After 25 Years, Linux Format Magazine Is No More

In May 2000, the first issue of a brand new Linux magazine hit British newsstands, delivering a monthly mix of news, reviews, interviews, tutorials and learned insight on all things free and open-source — plus that all-important cover-mounted CD/DVD!

Now, 25 years later, the final ever issue has gone on sale.

Future, the UK-based publisher of Linux Format, hasn’t said why the magazine is closing, but one needn’t consult an Oracular Oriole to divine the reason: the economics of making print publishing work in an age of digital-first content is hard.

So, in a way, the writing is less on the pages and more on the wall for dead-tree media in general. It’s a topic I could talk about—’old man shouts at clouds’ style—at length.

Fact is: if people wanted magazines on topics they care about (along with the wider industries, jobs, skills, opportunities and public service those magazines support) to survive, they’d buy ’em.

But with no algorithms to surface dopamine-inducing stories; no verifiable engagement rates to game for investor approval; and no ability to provide on-demand AI summaries to free up time so readers can do more doom-scrolling on social media¹, it’s unlikely.

FYIDYK

It was a double-sided live DVD included in Linux Format issue 103 (March 2008) that introduced me to Ubuntu. The disc had bootable live sessions of OpenSUSE, PCLinux OS, and Ubuntu. I tried OpenSUSE first but it didn’t run properly. I booted the next OS, Ubuntu 7.10 ‘Gutsy Gibbon’ — the rest is history!

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS arrived about 3 weeks later and, after upgrading, my enthusiasm for the distro deepened. I started to share Ubuntu tips and tricks on my personal blog, as well as news on changes that were being planned for the then-upcoming Ubuntu 8.10 release. That stuff resonated to the point that, a few months after, I chose to split my Ubuntu coverage out into a separate Ubuntu-focused blog.

That blog? The one you’re reading right now!

As said, there is—as of writing—no formal reason why Linux Format is ceasing publication after 25 years in print, nor much word I could find from the current folks who edit and produce the magazine.

It’s not a given that proper editorial publications are doomed to die, either.

In fact, recent years have seen a number of once leading niche magazines pivot from print to digital editions, many to great success. Other magazines merged with rivals, reduced page (and head) count, or shifted to a slower schedule to keep their dream alive.

The last reported circulation figures for Linux Format from ABC (the ‘Audited Bureau of Circulation’ in the UK) are from 2014. Back then, Linux Format was was shifting around 19,000 physical copies a month.

Naturally, the figure will have dropped, but as none of Future’s print or digital titles appear to be audited by ABC, we’ve no figures² to say how much — though clearly too much for Linux Format’s publisher to feel it worth continuing the title — not even digital-only.

For media companies with broad portfolios and demands to increase revenue, sentiment and ideals don’t factor too much.

When I was doing OMG! Linux, I ran a couple of posts to spotlight new issues of Linux Format. A few readers thought they were paid ads (they weren’t) so I stopped. And Future weren’t interested³ in making it easier for me to promote their title, either.

Linux Format’s First Issue

Linux Format’s first issue went on sale in May 2000 priced at £4.99. It came with cover-mount CD of Definite Linux 7.0, backed by a 10 page guide to using the distro within the magazine itself.

There were also 25 pages of tutorials and tips, features on networking with Macs, open-source licensing, and a distro rating guide. Rather cute: a mail-away promotion from SuSE offered readers of the first issue a free CD of SuSE Linux 1!

If you’re interested in reading the first issue of Linux Format, you can download a PDF of it here.

As someone who didn’t start using any flavour of Linux until 2008, that first issue is a real time capsule of how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Any Linux magazines still going?

Linux enthusiasts who enjoy the mindful, intentional experience of sitting down to read a magazine dedicated to Linux, free of the hysteria, algorithmic manipulation or gamified engagement tactics found online, have choices.

Linux Magazine is still in print, and though it’s not a magazine I’ve bought before, I will make an effort to grab a copy. The official Raspberry Pi Magazine is also still in print for those seeking a more focused Linux-related read.

The final issue of Linux Format is on sale now if you fancy picking up a copy — assuming there’s somewhere near you that still stocks magazines…

1. Aka being “more productive”. ↩︎
2. In 2024, the combined average monthly circulation of magazines audited by ABC (which does NOT include many of the best selling magazines, since their publishers won’t want the figures public) stood at 18.7 million, per Press Gazette. In 2014 it was 21.2 million. ↩︎
3. My pitch was simply “could I get more details on what’s in the new issue so I can write about it, and a JPG of the cover larger than 300px”. I didn’t ask for a free copy, to read article, or get any sort of kickback or compensation. It was simple a “I want to support this magazine, and this wouldn’t hurt”. Alas, they weren’t interested. The online store blurbs rarely provided enough detail to work from (or failed to mention something interesting on the cover) so I stopped bothering. ↩︎