Planet Mainframe on LinkedIn
Planet Mainframe on LinkedIn
Planet Mainframe
Db2 Workload Performance on Fire

Do you know your Linux Trivia?

Nov 20, 2023

Trivia

Linux Trivia

Sonja Soderlund

Sonja Soderlund is an Oregon-based B2B freelance writer. Whether writing about mainframe computers, educational technology, or sustainable retail, she strives to bring clarity to complex issues. Connect with her or LinkedIn.

As one of the most popular operating systems on the planet, we are all living in a Linux world. All of the world’s top 500 supercomputers run Linux, not to mention our cars, phones, and home appliances. This trusty OS has now been around for a few decades, which in technological terms is a very long time indeed, but it shows no signs of extinction. 

IBM saw the future and got on board early, creating a Linux-based operating system that could run on mainframes in place of mainframe-native systems. It took Microsoft a bit longer, but even they eventually became collaborators.

Perhaps you learned Linux out of a love for the tenets of open source, or the low cost of entry, or the endless possibilities of innovation. Or maybe you had it thrust upon you by the exigencies of the job market. Either way, we invite you to test your (trivial) Linux knowledge with our trivia challenge below!

1. In what year was Linux first introduced?

 
 
 
 

2. Linus Torvalds created Linux when he was how old?

 
 
 
 

3. Before deciding on the name “Linux,” Torvalds initially called the new OS what?

 
 
 
 

4. In what year did IBM begin developing a Linux-based operating system that could run on mainframes in place of mainframe-native systems?

 
 
 
 

5. Although Microsoft is now a major contributor to the Linux kernel, Microsoft and Linux camps initially had an antagonistic relationship. What was the name of the leaked documents that exposed Microsoft’s plans to disrupt the progress of open source software?

 
 
 
 

6. Which of the following is a key tenet of open source?

 
 
 
 

7. Which of these is NOT a Linux distribution?

 
 
 
 

8. The Linux mascot is a penguin named:

 
 
 
 

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up to receive the latest mainframe information

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Recently Published

Read More

More Mainframe Lingo Trivia

More Mainframe Lingo Trivia

by Sonja Soderlund

Mainframe environments come with their own vocabulary, much of it precise, legacy-rich, and completely opaque to anyone who hasn’t spent time in the ecosystem. And there really is no end to the alphabet soup. Even seasoned professionals pick up new terms over the...

❓ History of Artificial Intelligence Trivia

❓ History of Artificial Intelligence Trivia

by Sonja Soderlund

November at Planet Mainframe is all about AI, and you don’t need us to tell you that artificial intelligence has now been integrated into many of our daily routines. But long before AI became a household term, IBM was shaping the foundations of this increasingly...

Mainframe Artificial Intelligence Quiz

Mainframe Artificial Intelligence Quiz

by Sonja Soderlund

At Planet Mainframe, we’re spending the month of November focusing on AI and the mainframe. Once viewed as separate worlds, AI and IBM Z now work hand in hand to deliver real-time insights, predictive analytics, and intelligent automation across enterprise-scale...

TRIVIA – Penetration Testing

TRIVIA – Penetration Testing

by Sonja Soderlund

Mainframes have long been known for their unmatched reliability and security—but even the most trusted systems can hide surprises beneath the surface. As technology evolves, so do the tactics of those trying to exploit it. Penetration testing (pen testing), or...