Patrick Volkerding
The steadfast architect behind Slackware Linux, the oldest surviving Linux distribution, maintained through decades with a philosophy of simplicity and control.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American software engineer·Birthday: October 20·Generation X
Biography
Patrick Volkerding created Slackware, a Linux distribution that prioritizes stability and Unix-like purity. As a computer science student in the early 1990s, he started tinkering with the Linux kernel. His personal project to simplify software installation evolved into a distribution that prizes user understanding over automated convenience. For over thirty years, Volkerding has been the project's sole maintainer, personally curating every package and update. System administrators and purists form Slackware's cult following. The distribution remains a monument to individual dedication.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Patrick was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Patrick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Patrick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and has continuously maintained Slackware Linux since its first release in 1993.
- Built the longest-active Linux distribution, influencing countless developers and later distributions.
- Authored the definitive guide 'Slackware Linux Essentials,' which served as the primary documentation for the OS.
- Managed the entire distribution's development and package management system as a largely solo project for decades.
Did You Know?
The name 'Slackware' is derived from the Church of the SubGenius concept of 'Slack,' a state of freedom and independence.
He was originally a student at Minnesota State University Moorhead when he began developing Slackware.
Despite its minimalistic design, Slackware was one of the first distributions to support the X Window System and TCP/IP networking.
He holds the title 'Benevolent Dictator for Life' (BDFL) for the Slackware project.
“If it compiles, it is good; if it boots up, it is perfect.”
