I first heard about it in about 1994 when a Unix guy I knew told me about a type of Unix that could run on regular computers. He loaned me a POSIX book, but I didn’t really hear anything until 98. I started getting fed up with all the problems with Windows 98, and I started installing it and breaking it on any machine I could get access too. I don’t know how many floppies I formatted with each disk image of RedHat and Debian. I broke the school network a few times with things like accidentally setting up a DHCP server. I sent a patch to the kernel. I Learned a whole lot those first years.

when I was 13 or 14 because I saw the Windows 11 copilot button

That button was announced January 2024.

I think the first Linux I installed was probably Ubuntu somewhere around 5.04-6.06, I would have been about 15 at the time.

in 2002 when my windows me computer start looping on the blue screen of death, with all of my college papers/essays/tests/assignments trapped in it.

the recovery media refused to work because i had upgraded the computer several times and i couldn’t afford the $180 windows xp cd. so i bought a linux magazine for $5 that included a copy of mandrake linux installation media and used paper printouts from my college’s computer labs to help me rescue my work from the computer.

My son’s first computer was Linux. ;) He was still toddling but wanted to hit my computer, so I set up an old one for him.

I was 14 in 1991 I should add. I switched from minix not long after I could get Linux to boot. I think that was actually 1992. Both the computer and Linux weren’t very good back then …

Just to put you all on notice: I started my kids on Linux from day 1 of their computing lives. I’m playing the long game here. In another 80 years they’re going to be in the longest living users category.

They mostly use Linux as their daily drivers. Any time they have to use windows for school work they also rage at the terrible UI and lack of ease of use. <Insert evil laughter here>