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The Other Linux Logo
- Aldipower 1y agoI am sorry to say this, but this one looks soulless to me.
- juujian 1y agoCouldn't quit put my finger on it, but soulless might be it. Doesn't capture Tux's personality.
- gus_massa 1y agoThere are some buttons to change the details. I like the "big-eyes" and "sitting" version.
- adzm 1y agoGNU chimera version speaks to me
- avian 1y agoIt has the corporate letterhead vibe. I guess for some that is a feature.
- jsheard 1y agoCan we bring this https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crystal128-penguin.svg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crystal128-penguin.s... version back instead? I hear Apple has decreed that glossy/glassy design is cool again.
- NoiseBert69 1y agoStroke Tux
- pndy 1y agoClearly modules were broken and kernel couldn't be build
- unethical_ban 1y agoThat... Brings back memories
- eldog_ 1y agoTestament to it's appeal is when it's used by businesses to promote their ice creams/slushies.
- lou1306 1y agoI'm a fan of the 2nd revision myself, it's sooo Web 2.0 https://seeklogo.com/vector-logo/492036/linux-tux https://seeklogo.com/vector-logo/492036/linux-tux But the OG Tux remains undefeated I'm afraid
- Gualdrapo 1y agoThat's the one (besides OG Tux) I liked most. Though the "glassy" original Tux wasn't bad at all. https://seeklogo.com/vector-logo/274040/tux https://seeklogo.com/vector-logo/274040/tux
- pndy 1y agoThere were times when Crystal was even "ported" as Windows visual theme and later as package that swapped resource files: https://archive.org/details/crystal-xp-3.0 https://archive.org/details/crystal-xp-3.0
- cdrini 1y agoWow what a flashback! I think I used to use this back in the day.
- pndy 1y agoI had tons of these "visual styles" and I remember how MS liked to patch themeui.dll and uxtheme.dll often rendering theming broken. There were also attempts at customizing XP booting screen to achieve the perfect "it's not Windows" effect but that could easily render installation unbootable
- sudosteph 1y agoI don't think Tux is perfect by any means, but that was my first impression too. It's the eyes. They look dead inside.
- p1mrx 1y agoIt looks a bit better with Tux's face: https://pmarks.net/posted_links/tux-weeble.png https://pmarks.net/posted_links/tux-weeble.png
- cruffle_duffle 1y agolol. That looks like some haunted playground toy found in a backrooms level. The eyes follow wherever you go! It’s all good though. Most of the “Linux logos” don’t look very good to be honest.
- pndy 1y agoUh, it kinda brings me memories of "Ugandan Knuckles" meme https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ugandan-knuckles https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ugandan-knuckles
- scosman 1y agoThis is great. I made a download button a while ago. The Apple and Windows logos scale down, look great, and are easily identifiable. Tux is great, but just doesn't scale down. Tried about 10 variants to get one that is recognizable, but also works at smaller sizes. Many attempts at this from many people: https://www.svgrepo.com/vectors/linux/ https://www.svgrepo.com/vectors/linux/
- smashed 1y agoIn the list you shared, my preference would be https://www.svgrepo.com/svg/50402/linux https://www.svgrepo.com/svg/50402/linux
- Sammi 1y agoSo much better than op. It's cuter and more recognisable while being simple for good scalability. Perfect.
- throawayonthe 1y agoi've seen people use emojis and i think it makes sense: just use an apple, window, and penguin emoji, and the platform will usually display something reasonable at ~all scales
- riedel 1y agoI failed the 'vercel security check point' with my browser. It sucks if you only can browse the web with chrome based browsers..
- jihadjihad 1y agoIt looks like a haunted platypus.
- forinti 1y agoLooks like a bottle opener to me.
- diego_moita 1y agoComparing this logo to the original reminds me the whole discussion about skeuomorphism (that's when GUI icons imitate closely things from the real world). Icons that strongly resemble things from real life are, quite often, problematic at representation, especially in smaller sizes. They take more time to understand and decode, they're prone to confusion. But anti-skeuomorphic icons also have a problem of their own: they become so abstract that quite often we don't know what they represent. They become cold and soulless, like corporation logos. An example: I look at this new icon and what I see is Darth Vader with an open big mouth. It is like comparing IKEA furniture and Bauhaus or Scandinavian design against Art-Noveau or Antonio Gaudí's architecture. The first are (as Nietzsche would say) apolinean, elegant, subdued and functional. The second are dionisiac, fun, a feast for the senses.
- moron4hire 1y agoSkeumorphism isn't just resembling things from the real world. It's using simulated physical object styling and detail in a user interface to signify affordances in the design. A penguin icon is not a skeumorphism because it being a penguin doesn't tell us anything about how to use the icon. If the icon were a rendering of a physical push-button, then it would be skeumorphic, because the button image would suggest to us that we can click it. Unless you're trying to make the argument that penguins deserve boops on their beaks.
- diego_moita 1y agoI am not sure the term is so strict and applies only to "controls" in GUIs. Case in point: the Wikipedia page on skeuomorphism refers to objects outside of the domain of GUI language. It also covers physical objects referencing other physical objects (e.g.: skeuomorphic pottery, wood architecture imitating stone, plastic objects imitating metal, etc.)
- moron4hire 1y agoYes, but we're talking about digital interfaces right now. Even when considering faux finishes on real world materials, that standard doesn't apply here. Unlike, say, the wooden shingles cut to look like stone on Colonial era architecture (e.g. George Washington's home at Mt. Vernon) that are trying to convince us they are something they aren't, the penguin icon is not trying to, nor would it ever, convince us it's a real penguin. Going back to my first sentence, yes, skeuomorphism is a concept older than computer interfaces. When the term is applied to computer interfaces, it has to be adapted. Since current display tech could never create something even close to a convincing simulacrum of, say, a notebook, the term then gets adapted to mean that the use of skeuomorphism attempts to communicate functionally. Much like how "brutalist" Web design has nothing to do with the Brutalist architecture movement.
- _ZeD_ 1y agoBTW Tux is the linux mascot, not logo
- computersuck 1y ago[flagged]
- beardyw 1y agoA laugh and +1 from me.
- throwaway2046 1y agoIt's a nice minimalist design, but I think it still doesn't scale down as well as the Apple and Windows logos. The logo needs to be simple yet more expressive somehow, perhaps only focusing on Tux's head?
- paxys 1y agoMeh, not for me. It's like someone saw the iconic Linux logo and said "what if this was done by an overfunded pre-revenue Silicon Valley startup instead".
- makeitdouble 1y agoThe small eyes version is freaky for such a logo. With Big eyes it looks friendlier, but still not cute... For something neutral and scalable, having a side perspective could perhaps work better ? Like this one for instance, with very few lines yet looks good. https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMINEP_v07fEUNAJoRtR1yfqyT80k0l6mYxrbxMk2dTg&s=10 https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMINEP...
- Tade0 1y agoYeah, the front perspective evokes associations with a predator locked on its prey.
- washadjeffmad 1y agoYet its expressionlessness captures the lobotomized drone-like corporate flair that characterizes mainstream Linux today. I'm not against it as long as we don't erase Tux from older projects.
- latexr 1y agoThe Small Eyes + Standing + GNU Chimera version is straight up a demon doll which could feature in the Twilight Zone.
- whywhywhywhy 1y agothe way the big eyes are drawn it looks scared, the way the small eyes are drawn it looks sinister
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- card_zero 1y agoNot unlike one of the Penguin Books logos. https://i.ibb.co/srBgHt0/7db42060b910d2a81ae18b0fd807947a.jpg https://i.ibb.co/srBgHt0/7db42060b910d2a81ae18b0fd807947a.jp...
- 1y ago
- 1970-01-01 1y agoLooks too much like another emoji.
- Melonai 1y agoThought this was about Xenia for a moment... :)
- include 1y agoTotoro Ghost
- analog8374 1y agoIt looks like he's wearing a mask
- foofoo12 1y agoI've also made "The Other Ecogex Logo", looking something like this: https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/poo-emoji https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/poo-emoji Free to use as you please.
- KingLancelot 1y ago[dead]
- donatj 1y agoI feel bad to be this critical but it fails in direct, context free recognizability. It fails to evoke "penguin". I wouldn't have recognized it as a penguin without context, and I doubt others would without priming.
- xg15 1y agoI think it would work quite well in an icon/emoji setting, where the context "operation system brand" was already established. E.g. think of some "coose your OS" widget with entries: - (Apple with bite) MacOS - (Colored flag) Windows - (This icon) Linux
- numpad0 1y agoYou want a dev to fill in that third set of bracket with "A penguin", and it didn't happen.
- lotu 1y agoI disagree while, there is an Linux icon that would fit in here. This is not it. It might be a starting point, I don't think the design works. despite how simple the windows and apple logos they represent thousands of hours of work by the best graphic artists. I'm not one of the best graphic artists but I'll give it a shot. First the default version feels vaguely ominous. To me it feels like someone robbing a bank or the logo on stormtroopers murdering civilians, this is obviously horrible. I think this is due to the sharp angles and the eyes without an attached mouth. The other options improve the scary problem but add complexity that moves it away from the simple universal recognizable logo we are trying to make. On that note the default version is still too complex. Maybe you could move to more of a silhouette, though I think that would fail in recognizably. Perhaps part of the problem is a penguin is just not so omnipresent in our lives as windows and apples are. Redhat does achieve this with a very simple instantly recognizable logo, I think that could work. Ubuntu also does well with it's logo thought it has gone full abstract, it's distinct and works well. If you want to see more google image search for "logos"
- petepete 1y agoMy first thought was a Russian doll.
- wateralien 1y agoLove the direction. But small eyes looks spooky and big eyes looks terrified.
- dale_glass 1y agoThe other logo is a fox: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/xenia-linuxfox https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/xenia-linuxfox Kinda wish that one had won, foxes are cooler looking and more marketable.
- hagbard_c 1y agoFoxes are also overused and I consider myself fortunate in not having come across Tux-the-penguin with a 'trans flag' - follow the link if you wonder what I mean - nor do I rue the absence of any furry-like characteristics in the toy penguin. This furry fox seems to be just that, a generic anime-like furry avatar, one out of thousands and as such not memorable.
- osigurdson 1y agoIt looks appropriate for Halloween.
- gorgoiler 1y agoOn the topic of Linux logos, about 20 years ago there was a popular Ethernet <-> USB storage bridge called an NSLU2 aka the “Slug”. It was of a similar pedigree to the classic WRT54g but instead of routing, this device turned cheap USB disks into a NAS device: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSLU2 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSLU2 There was quite an active group of hackers bringing Linux to the platform. This was their utterly heartwarming and adorable logo: https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale8x/sites/socallinuxexpo.org.scale8x/files/imagecache/medium/nslu2-linux-logo.png https://www.socallinuxexpo.org/scale8x/sites/socallinuxexpo....
- sebtron 1y agoI thought this was going to be a post about Tuz, the tasmanian devil wit a penguin mask: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tux_(mascot)#Tuz_2009 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tux_(mascot)#Tuz_2009
- sublinear 1y agoDoes Linux really have a logo, or just a mascot? Does Linux even need a logo if every distro has one? Do logos even make sense anymore?
- mchenier 1y agoDon’t fix it if it ain’t broken!
- fuzzy_biscuit 1y agoIt looks like a Hollow Knight character.
- teddyh 1y agoI was always partial to the Linux logo with the red triangle (from 1994): <https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/logos/raytraced/linux-povlogo.gif https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/logos/raytraced/linux-povl...>. (More old Linux logos here: <https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/logos/!INDEX.html https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/logos/!INDEX.html>)
- card_zero 1y agoThat's a nazi concentration camp badge of shame, I think? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_concentration_camp_badge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_concentration_camp_badge "Political prisoner", in fact.
- teddyh 1y agoIf anything, this would be point in its favor. That is, if we are to care whatsoever about nazi rules from a century ago.
- pndy 1y agoYou're attributing too much It's just a logo that's built around single triangle. It's like saying ACDC band promotes nazi ideology because it has a lightning symbol and gothic looking letters in their logo It's clear these Linux logos weren't done by professionals and by some examples not even with serious usage intent Compare above to: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Logo_suggestions?useskin=vector https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Logo_suggestions?useskin=vec... https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/International_logo_contest/Finalists?useskin=vector https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/International_logo_contest/F... https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/International_logo_contest/Overview?useskin=vector https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/International_logo_contest/O... https://www.without-systemd.org/wiki/index_php/Category_Logo/ https://www.without-systemd.org/wiki/index_php/Category_Logo... https://pkgbuild.com/%7Ejelle/logo-contest/ https://pkgbuild.com/%7Ejelle/logo-contest/ Let me be harsh and say: some people know how to design and some shouldn't touch graphic programs
- card_zero 1y ago
- xorcist 1y agoI thought this would be about the other Linux logo, that preceeded the penguin: https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/logos/platypus/llogo.gif https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/logos/platypus/llogo.gif
- lucasoshiro 1y agoDo you have more information about it? By googling "Linux platypus" the only thing that I could find is that exact URL
- blu3h4t 1y agoIf you google for slackware 96 cd youll find a similar one. :)
- xorcist 1y agoThe Tux penguin was suggested as the unofficial logo for the 2.0 release of Linux, which had SMP support and was a big deal. It half-jokingly received Linus' blessing and everyone has used it since. It's easy to see why, it is an instant classic, very cute, and works in different situations and at different scales. Larry Ewing who drew the picture, a sysadmin and not a professional illustrator, still has a web page up describing it: https://isc.tamu.edu/~lewing/linux/ https://isc.tamu.edu/~lewing/linux/ Before that there were many logos but the platypus one was probably the most used. Walnut Creek, who put out CDROMs with shareware and freeware, used to publish the popular Linux distributions too and they needed something for their covers and used it. Slackware kept using it for a long time. I believe the idea was that Linux, too, looks like it was put together by disparate parts. Web pages back in 1996 was mostly textual and pictures were used sparingly so the use case was mostly books and CDROM covers. There is a certain cuteness to it and it did look good on T-shirts.
- jasonm23 1y agoSlackware used J.R. "Bob" Dobbs / Dobbshead from the Church Of The Subgenius as an "unofficial" mascot/logo until the S became it's defacto logo. The Dobbshead still shows up.
- pndy 1y agoReminds me a little bit of Shamshel's head from NGE And whoever is behind this site, also has idea for "Universal Bitcoin Logo Alternative": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5451084 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5451084
- kragen 1y agoI thought this was going to be about the pre-Tux platypus: https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/logos/platypus/!INDEX.html https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/logos/platypus/!INDEX.html
- numpad0 1y agoThis is absurd. I literally spent 30 seconds with the image on GIMP, making just few warps and it's markedly better. I don't mean to make a pull request or anything and I still don't exactly like/love it, but my point is, the original clearly was built on solid artistic basis and yet they published the alien head. What was the author thinking? 1: http://numpad0.com/imgs/2025-09-28%20002632.png http://numpad0.com/imgs/2025-09-28%20002632.png e: I think by far the biggest problem is completely circular eyes. Just replacing it with ovals solve minimum half of the problem. Then the head can be enlarged for better feeling of attachment. The beak can be sharper too. But those are less problematic than the eyes. Even just removing them altogether helps.
- npteljes 1y agoTo me it looks a bit creepy enlarged, but it works really well in small size, (which was the point)!
- evanjrowley 1y agoI do not support this logo.
- flohofwoe 1y agoMeh. Looks like a boring robot (pretty much a clone of the Android logo), the cute penguin is much better even when it looks old school by now.
- blu3h4t 1y agoNobody says anything about the tasmanin one. :)
- 1bpp 1y agoThe beady eyes & shape feel a bit too Android-y to me
- Gravityloss 1y agoReminds me of the Groke from Moomin
- hulitu 1y ago> The Other Linux Logo ... shows the bloat from the head.
- yencabulator 1y agoA random person's drawing does not become a logo for a well-known project by merely existing.