Linus Benedict Torvalds, born in 1969 in Helsinki, is a Finnish-American software engineer known for creating the Linux kernel and the version control system Git. His development of Linux has significantly impacted the tech landscape, with Linux powering a majority of global servers and contributing to the free software movement. Various countries, including Brazil, Russia, and India, have adopted Linux in governmental and educational institutions, demonstrating its extensive global influence.

1. Linus Benedict Torvalds
Born December 28, 1969 (age 42) Helsinki, Finland
Occupation Software engineer
Employer Linux Foundation
Known for Linux kernel, Git

2. How you discovered them.
I won my first computer 1995, and this computer was with Windows 95.
I was surprised, the License for Windows 95 was so expensive.
My cousin from São Paulo, came visit me and told me about the free
operational system called Linux.

3. Mini biography
Linus Benedict Torvalds is a Finnish
American software engineer and
hacker, who was the principal force
behind the development of the
Linux kernel. He later became the
chief architect of the Linux kernel,
and now acts as the project's
coordinator. He also created the
revision control system Git. He was
honored, along with Shinya
Yamanaka, with the 2012
Millennium Technology Prize by
the Technology Academy Finland
"in recognition of his creation of a
new open source operating system
for computers leading to the
widely used Linux kernel"

4. Why they inspired you.
With 21 years old, Linus preferred change the world than be a millionaire.
He create a free computer operating system and open source software and
invited other programmers a help the project.
He stimulated the Free software movement, the philosophy of the movement is
that the use of computers should not lead to people being prevented from
cooperating with each other. In practice, this means rejecting "proprietary
software", which imposes such restrictions, and promoting free software, with
the ultimate goal of liberating everyone "in cyberspace” – that is, every computer
user.

5. About Linux OS
With a 61% market share of the global servers market, and running 75% of stock
exchanges worldwide, the Linux operating system today powers the servers that
delivers amazon, facebook, twitter, ebay and google.
"The power of innovation that Linux
[enables] from a business perspective is
hallmark about what open source has
done for Web 2.0," he noted. "Web 2.0
would not exist in its current form if it
weren't for the business model of
Linux."
"Linux is enabling business models that have nothing to do with
technology [because]customers can do it cheaply, scale it and build
businesses based on it," he added.

6. Brazilian participation
Marcelo Wormsbecker Tosatti is a Linux kernel developer. He became the maintainer
of the stable 2.4 kernel series in November 2001 when he was 18 years old and
ultimately passed on maintainership for the 2.4 kernel series to Willy Tarreau on July
27, 2006.

7. Countrys using Linux
• The federal government of Brazil is well known for its support for
Linux.
• News of the Russian military creating its own Linux distribution.
• The Indian state of Kerala has gone to the extent of mandating that
all state high schools run Linux on their computers.
• China uses Linux exclusively as the operating system for its
Loongson processor family to achieve technology independence.
• In Spain some regions have developed their own Linux distributions,
which are widely used in education and official institutions, like
gnuLinEx in Extremadura and Guadalinex in Andalusia.
• Portugal is also using its own Linux distribution Caixa Mágica, used
in the Magalhães netbook and the e-escola government program.
• France and Germany have also taken steps toward the adoption of
Linux.

8. Hermes Alves <eu@dyb.fm>