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{{dablink|This article is for Tux the [[Linux]] mascot. For other uses, see [[Tux (disambiguation)]].}} | {{dablink|This article is for Tux the [[Linux]] mascot. For other uses, see [[Tux (disambiguation)]].}} | ||
'''Tux''' the [[penguin]] is the official logo, and cartoon mascot, for the [[Linux]] computer [[operating system]]. First drawn in 1996 by Larry Ewing, the fun-loving character has a special place in imaginations both inside and outside of the global Linux community. | '''Tux''' the [[penguin]] is the official logo, and cartoon mascot, for the [[Linux]] computer [[operating system]]. First drawn in 1996 by Larry Ewing, the fun-loving character has a special place in people's imaginations both inside and outside of the global Linux community. | ||
[[Image:Penguin-angry-tran.1.gif|thumb|160px|right|An early sketch of Tux, depicting how Linux's early developers felt their operating system was geared up for competition with other operating systems.]] | [[Image:Penguin-angry-tran.1.gif|thumb|160px|right|An early sketch of Tux, depicting how Linux's early developers felt their operating system was geared up for competition with other operating systems.]] | ||
==Quest for a Linux logo== | |||
Tux originated from a discussion on the [[Usenet]] "Linux kernel" [[mailing list]]. On May 1, 1996, Matt Hartley began a thread titled "Linux logo", which included an image by David Christiansen showing the planet Earth as seen from outer space, along with the captions "LINUX" and "Take your computer to another dimension."<ref>{{cite web | Tux originated from a discussion on the [[Usenet]] "Linux kernel" [[mailing list]]. On May 1, 1996, Matt Hartley began a thread titled "Linux logo", which included an image by David Christiansen showing the planet Earth as seen from outer space, along with the captions "LINUX" and "Take your computer to another dimension."<ref>{{cite web | ||
| url=http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9605/0119.html | | url=http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9605/0119.html | ||
| Line 21: | Line 22: | ||
| author=Alan Cox | | author=Alan Cox | ||
| date=1996-05-2 | | date=1996-05-2 | ||
}}</ref> Disagreeing, Mark Lehrer countered that FreeBSD was not Linux's real competition. Microsoft's [[Windows 95]] was — then the dominant operating system worldwide — so the logo should instead show | }}</ref> Disagreeing, Mark Lehrer countered that FreeBSD was not Linux's real competition. Microsoft's [[Windows 95]] was — then the dominant operating system worldwide — so the logo should instead show the BSD Daemon smashing a ''window''.<ref>{{cite web | ||
| url=http://lkml.org/lkml/1996/5/4/3 | | url=http://lkml.org/lkml/1996/5/4/3 | ||
| title=Re: Linux logo | | title=Re: Linux logo | ||
| author=Mark Lehrer | | author=Mark Lehrer | ||
| date=1996-05-4 | | date=1996-05-4 | ||
}}</ref> Alan Clucas countered back that these two ideas should be combined, with a Linux | }}</ref> Alan Clucas countered back that these two ideas should be combined, with a fighting Linux penguin victorious over ''both'' its operating system competitors.<ref>{{cite web | ||
| url=http://lkml.org/lkml/1996/5/5/13 | | url=http://lkml.org/lkml/1996/5/5/13 | ||
| title=Re: Linux logo | | title=Re: Linux logo | ||
| Line 33: | Line 34: | ||
}}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
Yet [[Linus Torvalds]], the software engineer behind Linux, could not endorse the official mocking of other operating systems, | ==Tux takes shape and is named== | ||
Yet [[Linus Torvalds]], the software engineer behind Linux, could not endorse the official mocking of other operating systems; so, he countered with his own idea. Someone artistic should base a logo on his favorite image of a penguin and release it under a free license.<ref>See [ftp://ftp.cs.helsinki.fi/pub/Software/Linux/Kernel/v1.3/ccpenguin.jpg ftp://ftp.cs.helsinki.fi/pub/Software/Linux/Kernel/v1.3/ccpenguin.jpg] for the original image posted by Torvalds.</ref> Torvalds emphatically stated that his penguin concept was final. | |||
Not long after, Dale Scheetz posted a prototype of a penguin holding up the Earth.<ref>{{cite web | Not long after, Dale Scheetz posted a prototype of a penguin holding up the Earth.<ref>{{cite web | ||
| Line 40: | Line 42: | ||
| author=Dale Scheetz | | author=Dale Scheetz | ||
| date=1996-05-9 | | date=1996-05-9 | ||
}}</ref> Torvalds was doubtful, however, saying the penguin looked too weak to hoist an entire planet — the bird appeared in imminent danger of being squashed, in fact! The penguin logo, Torvalds thought, should instead be cute and cuddly. He envisioned the bird sitting, content and smiling, having just let out a small burp after a grand feast of herring. And | }}</ref> Torvalds was doubtful, however, saying the penguin looked too weak to hoist an entire planet — the bird appeared in imminent danger of being squashed, in fact! –The penguin logo, Torvalds thought, should instead be cute and cuddly. He envisioned the bird sitting, content and smiling, having just let out a small burp after a grand feast of herring. And the bird was not to be fat, just happily gorged with fish.<ref>{{cite web | ||
| url=http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9605/0855.html | | url=http://www.ussg.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9605/0855.html | ||
| title=Re: Linux Logo prototype. | | title=Re: Linux Logo prototype. | ||
| author=Linus Torvalds | | author=Linus Torvalds | ||
| date=1996-05-9 | | date=1996-05-9 | ||
}}</ref> Later, Torvalds indicated he was | }}</ref> Later, Torvalds indicated he never was looking for a "Linux Corporate Image", but for something fun that could be extensively modified yet still be recognizable. He had often expressed his affinity for penguins, once joking he caught "penguinitis" after being bitten by a ferocious one. He continued the joke saying his "disease" caused him to "stay awake at nights just thinking about penguins and feeling great love towards them".<ref>{{cite web | ||
| url=http://www.sjbaker.org/tux/#why1 | | url=http://www.sjbaker.org/tux/#why1 | ||
| title=A Complete History of Tux | | title=A Complete History of Tux | ||
| Line 69: | Line 71: | ||
}}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
==Continued "editions" of Tux== | |||
Like Linux itself, Tux has never been static. From the beginning, people have "played with" and re-drawn Tux in a variety of "goofy" ways. Among his creative castings, Tux has been a [[skateboard|skateboarder]], a [[ninja]], and a [[pipe]]-smoker. He has appeared in magazines, television broadcasts, video games and other software, and on mouse-pads. His persona has been emblemed onto clothing, stickers, and other paraphernalia. Sculptor [[Eric Harshbarger]] made a 25" [[Lego]] model of Tux,<ref>{{cite web | Like Linux itself, Tux has never been static. From the beginning, people have "played with" and re-drawn Tux in a variety of "goofy" ways. Among his creative castings, Tux has been a [[skateboard|skateboarder]], a [[ninja]], and a [[pipe]]-smoker. He has appeared in magazines, television broadcasts, video games and other software, and on mouse-pads. His persona has been emblemed onto clothing, stickers, and other paraphernalia. Sculptor [[Eric Harshbarger]] made a 25" [[Lego]] model of Tux,<ref>{{cite web | ||
| url=http://www.ericharshbarger.org/lego/penguin.html | | url=http://www.ericharshbarger.org/lego/penguin.html | ||
| Line 76: | Line 79: | ||
}}</ref> and anyone can make a plush toy out of him (see photo at right) from freely available cut-out patterns.<ref>See http://www.free-penguin.org</ref> | }}</ref> and anyone can make a plush toy out of him (see photo at right) from freely available cut-out patterns.<ref>See http://www.free-penguin.org</ref> | ||
Some suspect Tux may have competing romantic involvements. Gown and Penny, two female penguins, have appeared in several open source games. Tux's status remains unclear, however, since the gals are not official Linux projects. | Some suspect Tux may have competing romantic involvements. Gown and Penny, two female penguins, have appeared in several open source games. Tux's status remains unclear, however, since the gals are not official Linux projects. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 22:27, 13 April 2007
Tux the penguin is the official logo, and cartoon mascot, for the Linux computer operating system. First drawn in 1996 by Larry Ewing, the fun-loving character has a special place in people's imaginations both inside and outside of the global Linux community.
Quest for a Linux logo
Tux originated from a discussion on the Usenet "Linux kernel" mailing list. On May 1, 1996, Matt Hartley began a thread titled "Linux logo", which included an image by David Christiansen showing the planet Earth as seen from outer space, along with the captions "LINUX" and "Take your computer to another dimension."[1][2] The next day Alan Cox posted a message suggesting that the Linux logo should be "a picture of the BSD daemon" — the logo for another open source operating system — "flat out on the floor with stars around its head and a penguin in boxing gloves standing on top."[3] Disagreeing, Mark Lehrer countered that FreeBSD was not Linux's real competition. Microsoft's Windows 95 was — then the dominant operating system worldwide — so the logo should instead show the BSD Daemon smashing a window.[4] Alan Clucas countered back that these two ideas should be combined, with a fighting Linux penguin victorious over both its operating system competitors.[5]
Tux takes shape and is named
Yet Linus Torvalds, the software engineer behind Linux, could not endorse the official mocking of other operating systems; so, he countered with his own idea. Someone artistic should base a logo on his favorite image of a penguin and release it under a free license.[6] Torvalds emphatically stated that his penguin concept was final.
Not long after, Dale Scheetz posted a prototype of a penguin holding up the Earth.[7] Torvalds was doubtful, however, saying the penguin looked too weak to hoist an entire planet — the bird appeared in imminent danger of being squashed, in fact! –The penguin logo, Torvalds thought, should instead be cute and cuddly. He envisioned the bird sitting, content and smiling, having just let out a small burp after a grand feast of herring. And the bird was not to be fat, just happily gorged with fish.[8] Later, Torvalds indicated he never was looking for a "Linux Corporate Image", but for something fun that could be extensively modified yet still be recognizable. He had often expressed his affinity for penguins, once joking he caught "penguinitis" after being bitten by a ferocious one. He continued the joke saying his "disease" caused him to "stay awake at nights just thinking about penguins and feeling great love towards them".[9]
It was Larry Ewing who drew the original version of the Linux penguin — on a computer running Linux, of course.[10] Once completed, the new mascot needed a name. Humorously, one of the earliest suggestions, from Henning Schmiedehausen, was "Homer", because to him the bird resembled Homer Simpson the television character.[11] [12] Some then suggested "Linnie" for the penguin's name, but it was "Tux", coined by James Hughes, that soon caught on. This name had a two-fold meaning: as an acronym for Torvalds Unix, and as a pun based on the shortening of tuxedo, which penguins are often said to be wearing.[13][14]
Continued "editions" of Tux
Like Linux itself, Tux has never been static. From the beginning, people have "played with" and re-drawn Tux in a variety of "goofy" ways. Among his creative castings, Tux has been a skateboarder, a ninja, and a pipe-smoker. He has appeared in magazines, television broadcasts, video games and other software, and on mouse-pads. His persona has been emblemed onto clothing, stickers, and other paraphernalia. Sculptor Eric Harshbarger made a 25" Lego model of Tux,[15] and anyone can make a plush toy out of him (see photo at right) from freely available cut-out patterns.[16]
Some suspect Tux may have competing romantic involvements. Gown and Penny, two female penguins, have appeared in several open source games. Tux's status remains unclear, however, since the gals are not official Linux projects.
References
- ↑ Matt Hartley (1996-05-5). Linux logo.
- ↑ David Christiansen. lin64.jpg.
- ↑ Alan Cox (1996-05-2). Re: Linux logo (LKML).
- ↑ Mark Lehrer (1996-05-4). Re: Linux logo.
- ↑ Alan Clucas (1996-05-4). Re: Linux logo.
- ↑ See ftp://ftp.cs.helsinki.fi/pub/Software/Linux/Kernel/v1.3/ccpenguin.jpg for the original image posted by Torvalds.
- ↑ Dale Scheetz (1996-05-9). Linux Logo prototype..
- ↑ Linus Torvalds (1996-05-9). Re: Linux Logo prototype..
- ↑ Steve Baker. A Complete History of Tux.
- ↑ A complete description of the methods Ewing used is on his website, http://www.isc.tamu.edu/~lewing/linux/notes.html.
- ↑ Henning Schmiedehausen (1996-06-10). Re: Let's name the penguin! (citation 1).
- ↑ As a joke, Anton Johansson responded to Schmiedehausen's suggestion by morphing an image of Homer Simpson into a penguin.
- ↑ James Hughes (1996-06-10). Re: Let's name the penguin! (citation 2).
- ↑ LD Landis (1996-06-12). Re: Let's name the penguin! (citation 3).
- ↑ Eric Harshbarger. Linux Penguin - LEGO.
- ↑ See http://www.free-penguin.org
Other software mascots
- The BSD Daemon, the mascot of the various Berkeley Software Distribution releases
- Wilber, the mascot of The GIMP
Subtopics
External links
- ccpenguin.jpg Torvalds' original penguin image. At his recommendation, Tux is based on this image