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Linus Torvalds' Benevolent Dictatorship
treebeard77 writes "BusinessWeek has posted Linus Torvalds interview '
The creator of Linux says "I can't be nasty" when leading the open-source movement since it's all built on trust and teamwork' "
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Linux become the No. 2 operating system worldwide for server computers.
Wouldnt that be nr 1 in server and nr 2 in desktop?
(:
from the article:
"... That has helped Linux become the No. 2 operating system worldwide for server computers."
Dumb question, I know, but who exactly is number 1, and what constitutes a server, anyway?
Q: Some say Linux and a lot of open-source projects really aren't innovative, that they're copies of commercial products. What's your reaction to that?
A: I disagree. It's an easy argument to make. One reason people make it is that, in open source, they don't see the revolutionary new versions magically appearing. In comparison, look at commercial closed systems. They make a new release every year or three to four years with a huge marketing splash. They make it look very different. But it's a circus to make it look like a sudden innovation.
I disagree with Linus on this one. While the kernel might be worked on and might improve by leaps and bounds, MANY of the programs available through open source is fucking terrible and certainly nothing more than a free knockoff of a Windows/etc counterpart (hell wasn't that the entire point of Linux in the first place)?
Yes, sure, many commercial applications are buggy and have slow release times but at least they aren't 100% alpha quality with huge disclaimers that they aren't responsible for what happens to your computer when you run them.
Remember, this is the biggest reason that people don't go to Linux right now... No application support. It will likely get better but I can't believe he said that it wasn't as bad as I think.
So interesting that this sceptical wife of an uber geek bought it for the hubby as a christmas present, read it herself and now only uses open source software. I even find open office to be far more practical than Microsoft. Oh and not to mention Ive had no spyware problems since switching. So this may all be old news to the confirmed geeks out there but if the wife is saying "yeah yeah" when you bang on about how good Linux etc is pass her the book. Humour and intelligence, the two things GUARANTEED to work on a woman!
It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.
ever actually READ an EULA on a piece of commercial software? its a lot of really complicated legal text saying just that; they're not responsible for anything the software does to your computer. the *microsoft* EULAs usually also say you're legally bound to keep your mouth shut about anything bad the software does to your computer. i'm not joking. read one sometime.
Say wing-ding looping and sorting method 'B' is patented and, not knowing anything about it, I create it myself. Should I check my code and all code I write to ensure that it is not already patented? If that's the case you can kiss a great many OSS projects goodbye because they won't have the resources or the patients for this type of thing.
UNIX/Linux Consulting
Actually, if Linux hadn't come around then it's possible that the BSDs would still be puttering around in the stone age because they would not have had as much motivation to thrive through competition, and the only commercial x86 Unixes would then be Solaris/x86, which would still be a sad joke (now it's just an unfunny joke), BSDi which would be just as sad a joke if not sadder, and SCO Unix which would probably merge with SCO Unixware and become one decent product. Hence if it were not for Linux SCO might actually be a contender today. However Linux became too much too fast for SCO to keep up and made them irrelevant. Their attack on linux can be seen as a kind of attempt to take revenge for the destruction of SCO's chance to succeed.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
The difference is that if you don't like this dictatorship you can copy everything useful from it (except the manpower) and go dig your own sandbox and fill it with a copy of the sand from the other one. Now all you need is more kids to play with... The problem with dictatorships is that a> they can prevent people from leaving the sandbox and b> all the other sandboxes are already full of children who will resist your attempts to kick them out.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
With the pirates, though, mutiny was rare, even if the captain was an evil malevolant tyrant. No matter what he did, mutiny was worse. Mutiny is the worst crime you can commit on the high seas.
Word got out that you took part in a mutiny, no matter what an asshole Captain Blythe was, you'd never serve on a ship again in your life. Hell, you'd be lucky to pay for passage on one.
In fact, many of the Bounty mutineers wound up living out their lives on some pacific island, partly because noone would go and pick them up.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Your hypothetical is already reality.
The answer is, keep doing what you have been doing and hope for the best. It is the the fact that we are reduced to "hoping for the best" that is the fundamental reason that no matter how impassionedly someone argues for the current system, it is fundamentally flawed; ever Microsoft is reduced to it. That's not justice.
(Don't do a patent search, all you'll do is triple the damages if you get sued. The system punishes diligence.)
I'm not that concerned about the threat of Microsoft (MSFT ) enforcing patents against Linux. I think their mode of operation isn't through the legal system. I think they hate lawyers more than most companies. They've been on the receiving end. [CEO Steve] Ballmer and [Chairman Bill] Gates have pride in the fact that their competition may have tried to crush them with legal wars, but they overcame. I think they would have a hard time using legal tactics. They would be ashamed.
Interesting paragraph, seems to imply honour on microsofts part. Isn't there some kind of link between SCO and MS ?
No, the people get the leaders that they deserve. After all, they elect them and let them ruin a fine country without any resistance or revolution.
All the people you mention are all but "for the people". They want power, thus they are the worst candidates for presidency. Of course, there's always some good in them too: Bush really believes his BS. Clinton REALLY wanted to make things better in education, free hospitalization, but had no support because of a poor election.
But most of all, they all want THEIR statue and legacy to tell the world about all their great achievements. That's not a good starting point for great deeds, that's just ego and everything reduces after that.
Nope sometimes there is no phoenix. Or that is to say, one exists already, and its called windows.
Money won't save MS, people will. The same people who if by some miracle ever heard of Linux, would be both unable to use it (regarding installs and upgrades) and alienated by the "community".
The reasons for such elitism are simple enough at their heart. A group of reasonably intelligent people scorned for their interest in fascinating new machines. Well guess what, now we get to mock, har har har... idiots, you are fighting a war, and you have no generals, only cheiftans.
And it does matter. Computers are becoming more and more prevalent in our society. Do you want microsoft driving that train?
I think Linux is actually more like the Roman Empire than you seem to imply, while Microsoft is more like one of the 20th century dictatorships.
The Roman Empire managed to be so large because it used a decentralized system of command. Provincial governors could act within their provinces without any oversight from Rome, but could call on Rome's military and financial power if needed. In return, they sent their profits back to the capital. Furthermore, allotment of governorships was based on the governor's record as seen by what they sent to Rome and what assistance they required in maintaining control. The governor could therefore maintain control of the province with the backing of a huge empire; Rome reaped the profits of the huge empire; but the emperor didn't have to think about the whole empire, because he could trust Spain's governor to deal with Spain or be replaced with someone who could. Furthermore, the senatorial class would manage itself in choosing who got control of what. Also, people from various parts of the government could get noticed by the senate and thereby put into more powerful positions. This system allowed Rome to rule a huge area for centuries, across many emperors and even dynasties.
Linux development is done in much this way. Linus doesn't do particularly much in running the project, relative to its size; most of the work is done by others who do it to show their productivity and merit, and who get rewarded by having their code put into the mainline and by having others contribute work to their subsystems, both of which increase the developer's reputation and ability to affect the design of the kernel.
Microsoft, on the other hand, is much more centralized, and the chain of command is more strict. This limits their size and flexibility and the ability of rising stars to affect direction. The loss of critical Microsoft executives would probably have much the effect that the death of Eva Peron had on Peronist Argentina than the death of Julius Caesar had on Rome.
Chances are, Microsoft won't last more than 50 years, while Linux will be around in 500. Not, of course, that that matters much to people under Microsoft's thumb at the moment.
I am surprised that Linus thinks of himself as a dictator. I suppose that he could be considered that except for the negative connotations.
I see him more like a Benjamin Franklin, or perhaps George Washington.
Or maybe more like a Martin Luther.
None of these would I call dictators.
And all the people who I can think of as dictators I can't say that I like.
Linus is more like a George Washington. He is leading the army. He starts the country. He is the general in charge, not a dictator but a natural leader.
The world works better when knowledge is shared. Knowledge is a nearly infinitely replicable resource. If I tell you something I know, I still retain it, yet you also now have it. I believe that's a paraphrase of something Thomas Jefferson said...
Everything else, that gets into communism, which is basically a discounting of human nature. Great idea, impossible to pull off.
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
I wouldn't call using Linux (or whatever he uses) pragmatic, as I'm sure it is software as RMS likes it to be: free. One of the freedoms is that if you don't like the programmer (or, as in this case, some of his opinions), you can still use it because he can't use the software to "oppress" you.
I think the Hurd is a very good idea. Using a microkernel and doing everything in userspace is great. They say the current implementation (on mach) sucks performance-wise, and I believe them without checking (I ran it, but didn't do enough to be able to verify the claims.) That is enough reason not to use it for normal work, if there is a comparable kernel (from an end-user point of view) which is doing better.
Not only are there performance problems, there is also the point that mach is not a microkernel if you compare it to modern microkernels like L4 (mach actually does device management, for example.) Currently, the hurd is being ported to L4, and I can only hope that it will have good performance. Technically, I am sure it will be a great system.
How would Linux and Opensource be affected? Who's the next person in line most likely to take his place? Has this even been considered?
"Newsflash boys, the evil empire has no fear of Linux in the long term."
Microsoft doesn't care that it's losing server market share to Linux?
I guess that's why they're spending millions on the Windows vs Linux TCO campaign.
An for what it's worth, that campaign is doing MS more harm than good, because now everybody who's never heard the work Linux before, wants to know what Linux is. Since that campaign started, my company has experienced a massive increase in requests for linux based servers. And we don't even advertise our linux at all.
sigaar