The 2006 Linux and free software timeline

For the ninth year in a row, the editors at LWN.net have put together a timeline highlighting the most important events of the last twelve months.

It has been an active and interesting year - just like the ones before. The GPLv3 process was launched - and threatened to split our community over differing views of freedom. Software patent issues came and went. The Linux desktop went 3D. Large companies became more involved with Linux and free software - and not everybody is pleased with the result. Distributors reevaluated and reworked their dealings with the community. And, while all this was happening, the community continued to produce great code which made all of our systems better.

This is version 1.0 of the 2006 timeline. If you find any errors or remaining major omissions, please send them to us at timeline@lwn.net; please do not post errors or omissions as comments until after we have had a chance to address them.

The development of the LWN.net Linux Timeline was supported by LWN subscribers; if you like what you see, please consider subscribing to LWN.

January February March April

May June July August

September October November December

This year, we are pleased to announce the return of the one big page version as well.

For the historically minded, the timelines for the previous eight years remain available:

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

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