Origins of the Linux mascot

Netscape has its Mozilla dragon. Sun Microsystems' Java language has its coffee cup. And Linux? It has a penguin.

So where did the dumpy, slightly vacant-looking logo come from?

Linux inventor Linus Torvalds recalls that: "People kept suggesting a stylized Linux logo a square thing or whatever."

That was rejected.

Then there was the suggestion of a platypus. "Some people thought that was really good because it's a strange kind of animal and Linux is a strange kind of animal."

There was even a suggestion of an albatross. "I didn't think that was a good idea because it's just a seagull and a lot of people associate seagulls with dirt. But, hey, to some people it's a symbol of freedom."

Torvalds wanted something fun. "Something that could be friendly. And I liked penguins. I was bitten by one in Australia. And I thought" 'hey that's a good idea'."

Was the bite malicious and nasty?

Torvalds shook his head and grinned. "It was a fairy penguin. They weigh a pound."

The logo stuck.

"It turned out great because the penguin is easy to reproduce, you know for the Web and such. And it was adaptable. There was an Extreme Linux conference where the extreme is for a high powered Beowulf cluster (of computers). They used a penguin (logo) who was engaged in extreme sports - snowboarding and looking really cool."

It's not unanimously popular though.

"Some people don't like it still," but, and there's a pause and another chuckle from the boy genius Finn, "they must be wrong. I'm always right."

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