WI Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, decided to create a Minix-derived kernel for a chipset other than the x86 Intel family and clones? Perhaps he might have chosen the Motorola 68x series, or develop a kernel for an entirely new microprocessor family.
The first Linux kernel was compiled on a 386. While there are now Linux-derived kernels for almost every processor out there, Linux has retained its prominence within the Intel family of microprocessors.
What might be some effects of an early shift away from the Intel x86 family?
1) Linux might first be used in embedded systems or as a kernel for professional workstations.
2) While it's highly probable that a programmer or team of programmers would eventually port the Linux kernel to the x86 family, what would this delay in kernel development portend for the majority of home computer users that use PCs?
3) Would the early Linux kernels' endorsement of a less common microcomputer chip series hinder the spread and modification of the Linux kernel? Or, would the endorsement of a niche processor series establish Linux as the kernel of choice for specialized applications?
4) Would a more niche market for the Linux kernel enable open-source versions of BSD to predominate among Intel chip users?