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Linux Guru Alan Cox Takes A Year Off

Posted by timothy on from the hit-by-the-year-off-bus dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Linux guru Alan Cox is taking a year off from RedHat and kernel development to get his MBA. For years, Alan Cox has maintained the extremely stable 2.2 Linux kernel, and more or less been Linux creator Linus Torvalds' right hand man. Now it sounds like the 2.2 kernel is up for grabs to someone who is 'good at refusing patches and being ignored'..."

39 of 403 comments (clear)

  1. Naww!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    He just got scared off by SCO!!

    1. Re:Naww!!! by DickBreath · · Score: 4, Funny

      Even numberd kernels behave as you would expect Linux to behave. Odd numbered kernels behave as you would expect Windows to behave.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  2. I'm good at being ignored by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    and I've been lobbying for the position for quite some time now, but so far no replies.

    hmmm....

    1. Re:I'm good at being ignored by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Sorry... what was that again? I wasn't paying attention...

  3. Whew, they changed the story... by Craig+Maloney · · Score: 5, Funny

    Before, the story read that he was taking a year off to get his MBNA. Sheesh, I get at least two offers a month from those bohos for instant credit. :)

  4. MBA? by tinrobot · · Score: 5, Funny

    What does a Linux kernel coding god need with an MBA?

    1. Re:MBA? by cerberusss · · Score: 5, Funny
      What does a Linux kernel coding god need with an MBA?
      Because MBA'ers get all the girls.
      --
      8 of 13 people found this answer helpful. Did you?
    2. Re:MBA? by Mournblade · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, the SCO suit is going to result in Linux being declared illegal, so he'll need a new career.

    3. Re:MBA? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Nah, you got it all wrong, it's not the MBA'ers that get all the girls, it's the NBA'ers that get all the girls.

    4. Re:MBA? by CrazyTalk · · Score: 0, Funny
      Why, to achieve step 4 of course!

      4. Profit!

    5. Re:MBA? by Mandi+Walls · · Score: 3, Funny

      Know Thy Enemies

    6. Re:MBA? by cHiphead · · Score: 1, Funny

      So I could have a better idea what goes on in the mind of the CEO
      Start golfing, if you can stomach 18 holes twice a week and $1500 per month to your local country or yacht club, you'll be thinking like a CEO.

      --

      This is my sig. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
    7. Re:MBA? by SirGeek · · Score: 4, Funny
      Because MBA'ers get all the girls.

      You mean NBA'ers get all the girls (even the underage ones).

      --
      UPS Sucks
    8. Re:MBA? by natet · · Score: 2, Funny

      My theory is that he got tired of all the respect he's gotten over the years from technical professionals.

      --
      IANAL... But I play one on /.
  5. perhaps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    He's going to go brush up on his legal skills, and be a key witness/consultant against SCO.

    I really don't blame him. If I could afford it, I'd take a sabbatical.

  6. Well if it's up for grabs... by LeoDV · · Score: 0, Funny

    Now it sounds like the 2.2 kernel is up for grabs to someone who is 'good at refusing patches and being ignored'

    I can do that! Pick me!

  7. the truth! by borgdows · · Score: 5, Funny

    Liars!

    The Truth is that Alan Cox has resigned from Linux development since he's not able to pay us the required development license (69,900$) we were asking to him. He preferred giving up instead of being sued to death as he deserves.

    Cheers,

    -- Darl MacBride

    1. Re:the truth! by Felinoid · · Score: 4, Funny

      That may be the plan....

      Linux thrives on it's coders not it's users.
      (However a good chunk of it's users are coders and realisticly the users are head hunters for more coders)

      Yester it was:
      Hi I'm Timmy age 6 I made a rocket out of used toilet paper rolls.
      (An impressive feat. The reason kids projects are inferoer to adult projects is available resources.)

      Today it's :
      Hi I'm mike age 3 I fixed 37 bugs in the Linux kernel increased speed 7 times and created a feature critical to making the next generation computers possable.

      Tomarow it's:
      Hi I'm Steve age 2 I've learnned to steal becouse there is less chance of me going to jail for shoplifting than be sued by someone clamming they own the code I wrote.
      (I was going to correct my grammer but I remembered that Steve is 2... I'll be dammed if a 2 year old has better grammer than I do.
      A 5 year old yes.. but not a 2 year old)

      --
      I don't actually exist.
  8. Summer job? by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 4, Funny

    Summer job at SCO, reviewing code?

  9. Alan Cox is going to the NBA?? by jetkust · · Score: 4, Funny

    What team is he playing for?

    1. Re:Alan Cox is going to the NBA?? by kurosawdust · · Score: 2, Funny
      the Grizzlies, of course.

      I dunno about you, but I've already bought my tickets in advance for his match against the Clippers...

  10. Suggestion by TrailerTrash · · Score: 5, Funny

    I nominate Darl McBride. He has an intimate knowledge of the Linux kernel, intellectual property issues, and has a relationship with the Linux developer community.

  11. Happy thought... by HiQ · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm glad it's a MBA and not a MCSE 8)

  12. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  13. Re:Suggestion by kurosawdust · · Score: 2, Funny

    I imagine he'd also be excellent at "refusing patches and being ignored"...

  14. swap jobs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have an MBA but have been interested in linux kernel development. Alan, could we just swap jobs for a year?

  15. Re:stupid question by cK-Gunslinger · · Score: 4, Funny

    Only if you use a Windows 9x version. Linux has superior SMP support.

  16. As one A.C. to another.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ... I know what you mean about "being ignored", and I feel your pain. All the best, my man!
    Signed,
    Anonymous Coward

  17. Papers? by Garion911 · · Score: 4, Funny

    What happens when one of his professors asks for an electronic copy in Word format?

    --
    Slashdot is like Playboy: I read it for the articles
  18. And when he gets back by Carrion+Creeper · · Score: 2, Funny

    Alan: I'm back! Can I have my kernel now?

    New Maintainer: Noooooooo! Mine!

    Alan: but...

    Possibly the willingness to give it back should be a quilification, unless Alan wants it back as his own personal branch.

  19. SCO CEO by rfg · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Linux guru Alan Cox is taking a year off from RedHat and kernel development to get his MBA."

    Obviously, RedHat figures they'll own SCO soon and need someone with an MBA to manage it for them. Alan Cox to the rescue!

  20. Re:a year to get an MBA? by malraid · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, he is taking a shortcut. Most likely he is stealing some credits from SCO.

    --
    please excuse my apathy
  21. A year off from what? by stratjakt · · Score: 2, Funny

    From his part time hobby?

    I need to take a year off from playing playstation, it's hard work, I need to focus on my edumcation.

    --
    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  22. Re:MBA?? AMERICA CENTRIC AGAIN!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    You know, search engines still work in whatever backwards ass country you're posting from. Unless you're from China, of course.

  23. Re:University Lecturer? by gpinzone · · Score: 3, Funny

    Maybe he want to be a PHB and give lectures to employees.

  24. Re:An MBA has Nothing To Do With Coding Jobs by G3ckoG33k · · Score: 2, Funny

    "However if Alan wants to break into upper management or start his own company then all his l337 kernel hacking skills aren't worth a hill of beans compared to the knowledge he could get from an MBA and the doors it opens. "

    But, from what I've learnt, he better get a major haircut before those doors are closed. ;)

  25. Re:Which B-school, Alan? by aallan · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm curious as to which B-school Alan will be attending. Will it be in the Raleigh/Durham area?

    Eh! Last time I looked Alan lived in Swansea, in Wales, you know the United Kingdom? Despite appearances to the contratry, we have not yet picked the country up and moved it across the Atlantic to become another State...

    Al.
    --
    The Daily ACK - Eclectic posts by yet another hacker
  26. New language by amightywind · · Score: 3, Funny
    and on the pet side project of learning Welsh.

    Is that related to Lisp?

    --
    an ill wind that blows no good
  27. Re:An MBA has Nothing To Do With Coding Jobs by pi_rules · · Score: 2, Funny

    Funnily enough, I was just thinking about going back to school for an MBA in a year or two but wondered if it would be a bad idea for a person so interested in technical pursuits. But if Alan Cox can do it I don't see why I can't.

    Thanks for the inspiration Alan.


    I totally agree. Alan's an inspiration. In fact, I'm going to quit trimming my beard and grab me some sweet ass black shades.

    Well, I'd like to at least, but once my beard gets to be 2 inches long (around 5cm for those of you outside the USA) I look Amish. Way Amish. Random people will see me and shout, "Yo! Jebidiah, whassup?!" across the road. Nobody would hire an Amish coder or admin. Maybe a job in QA would work, but the interviewer would probably be afraid that I'd try and turn the whole system into a horse/hampster powered contraption made of wood.

    "Payroll will be out as soon as the vet clears the horse for running again." Yeah.... that wouldn't go over well.

    How the fsck can somebody take over the 2.2 tree w/out the massive angry-Gnome like beard? It's not not fair. Curse my Irish heritage!

    Oh yeah, that's the other one I get. Leprechaun look-alike. I bear a striking resemblence to the Notre Dame mascot. See here for an example.

    I'm hosed. Who needs a professional butter churner? I'm in.