When talking about Linux, users often think about the distributions they use — Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, openSUSE, and so on. But in the beginning, there were no Linux distributions — users had to go through quite a bit of fuss to have a working Linux-based system. The first distributions haven't survived the test of time, but one of the earliest — Slackware Linux — is still going strong after nearly 18 years.

It's hard to believe, but this year marks the 20th anniversary of Linux. If you're a new Linux user, you might wonder how it all got started. As part of the Linux Foundation's celebrations for the 20th anniversary of Linux, Linux.com is going to be running a series of stories that looks at the history of Linux — starting with the history of how it all began.