Tasmanian Devil Mascot for Kernel 2.6.29
Linus Torvalds announced at the Australian Linux.conf.au that he wants to make the conference mascot, the Tasmanian Devil (considering that the conference took place in Hobart, Tasmania) the new logo for Linux Kernel 2.6.29.
Called "Tuz" for short, the carnivorous marsupial matched with Tux the penguin's beak was designed partly to draw attention to the endangered Australian species and save it from extinction.
Linus has now made things official through a commit and subsequent blog. The Tasmanian Devil population is currently stricken with the dreadful transmittable Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) that has decimated its numbers and baffled scientists since the 1990s. The animal known in other contexts as a Warner Brothers cartoon character lives exclusively in the Australian island state of Tasmania.
So Tux has morphed into Tuz for the next release, but retained the penguin beak, perhaps as a way of hiding the ugly tumor, but with an idea of building an eventual immunity to the disease.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
There's a New Open Source Terminal App in Town
Ghostty is a new Linux terminal app that's fast, feature-rich, and offers a platform-native GUI while remaining cross-platform.
-
Fedora Asahi Remix 41 Available for Apple Silicon
If you have an Apple Silicon Mac and you're hoping to install Fedora, you're in luck because the latest release supports the M1 and M2 chips.
-
Systemd Fixes Bug While Facing New Challenger in GNU Shepherd
The systemd developers have fixed a really nasty bug amid the release of the new GNU Shepherd init system.
-
AlmaLinux 10.0 Beta Released
The AlmaLinux OS Foundation has announced the availability of AlmaLinux 10.0 Beta ("Purple Lion") for all supported devices with significant changes.
-
Gnome 47.2 Now Available
Gnome 47.2 is now available for general use but don't expect much in the way of newness, as this is all about improvements and bug fixes.
-
Latest Cinnamon Desktop Releases with a Bold New Look
Just in time for the holidays, the developer of the Cinnamon desktop has shipped a new release to help spice up your eggnog with new features and a new look.
-
Armbian 24.11 Released with Expanded Hardware Support
If you've been waiting for Armbian to support OrangePi 5 Max and Radxa ROCK 5B+, the wait is over.
-
SUSE Renames Several Products for Better Name Recognition
SUSE has been a very powerful player in the European market, but it knows it must branch out to gain serious traction. Will a name change do the trick?
-
ESET Discovers New Linux Malware
WolfsBane is an all-in-one malware that has hit the Linux operating system and includes a dropper, a launcher, and a backdoor.
-
New Linux Kernel Patch Allows Forcing a CPU Mitigation
Even when CPU mitigations can consume precious CPU cycles, it might not be a bad idea to allow users to enable them, even if your machine isn't vulnerable.
Ignore the troll
Don't like the penguin (or the Tuz?)? It's open-source. Change it for yourself.
branding
If they're gonna dick with the branding, they should move well away from this kiddy stuff.
There's a reason Distro's don't use it.
World class OS represented by a Toys'R'Us type mascot, it's an embarrassment. Saying you work on Linux shouldn't feel like saying you do occupational therapy with the learning disabled, or run a crèche.
Not that I stand in admiration of that mutant window thing...