences. The emerging Internet of Things, with its need for seamless interconnectivity and robust security, is ideal for open source software. Linux is quickly establishing itself as the go-to operating system for its flexibility and ability to speed development time. Intel is using our deep Linux expertise as we drive digital transformation across the end-to-end cloud, from Android in-vehicle infotainment, to autonomous systems such as robots and drones, and through new approaches that will enable the software defined infrastructure including Clear Linux Project for IA and Intel Clear Containers.
Linux shows no signs of slowing down as the open source revolution now powers a digital revolution. Happy 25 th birthday, Linux! The world wouldn’t be the same without you.