Originally designed by Alan Mackey in 1996, Xenia (at the time an unnamed male fox) was in the running to be the mascot for Linux, but was passed over in favor of Tux by Linus Torvalds. While other animals were also considered, the fox character was the only one to stick around, used by those who preferred them over Tux. Years later, the Linux community rediscovered the fox mascot, naming her Xenia and adopting her as an unofficial second mascot for some of the many flavors of Linux. Some people even say she’s the cooler mascot! She certainly has the upper hand against Tux in outfit choices.

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• Linux | 09/91
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