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Interview With A Maddog

Posted by timothy on from the guiding-force dept.

DubiousFreak writes "Tinyminds.org sits down with Linux International Director, Jon "Maddog" Hall. Jon has been in the computer industry since 1969, using Unix since 1977, and Linux since 1994. He has been a software engineer, systems administrator, product manager, marketing manager and professional educator. Jon has been the Executive Director of Linux International since 1995, the first four years as a volunteer. Jon has been employed by VA Linux systems, Compaq Computer Corporation in the Digital UNIX Marketing group and Bell Laboratories among other companies. Read the full interview at Tinyminds.org."

4 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. Re:server meltdown - text of article by mindriot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I like his point about Linux being successful on the Desktop:

    The final step (for the home user) is to have the support mechanism that they normally use be in place. This is NOT having a contact with IBM or HP, but having the person in their church, club, next door neighbor, etc. who is more advanced with Linux than they are, ready to answer questions. This will happen when Linux is firmly on the desktop in the company, university and high school.

    Very true. This is the big advantage Windows and, to a lesser extent, MacOS have - a tight social net for support, so-to-speak. And having Linux systems pop up in more and more places - work, school, maybe some popular embedded devices - creates the basis. That way, it is at first not the people coming to Linux, but Linux coming to the people, who are then (hopefully) pleased with the advantages of the system, and slowly find more and more people around them who can provide helpful knowledge. I suppose this could even be more important than most of the discussions on where desktop systems like GNOME or KDE are headed.

  2. Re:god no... by LittleLebowskiUrbanA · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I don't agree w/ anything you just said about Eugenia but I think most people on Slashdot would instantly notice how much more professional and knowledgeable she is than Michael.

    --
    This guy is way out there
  3. True UNIX gurus must have a beard by nr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I would'nt trust them otherwise.. :)

    Big beard and tweed jacket, UNIX gurus always had that as long as I can remember.. I think it's cool :) It shows you're 110% focused at what you do.

  4. Re:server meltdown - text of article by sketerpot · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Speaking of commercial Unixes, there's a cool feeling that I get sometimes:
    But both of those pale in comparison to the feeling I got in 1995 of handing a complete operating system and a whole bunch of compilers, programs, etc. worth probably millions of dollars if commercial software, to a group of university professors in Suva, Fiji. As I handed them the CD the code was on, I felt a little god-like.
    I think that's just cool to be able to get all this great software for free, with the ability to fiddle with the source to your heart's content.