So as not to distract the others from the canon debating, maybe it would be a good idea to discuss linearism here?

I'll go first: In a linear timeline, I suggest that all games featuring Hyrule go before TWW.

I just played through The Minish Cap two days ago and I must say that every bit of the game felt like being the first adventure in Hyrule yet, the very origin. I know some people are insecure because of certain official statements, but I think that the game itself is speaking a rather clear language. From the origin of Link's hat to the origin of various items seen in many of Link's quests before, everything feels like there hasn't been another Zelda-game taking place before. The origins of the Pegasus Boots and the Power Bracelets, for example, are pretty much revealed, since we see the Boots actually being made and the Power Bracelets first being an item in the tiny Minish world, and then being found by and eventually being enlarged with Link.

Makes sense to me.

I think it's also possible that many other items come from the Minish.

Okay, so the linear timeline I have so far is: TMC-OoT-MM-TP-FS-FSA-ALttP-LA-OoX-LoZ-AoL-TWW-PH. Does that make sense?

I think it would make sense to place FS und FSA directly after Minish Cap. I've not played FSA though and it's been a while since I played Four Swords, so I might be mistaken. What makes you think that they belong in this particular place?

Probably the best linear time line so far, but I agree with Peter. The Four Sword games should probably be right after TMC.

Unfortunately, I haven't worked on a complete timeline yet (since I haven't played all Zelda-games), but I have thought of some sets of games that obviously string together:

TMC ... > FS > FSA

OoT >> MM

TP ...> ALttP >> LA

TWW >> PH

LoZ >> AoL

OoX


Whereas X>Y means that those adventures come after each other, X>>Y means the same, only that it's the same Link, too (like in OoT>>MM), and ...> means that the games come ofter each other, but a greater amount of time might have passed between them, so there's room for other adventures taking place in between. So, these sets show that certain games are connected, but the placements of the sets themselves is still unclear to me. For the time being, my idea is:

TMC > FS > FSA ... ...(OoX)... LoZ > AoL ... ...(OoX)... OoT > MM ... TP > ALttP > ...(OoX)... LA ... TWW > PH

Note that I really don't know where to place the Oracle games, they'd fit anywhere really. They could be about the Triforce's trial to find out if Link is worthy to save the world in LoZ, or they could happen right before LA...
Also note that my placing of TP, ALttP and LA could allow TWW to happen. I am not too sure about ALttP, I admit it, but as far as I've worked out, TP, ALttP and LA, of course, had storylines that would probably not have turned into legends in Hyrule. The Hero of Time is a known legend, because Ganondorf conquered Hyrule and was beaten.

But in TP, people don't really know what's going on because they don't really understand /notice the appearance of the Twilight Realm. And in ALttP... sure, some maidens are being abducted, but other than that... ? Do people really notice the Dark World? I really don't know, but I don't think so. So, those events, though being important, of course, go by relatively unnoticed, I suppose. And LA is just a dream, so who would know about that?

^ That could explain why Ganondorf and the legend in TWW still refer to the Hero of Time; there have been other Links and adventures in between, but they did not echo as legends in the land of Hyrule. So the one great saviour the people in TWW still know is the old Hero of Time who beat Ganon when he had already conquered the land.

^Any, uhm... thoughts?