Linus Torvalds

In honor of Linux's 30th birthday, Linux security expert and TechRepublic writer Jack Wallen describes how the OS changed his life.

Linux is 30 years old. What started as a student project by a young man studying computer science at the University of Helsinki, has become an operating system that enterprise businesses around the globe depend on. It's massive. It's crucial. And without Linux, most businesses wouldn't be nearly as agile, flexible, and reliable.

Huzzah! But that's not what I want to talk about right now. I want to make this a bit more personal. Why? Because Linux changed my life. Sounds like hyperbole. It's not.