From: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@transmeta.com>
Ok, short version:
I've always liked penguins, and when I was in Canberra a few years
ago we went to the local zoo with Andrew Tridgell (of samba fame). There
they had a ferocious penguin that bit me and infected me with a little
known disease called penguinitis. Penguinitis makes you stay awake at nights
just thinking about penguins and feeling great love towards them. So when
Linux needed a mascot, the first thing that came into my mind was this
picture of the majestic penguin, and the rest is history.
Slightly more accurate version:
Yes, I was bitten by a penguin, but it wasn't actually very ferocious.
It was really just a pigmy penguin about 6 inches tall or something, and
it was more of a timid nibble ("is this finger a see before me a small
fish, or what?"). Even so, I like penguins a lot.
More down-to-earth version:
All the other logos were too boring - I wasn't looking for the "Linux
Corporate Image", I was looking for something _fun_ and sympathetic to
associate with Linux. A slightly fat penguin that sits down after having
had a great meal fits the bill perfectly.
Final comment:
Don't take the penguin too seriously. It's supposed to be kind of goofy and
fun, that's the whole point. Linux is supposed to be goofy and fun (it's also
the best operating system out there, but it's goofy and fun at the same time!).