Torvalds Rejects One-Size-Fits-All Linux

Barence writes "Linus Torvalds has rejected the argument that Linux developers should pool their resources behind a single distribution. 'I think multiple distributions aren't just a good thing, I think it's something absolutely required. We have hundreds of distros, and a lot of them are really for niche markets. And you need that — simply because different markets simply have different requirements, and no single distro will take care of them all.' The calls from the Linux community have been growing due to Linux's failure to show significant market share growth."

Comments

Market share for desktop linux is low because

[maynard]

Desktop Linux sucks. Well, let's be honest, desktop Unix sucks. Gnome and KDE did not meet the goal of providing a quality alternative to commercial desktop systems. That was their intent, but the outcome has been simply dismal. I say this having used desktop UNIX and Linux exclusively since the early 1990s. I haven't run Windows at home since Win 3.1. Currently, I've given up on Linux and run MacOS X - but, frankly, that too is nearly twenty year old desktop technology.

Where I work we're currently slowly transitioning from desktop Linux to MacOS X. Linux and FreeBSD will remain in the server room and for computational clustering. Which is where the free OS's truly shine right now.

Re:Before you start screaming about this.

[Neoprofin]

I would think the better solution would be asking the community to concentrate its efforts in some fields for the greater good of everyone, because if the projects are not noticeably different there is very little to be gained from having them compete.

Re:"Failure to show significant market growth"

[Facetious]

Yeah, that's what I said. Idiot.

Re:Standards

[FishWithAHammer]

"Compile from source" is a shitty alternative and essentially blocks proprietary development. The freetards will say that that's not a bad thing, but the freetards also think Stallman is right for doing crap like adding forced nag screens to emacs and screaming that others are bullying him when they say it's not a good idea.

Proprietary software development is not going away. Linux is not going to change "the market and system." Adapting to the way things work gives you a chance to move forward--not doing so does not. That means building a halfway decent cross-distro framework that ensures that if it runs on Ubuntu, it runs on SuSE or RedHat or whatever else. Not having that is pigheadedness at best.