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Paid Developers Power the Linux Kernel

Posted by timothy on from the back-in-your-day-maybe dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "Believe it or not, there is still this illusion that Linux and open-source software is written by counter-culture, C++ programming cultists living in their parents' basements or huddled together in Cambridge, Mass. group-houses. Now CNet reports that the Linux Foundation has found that 'over 70% of all [Linux] kernel development is demonstrably done by developers who are being paid for their work.' That Linux is primarily developed by paid developers should come as no surprise considering that Linux enables many companies — hardware, software, and online services — to be more competitive in their markets and to find new ways to generate revenue. 'What's important about how Linux and open-source software is created isn't the side issues of politics or how its developers are perceived; it's that its fundamental methodology produces better software,' writes Stephen Vaughan-Nichols."

5 of 191 comments (clear)

  1. C++ programming cultists? by razvan784 · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's written in C, not C++.

    1. Re:C++ programming cultists? by SigmundFloyd · · Score: 5, Funny

      C++ programming cultists often write in C.

      Those are C++ programming occultists.

      --
      Knowledge is power; knowledge shared is power lost.
    2. Re:C++ programming cultists? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The Linux kernel currently compiles with GCC, Clang/LLVM, PCC, Path64 (development branch only - some of the inline asm isn't handled correctly by the released version), ICC and (I think) XLC. An earlier version also compiled with TCC. It's not really that dependent on GNUisms. Or, rather, the GNUisms that it depends on are pretty well supported by other compilers.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  2. I'm not surprised by jimicus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My employer uses F/OSS extensively - and as the sysadmin, I've started to notice a pattern.

    F/OSS products which scratch an individual or a small group of peoples' itch generally get developed to a certain point and then stagnate. If you're lucky, that point is acceptable to you.

    The products that do really well - the "best of F/OSS", if you like - are almost invariably the sort which scratches a very common itch. They're usually bankrolled by a number of companies (the Linux kernel falls under this category) or become self-funding when the project leader sets up a company to sell a commercial version with support and possibly extra features.

  3. Old News by PiAndWhippedCream · · Score: 5, Informative

    Do even the editors read anymore?