Torvalds: Linux kernel 0.01

What changed

A publicly available 386 Unix-like kernel seed became available for collaborative development.

Scientific scope

1991 Linux 0.01 code and Torvalds's initial contribution; later kernel subsystems, distributions, GNU tools and contributors excluded.

Evidence

The linked sources identify this contribution and its scope. WRS has not independently reconstructed the scientific claims. The record is the initial 0.01 release and Torvalds’s code contribution. GNU tools, the name and FTP hosting, later kernel subsystems, maintainers, thousands of contributors and complete operating-system distributions are separate.

Contributors

• Linus Torvalds · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.

• Kernel.org historic Linux releases
• Torvalds, Linux 0.01 release notes

Provisional WRS assessment, edition 2026-10-16.1. Independent expert calibration is pending. This grade does not certify correctness or assign ownership.

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