The Linux operating system is not just for nerds. Even though
you may not realize it, chances are you probably have a version
of Linux running right under your nose. It's found its way into
a multitude of devices, both large and small. Today, Sept. 17,
2011, is the 20th anniversary of the date when the first Linux
kernel (version 0.01) was released and uploaded to an FTP server
by Linus Torvalds in Helsinki. Although Torvalds had been
working on the code since April, 1991 (recognized by some as the
birthday of Linux), it wasn't until September of that year that
he released the first Linux kernel to the world. That early
iteration consisted of a mere 10,239 lines of code. Fast-forward
to the present day, where the Linux kernel 2.6.35 contains more
than 13.5 million lines of code, and controls gadgets, devices
and instruments you might never have expected. Take a look at
our gallery below and be surprised by the ubiquity of this
useful, versatile and compact operating system on its 20th
birthday: Graphic courte