My name is Lars Wirzenius, and I was there when Linux started. Linux is now a global success, but its beginnings were rather more humble. These are my memories of the earliest days of Linux, its creation, and the start of its path to where it is today.
Source: The early days of Linux
Great little reminisce. I just thought a couple of quotes were particularly funny.
While this was happening, I was taking a nap, and I recommend this method of installing Linux: napping, while Linus does the hard work.
And..
In the spring of 1994 we felt that Linux was done. Finished. Nothing more to add. One could use Linux to compile itself, to read Usenet, and run many copies of the xeyes program at once.
The first version of Linux I installed was Slackware 3. If memory serves, this was early 1995. I downloaded 54 1.5MB floppy images over a 28.8K modem, using a free PPP service called SlipNet. (I think it was located in California. They were around for a long time after this, but I can’t find any reference to them now.) What I didn’t know was that Slackware was a direct descendant of the first “distribution,” SLS.