The Path of Linux, never give up

Early 2000s: Windows XP’s Beige Reign and the “Hacker” Linux/BSD Scene (Snobbery at its Peak)

Okay, so picture this: Windows XP. The default setting for computers everywhere, reliable, but so, so… beige. Then, there was the Linux scene - but with the BSD elite. NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD - these were whispered about with reverence in certain corners of the internet. The idea is : “Oh, you use Linux? How… basic. I’m running BSD, try to keep up.” We laughed about the sheer snobbery of the era, it’s the real “hacker” culture. The only thing we agree is: user-friendly is a sin.

Mid-2000s: The Cloud Emerges (A Confused, Experimental Phase)

While everyone was on XP, laugh Linux is just for supercomputer. Amazon and Google were experimenting with running computers… on the internet. Amazon launched AWS with EC2 and S3 mostly for developers, and Google released Google App Engine, its PaaS (Platform as a Service) idea. They were trying to figure out how the cloud should work, it was like they were throwing things in the air to see which sticks. Microsoft, meanwhile, was over in the corner, still obsessed with Windows. The point is: all of the big tech company was try to figure out cloud, and its still not quite there yet.

Late 2000s - Early 2010s: The Cloud Pioneers (and the “Linux is for Supercomputers” Myth)

This is where Google and Amazon were pushing their cloud services – their PaaS ideas (like Google App Engine), but the technology just wasn’t mature yet. At the same time, people still thought Linux was just for supercomputers, school servers or some random guys in a dark room. And then, while all of that is happening, Android is also quietly taking over the mobile world. Yes, that Android. The one that runs on… Linux! This is when we make fun of how Linux was silently eating the world, while people still think it’s only for those supercomputers. Microsoft, on the side lines, tried to launch Azure, and it’s very limited.

Mid-2010s: Linux Gets User-Friendly (Almost Like Windows - Gasp!)

While the big companies are scrambling, Linux is getting a makeover. Ubuntu is like “Ok, let’s try to look like Windows! LOL”, And then there’s Linux Mint. It’s almost… normal. We’re all kinda laughing that Linux is actually become “easy-to-use”.

2013-2014: The Game-Changers (Docker and Kubernetes Arrive)

Then, BOOM! Docker makes containers easy. Suddenly, we have portable application everywhere. Kubernetes pops up to manage them all, and cloud adoption is getting easier. These two technologies make cloud actually possible.

2014: The Great Tech Flip-Flop (The Irony is Off the Charts)

Nadella takes over at Microsoft, makes “Cloud First” the mantra. Then, Microsoft suddenly becomes the open-source champions, embracing linux, they love Linux! Apple starts to lock down the system like old Microsoft. And Google? Yeah, they start to look more like a big corporation. We laugh that now Microsoft is like the old Google, and Apple is like old Microsoft.

Mid-to-Late 2010s: Ubuntu Growth (and the Rise of “Little Windows”)

So, while the big companies are still figuring out their cloud strategy, Linux is getting legit. We talked about Ubuntu earlier, but it’s worth mentioning again. The GUI made it feel so much like Windows, that it started to earn the nickname, “Little Windows.” People started thinking, “Hey, maybe this Linux thing isn’t so scary after all.” It’s hilarious, because “user-friendly” was an insult for Linux back in the early 2000s, but now, Linux was going for mainstream.

Mid-to-Late 2010s: CUDA and Linux – The AI Power Couple

And while all that is happening, a new power couple forms: CUDA and Linux. We need to talk about AI and machine learning – and NVIDIA’s CUDA technology becomes the de facto standard. And guess what? It runs best on Linux (specifically, often Ubuntu). It’s like Linux was building its own secret weapon, all while the mainstream tech world was focused on everything else.

Mid-to-Late 2010s: Linux Mint – Finally, “Daily User Friendly”

Then Linux Mint shows up. If Ubuntu was “Little Windows,” Linux Mint was like, “Okay, let’s make this exactly like Windows - but better!”. It was so intuitive, so easy to use. Linux Mint became the distro for users who just wanted an OS that worked. We all kinda laughed, because, finally, Linux was reaching the masses because of it.

Mid-to-Late 2010s: Android - The Linux Core in Our Pockets (and The End of “Supercomputer” Jokes)

And let’s not forget Android. We mentioned it earlier, but it’s important to emphasize: it runs on Linux! The phones we use every day, the tablets, the smart devices. Linux is now the operating system in billions of devices, and no one really knows it. And, this finally broke that old idea that Linux was just for supercomputers or some academic thing. It turns out, Linux is running the world.

Mid-to-Late 2010s: Open Source Triumphs (And the Surprising Players)

Then you have the open-source movement. That is the real hero here. We have projects like Microsoft’s DXIL (DirectX Intermediate Language) that got used in DXVK, which made it possible to play Windows game on Linux. And the Steam Deck from Valve, runs on Arch Linux. It is mind-blowing that this all running on Linux. It is crazy that microsoft is making open source tool that help run windows games on linux.

Mid-to-Late 2010s: WSL2 - Linux on Windows (The Ultimate Irony)

And just when we thought the irony couldn’t get any richer, Microsoft goes and puts a full Linux kernel inside Windows with WSL2. We laughed so hard that that is a big “fuck you” to Windows past. It is also a reminder that Microsoft is no longer who they used to be.

The Epic Tech Flip-Flop: The Final Chapters (Just the Ending) It has been a difficult journey. We’ve seen the early days of the GPL with all its ups and downs, its trials and tribulations. And, look at us now - the MIT license is shining, a beacon of progress and collaboration.

And with all that happening, we can finally congratulate open source! It is a win for the community! It is a win for everyone! Open-source software is taking over the world! And Linux is the key of the whole tech industry.

The open-source world, yeah, we can say it finally won a great victory. But it wasn’t just our win, it’s a win for everyone. Linux didn’t just take over the world; it made the world better. It brought the benefits of open collaboration, open innovation, and open technology to all.

It’s just the beginning.