This MUST have been discussed before, but I can't find anything about it.

I have just re-flashed OS2008 on my N800 and now I get a spoken message from Linus Torvalds as part of the start-up sequence:

'My name is Linus Torvalds and I pronounce Linux as Linux'

I also just cloned the install to an SD card using Penguinbait's install-tool and when I boot from the SD card I don't get this message, I only get when I boot from flash.

It is kind of spooky.

I have never encountered that... never heard of it, either.

That sound file's fairly well known in the Linux world, but it's not part of the Internet tablet firmware, and it shouldn't play as part of your startup unless you've customized something (or installed something that did some customization).

Have you installed anything since reflashing? If so, what?

Happens to me too. I was certain that it was related to the SD clone since it started after that. Funny that it happens when I boot to the normal flash. I've heard that recording many times elsewhere but only recently on the NIT.

Well then, it sounds as though this may be a little audio warning from penguinbait that the tablet is booting from internal flash.

I am relieved that I am not the only one!

I don't have much installed on my N800 as I was just starting over again:

RX-34_2008SE_2.2007.51-3_PRCOMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin
becomeroot
openssh

then I installed Penguinbait's install-tool (several times because my SD card was acting up).

Maybe Penguinbait laid a little easter egg?

But I think I heard this before I tried cloning to SD.

When you install using my install-tools package

It adds my favorite wav

If you boot to flash, it will fsck all available ext2/ext3 partitions on all available SD cards and play wav when complete. The wav that plays Linus, pronouncing linux.

Additionally you can see the fsck output in /tmp/fsck.txt (might be /tmp/fsck.tmp My memory sucks)

The wav is located in /root/.linus

This was so I did not have to manually run fsck each time I crashed, which is often, since I am always doing things, I probably should not be

I thought it would be handy for everyone else, I did document it in the post

I must have pulled a slashdot because I didn't read that part. But I assumed right when I did hear it. I met Linus once and that is his voice.

2nd favourite has to be "My name...José Jiménez"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%...nez_(character)

This reminds me how far things have come in a few years. I've called it Lye-nucks for years because when I started using it, I didn't have a sound card. Yeah, they used to be luxury options back then.

I know the "official" way (which has changed since the sound file was recorded, notice?), but since his name is Linus it was a logical step for a mute computer.

Most of us are male.
From several sources of rules for men:
"Christopher Columbus did not need directions, and neither do we"

Most of us only read all the documentation if we think there is a good chance that somewhere it will say forget all the rest of the instructions.