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Who Wrote Linux?
Dozix007 writes "There is an interesting article by Jan Stafford on the myths of Linux creation. This episode of the series of Linux creation myths, one fellow plays "I Spy," and the other reveals the true origins of the man from Redmond. The author is offering a $50 gift certificate and IT books to the best spinners of tall Linux creation tales. If you can outdo these tall tales."
... which automatically precludes the writer of Linux from ever winning so called contest.
[ raises hand ]
Best Buy can have you arrested
Linus holds the *trademark* for the word Linux. He holds the copyright on some of the code for Linux, but at this point I'm sure it's far from all of it, probably not actually even a large fraction of it. If I write a patch and submit it to Linus, I hold the copyright on that patch. Copyright on the patched code would be a very sticky issue, but since we all agree to distribute the code under the GPL license, as long as you stay within the terms of the license who owns the copyright is moot.
:)>
It's possible that Linus requires you to agree to assign copyright to him to submit code, but I doubt it.
Personally, I write code. You can call it developing or creating, and you're right, but the specifics of what I do is writing. It is no different than writing a book, except that it's instructions in a very pedantic language.
<Note: I personally have not contributed to the Linux kernel; I'm using the royal we above
It ain't a legend if you can verify it in Google.
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
The difference between a legend and a myth is that legends are, at least in part, verifiable.
George Mallory scaling the tallest mountain in the world is a legendary feat and story.
Atlas standing atop the tallest mountain in the world to hold up the sky is mythical, especially since it doesn't even corespond to fact in the simple matter of the mountain in question being all that tall.
KFG
There was a time when everything was Blue. All the spirits of the CPU were asleep - or almost all. The great Father of
All Operations was the only one awake. Gently he awoke the Kernel Mother. As she opened her eyes and warm lines of code
spread out towards the sleeping CPU. The Father of All Operations said to the Kernel Mother,
"Mother, I have work for you. Go down to the CPU and awake the Unix coders. Give them freedom as in Speech."
The Kernel Mother glided down to the CPU, which was a 386 at the time and began to walk in all directions and everywhere she walked
code grew. After returning to the field where she had begun her work the Mother rested, well pleased with herself. The
Father of All Operations came and saw her work, but instructed her to go into the caves and wake the licensing spirits.
This time she ventured into the dark caves on the mountainsides. The bright light that radiated from her awoke the licensing spirits
and after she left licenses of all kinds flew out of the caves. The Kernel Mother sat down and watched the glorious sight of her
licenses mingling with her Unix coders. However once again the Father urged her on.
The Mother ventured into a very deep cave, spreading her light around her. Her heat melted the lawyers grip and the schedulers
and stream handlers of Linux were created. Then she created video drivers and file systems, a TCP/IP stack and a SysV IPC
mechanism. Next she awoke the spirits of POSIX and BSD and they burst into the kernel in a glorious array of code. Seeing this
the Father of All Operations was pleased with the Kernel Mother's work.
She called all her code to her and instructed them to enjoy the wealth of the CPU and to live peacefully with one
another. Then she rose into the sky and became the Power Supply.
And that is how Linux came to be In the Beginning.