How to Pronounce Linux ?

The Birth of Linux

In the early 1990s, computers were expensive, operating systems were closed, and freedom for developers was limited. On August 25, 1991, a 21-year-old Finnish student, Linus Torvalds, posted a now-legendary message on the Usenet group comp.os.minix:

“I’m doing a (free) operating system, just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like gnu…”

That “hobby” became the Linux kernel. Just weeks later, on September 17, 1991, Linus released Linux 0.01, a raw but revolutionary version of what would become the backbone of the modern internet.

By 1992, Linux was placed under the GNU General Public License (GPL v2). That single decision unlocked the doors to worldwide collaboration. Anyone could use, modify, and share it — and thousands of programmers did.

The following years brought the first great Linux distributions:

• 1993 — Slackware, the earliest surviving distro, and Debian, which later gave rise to Ubuntu.
• 1994 — Red Hat Linux, built with businesses in mind.

From then on, Linux spread like wildfire:

• 2000s — powering servers, universities, and tech giants.
• 2008 — Android, built on Linux, put the kernel into billions of pockets.
• 2010s and beyond — Linux became the invisible foundation of cloud computing, IoT, and nearly every supercomputer in the world.

What began as a “hobby” had reshaped global technology.

The Pronunciation Mystery

But even as Linux conquered the world, one question kept splitting communities at conferences, classrooms, and forums:

“How do you actually pronounce Linux?”

Some swore it was LIN-ux (lih-nuhks). Others, leaning on English pronunciation of “Linus,” insisted on LIE-nux. The arguments could last longer than a coding session.

Finally, Linus Torvalds himself decided to end the debate. He recorded a short audio clip, now immortalized on kernel.org:

“Hello, this is Linus Torvalds, and I pronounce Linux as LEE-nux.”

So, What’s the Right Answer?

• Official: LEE-nux — straight from Linus himself.
• Common: LIN-ux — the version you’ll hear most often at meetups and in classrooms.
• Rare: LIE-nux — used by some, but far from the mainstream.

Think of it this way:

• If you want to honor the creator — say LEE-nux.
• If you want to blend with the crowd — LIN-ux won’t get you strange looks.

Either way, you’ll be understood. But now, you also know the real answer.

Conclusion

Linux is more than just an operating system — it’s a story of freedom, community, and global collaboration. And just like its pronunciation, it’s flexible, adaptable, and shaped by people everywhere. So the next time someone asks you “How do you pronounce Linux?” — smile, and say:
“According to Linus, it’s LEE-nux.”