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Photos: Linux penguin to hit Indy 500 racetrack

Fans of the open-source operating system get Linux-themed car into the big race to increase visibility.

Leslie Katz Former Culture Editor
Leslie Katz led a team that explored the intersection of tech and culture, plus all manner of awe-inspiring science, from space to AI and archaeology. When she's not smithing words, she's probably playing online word games, tending to her garden or referring to herself in the third person.
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Leslie Katz

Penguins aren't generally considered the speediest animals around, but this weekend one of the birds will be zipping around the track at the Indianapolis 500. Two Linux enthusiasts have taken it upon themselves to increase the visibility of the open-source operating system by getting a penguin-adorned car into the big race.

Click for gallery

Their grassroots effort, called Tux 500, is aimed at raising funds to sponsor a Linux-sponsored race car operated by Chastain Motorsports. While the original fundraising goal of $350,000 appears to be out of reach, as of Thursday morning, Tux 500 had collected more than $16,300, with two days to go.

Click here to see CNET News.com's gallery of the blue Tux 500 car and the Linux fans behind the penguin push.