Linux was almost Freax
Did you know Linux was almost called Freax?
· Linus Torvalds · 22-sec read
Linus Torvalds privately called his kernel "Linux" but thought the name too egotistical; for about half a year his makefiles said "Freax" (free + freak + x). When the code went up on the FUNET FTP server in September 1991, volunteer admin Ari Lemmke disliked "Freax" and named the directory /pub/OS/Linux without asking. Torvalds went along with it.
Why it matters
Defaults stick: the first directory, repo or package name you ship often becomes the permanent brand.
Sources
High confidenceChecked October 20, 2026.
- History of Linux: Naming (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org
- How Linux Got Its Name, quoting Torvalds' book Just for Fun (How-To Geek) howtogeek.com