Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Linux Turns 17 Today

Posted by kdawson on from the hippo-birdies dept.

Meshach writes "Over at the Linux Journal, Doc Searles is noting that today marks 17 years since Linus posted to Usenet, starting Linux (post). As a Linux user at work and at home I say, thanks Linus!" The anniversary is also featured on the top page of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

2 of 285 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Linus... humble!? by BobNET · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Or did you conveniently forget that it's GNU/Linux?

    Like how people conveniently forget that it wasn't published under the GPL until late 1992. Or that it can currently be compiled with at least one compiler other than GCC. Or that it's possible to run it with a modified *BSD userland and non-glibc C library. But yeah, aside from that, it's all Stallman's doing...

  2. Re:Linus... humble!? by Cathbard · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think you are underestimating the influence of the GPL in the success of GNU/Linux. Knowing that some slimy corporation wasn't able to take your contribution, close it off and sell it made the whole deal far more palatable. There's no way I would contribute without the protections offered by the GPL license and I know I'm not alone in having that attitude. The only thing worse than working for a corporation is working for them for free.

    --
    "A cynic is what an idealist calls a realist" - Sir Humphrey Appleby