Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

75% of Linux Code Now Written By Paid Developers

Posted by timothy on from the rest-kept-in-locked-cellar dept.

i_want_you_to_throw_ writes "During a presentation at Linux.conf.au 2010 in Wellington, LWN.net founder and kernel contributor Jonathan Corbet offered an analysis of the code contributed to the Linux kernel between December 24 2008 and January 10 2010. The Linux world makes much of its community roots, but when it comes to developing the kernel of the operating system, it's less a case of 'volunteers ahoy!' and more a case of 'where's my pay?'" It's not clear from the article why anyone should perceive a contradiction between having high ideals and getting paid to do something you enjoy.

3 of 368 comments (clear)

  1. Beer/speech by Thinboy00 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    You're a troll so I won't go into details.

    --
    $ make available
  2. Are you some kind of Cannonball Head? by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    "From most of the Linux advocates I hear commenting on slashdot, there AREN'T bugs or missing features in Linux. So why the developers? ;)
    ...
    I like Linux and have no problem with devs getting paid to work on it. Sound slike a good idea to me; in fact, it sound slike how almost every single product in the world is made, pretty much. That has a user base over like 2. :)"

    Accolades on choosing an appropriate SlashID:

    • Most of the work in kernel development is in driver development
    • We experience time linearly, so being the first to support USB 3 had to wait until USB 3 actually existed for example
    • You are referring to Linux distributions as if that is the same as the Linux kernel
    • Linus Torvalds, and most of the developers, didn't get paid to develop Linux until it became very popular
    • Many, many, many very popular FOSS solutions exist that are very popular and were developed by people who WERE NOT paid to do it. Have you ever heard of Sendmail? No? Well then how about Apache?
    • Smiley emoticons intended to indicate snide cleverness are best reserved for those rare occaisons that you actually say something clever
    • I went easy on you
    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  3. Re:Good. Glad to Hear It. by Finallyjoined!!! · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.

    Now then, there's two choices for the correct spelling: humorously or humorlessly. My guess, based on the above comment, would be the latter....:-)

    --
    If I had an Ass, I'd call it Fanny Bottom, then I could slap my Ass; Fanny Bottom, on the Arse.