Why the Linux Penguin Logo, This Is Where It Came From

A number of brands use animal characters as logos that symbolize the company's vision and mission. Call it a Ferrari that uses a horse in its logo, or Mozilla Firefox which uses a red panda character. Linux is also one of the companies that use animal characters as its logo. The company known for its operating system is popular for the sitting penguin logo.

So what does it mean? According to the official Linux website, the decision to make the penguin the company's main mascot was made by Linux creator Linus Torvalds.

The final version of the logo that is known so far was created by a designer named Larry Ewing. Ewring said his penguin logo was based on discussions he had by email with Alan Cox, the programmer who was instrumental in the early development of Linux. As for the archived Linux Australia post, it is explained that the Linux penguin is nicknamed "Tux, the Australian Penguin". Tux itself is associated with an abbreviation of the last name of the founder of Linux, "Torvalds UniX". Linux founder likes fun things For Torvalds, the design is too rigid and serious it is not attractive to associate with his company. Therefore, he eliminated most of the Linux logo options that were presented to him at that time. On the other hand, Torvalds prefers things to be "fun and sympathetic", as described by the penguin smiling and happy after he eats. "Some people say they think the fat penguins really represent the elegance of Linux, which they've never seen angry (penguins) attack them at over 100 mph," Torvalds wrote when announcing Linux 2.0 in 1996.

Another reason why the penguin is the Linux logo is that Torvalds was attracted to the animal, especially after he was bitten by the water bird. The incident occurred while Torvalds and his team were on a trip to the zoo in Canberra, Australia.

At that time Torvalds finger was bitten by a penguin. Since then, he was interested in recognizing the animal. The penguin itself according to National Geographic, is a water bird that cannot fly, but has a great ability to swim long distances and hide from fierce predators. In addition, these animals are also loyal to their life partners and even care for their children. Compiled from SlashGear, referring to Torvalds' quote above, the Linux founder seems to want Linux not only to be a complete and extensible operating system for users, but also to be enjoyed by other users, such as the lovable penguin. "Don't take penguins so seriously. It should be a bit silly and fun, that's the point," Torvalds added in a statement on the Linux Australia website.