Tux is the penguin mascot of the Linux operating system.
Tux was created after Linux kernel creator Linus Torvalds mentioned that he liked penguins. The character was designed by Larry Ewing in 1996 during a competition to create a Linux mascot. Ewing produced the familiar plump, yellow-footed penguin using the GIMP graphics editor.
The name Tux is commonly expanded as “Torvalds UniX,” linking it to Linus Torvalds and Unix. It is also a reference to tuxedo clothing, which suits the penguin’s black-and-white appearance. Tux became one of the best-known symbols in open-source software.
Tux is a mascot, not a penguin species. Its rounded body, orange-yellow feet and friendly expression are deliberately stylized rather than intended as a precise illustration of a particular wild penguin.