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Interview: Ask Linus Torvalds a Question
samzenpus writes: Linus Torvalds, the man behind the development of the Linux kernel, needs no introduction to Slashdot readers. Recently, we talked about his opinion on C++, and he talked about the future of Linux when he's gone. It's been a while since we sat down with Linus to ask him questions, so he's agreed to do it again and answer any you may have. Ask as many questions as you'd like, but please keep them to one per post.
When you've handed over the rei(g)ns for Linux, will there be other worlds worth conquering?
[Please say AI... Please!]
Why do you think its still near-impossible to buy a laptop with Linux preinstalled?
You've somehow managed to originate two insanely useful pieces of software: Linux, and Git.
Do you think there's anything in your work habits, your approach to choosing projects, etc., that have helped you achieve that level of productivity? Or is it just the traditional combination of talent, effort, and luck?
Do you think Valve is capable of making Linux a primary choice for gamers?
Do you think Lennart Poettering is a malicious egotistical asshole, or just a misguided fool who starts things but never finishes them?
According to Thomas Gleixner, the future of the realtime patchset to Linux is in doubt [1], as it is difficult to secure funding from interested parties on this functionality even though it is both useful and important:
What are your thoughts on this, and what do you think we need to do to get more support behind the RT patchset, especially considering Linux's increasing use in embedded systems where realtime functionality is undoubtedly useful.
[1] https://lwn.net/Articles/604695/
So you've mentioned the Linux project should be fine should you choose to go. How long do think you'll be in the game for? Is this a hint that something is coming?
systemd.....why?
If you post as Anonymous Coward, don't expect a reply.
Star Trek Original Series or The Next Generation?
Systemd: as bad as Hitler, or as bad as killing puppies?
Since you apparently still use just mail, text editor and git from command line for work, did we get graphical user interfaces completely wrong? Is there something fundamentally broken in GUI systems(or their design(ers))?
If you were to build linux again, what would be the one most important thing you would do differently
Why have you been so passive and uncaring about the obvious Trojan Horse of systemd? No concern about the increasing domination by one company (Red Hat)? Seriously?
The most complex program running on a machine is arguably its OS, especially the kernel. Linux (kernel) reached the top level in terms of performance, reliability and versatility. You have been criticized quite a few times for some virulent mails addressed to developers. Do you think Linux would be where it is without managing the project with an iron fist? To go further, do you think some other main OSS project would beneficiate from a more rigorous management approach?
Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
While historically you've been a C and Assembly guy (and the odd shell scripting and such), what do you think of functional languages such as Lisp, Closure, Haskell, etc? Do you see any advantages to them, or do you view them as frivolous and impractical?
If you decide to do so, thanks for taking the time to answer my question! You're a legend at what you do, and I think it's awesome that the significantly less interesting me can ask you a question like this.
"Set a man a fire, he'll be warm for the rest of the night. Set a man afire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
Windows LE (Linus Edition)
There wasn't a decent unix-like kernel, you wrote one which ultimately became the most used.
There wasn't a decent version control software, you wrote one which ultimately became the most love.
Do you think we already have a decent init system, or do you have plan to write one that will ultimately settle the world on that hot topic?
Video of some good progressive thrash music
Did your "fuck you" opinion on Nvidia changed lately? (and why)
Video of some good progressive thrash music
cat torvalds-says-linux.au > /dev/audio no longer works correctly with the latest Linux kernel.
( http://www.paul.sladen.org/pro... for whoever wanders )
Also we would not mind of a re-shot of the 1990 "beer" photos :)
1% APY, No fees, Online Bank https://captl1.co/2uIErYq Don't let your $$$ sit in a no-interest acct.
Mr. Torvalds,
For many uses of Linux such as on the desktop, other software beyond the kernel and the base GNU tools are required. What other projects would you like to see given priority, and what would you like to see implemented or improved?
Admittedly I thought most about X-Windows when asking this question; but I don't doubt that other daemons or systems can be just as important to the user experience.
Thank you for your efforts all these years.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
What big new feature or driver do you want to see added to Linux next?
During the early days of Linux, UMSDOSfs was a quite useful tool, being able to superimpose UNIX file names and ACLs on top of a vanilla FAT filesystem.
With devices that might need to restrict access, but still require FAT32 because of interoperability concerns, would a variant of UMSDOS that works on this filesystem ever be feasible? Take Android for instance. The only way to keep app "A" and app "B" separated when they are granted access to an external SD card is by using SELinux rules (which the default pretty much denies access.) Having the ability to enforce permissions while still preserving interoperability of SD cards would be very useful.
I want Linux on a laptop. The bulk of my work involves connecting at the command-line to other systems, sometimes through SSH, sometimes through serial. I like that the same command-line interface for initiating these connections is also the command line interface through which I can manipulate files in the filesystem, edit files through text editors, and manipulate files through command-line utilities.
While usually I can do my work from the office, sometimes I have to work in the field too. It's much easier to have one computer doing that work than it is to have one at the office, one out in the field, and one at home. Unfortunately the newest batch of portable computers, the convertible tablets, don't work well with X-Windows. This means having to have a separate computer at the office to connect into in order to work out of if I want access to everything that is helpful.
I've played with OSX-based laptops, I find the GUI clunky when it comes to working with multiple terminal windows, as Apple has taken the approach of using Apple-Tab to switch between applications, rather than switch between windows. It's more awkward than it should be to switch between multiple terminal sessions quickly. It also doesn't help that Apple has removed important keys from the keyboard, like pgup/pgdn, home/end, back-tab as shift of tab, and the distinction between backspace and delete, so a lot of the keys and combinations that I use effectively aren't available to me on the Mac.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Linus,
If you were pressed against a wall and absolutely forced to name an operating environment that has potential to succeed today's Linux systems in terms of adaptability, flexibility, and popularity -- what project(s) would you name? Alternatively, if you cannot think of anything that is presently deprecated, in development, or in production... would you be able to articulate a broad set of standards that may facilitate the creation of a viable competitor?
The question is as broad-based as it sounds, with the only answer I'd consider invalid being "Linux forever!" :). You could approach this from the perspective of licensing, hardware driving new solutions, kernal architecture, all of the above, or however you feel the question would be best answered. I'm keen to hear your views on what the Next Big Thing might be, even if it could only exist in an alternate universe.
Thanks!
Especially now that Steam is on Linux, are there any big cool games that you play or at least have tried?
What do you think about the "anykernel" concept (invented by another Finn btw) used in NetBSD? Basically, they have modularized the code so that a driver can be built either in a monolithic kernel or for user space without source code changes ( rumpkernel.org ). The drivers are highly portable and used in Genode os (L4 type kernels), minix etc... Would this be possible or desirable for Linux? Apparently there is one attempt called "libos"...
Just because YOU don't want to want to run Linux on a Laptop, does NOT mean NO ONE does!!! Many of us PREFER Linux OVER Windoze.
/., Linux, and the Open Source community.
I have been running Debian Linux on Laptops, Desktops, and Severs for at least 10 years with great success!
So go back to running Windoze, and just ignore
I don't have a question for Linus Torvalds, but I do have a story about asking Linus Torvalds a question. Back when I first started using Linux in 1995, I couldn't get the 'top' utility to run after a kernel update. I was only a kid at the time, and for whatever reason I figured the best approach was to just email Linus Torvalds himself to ask how to fix it. Little did I realize that would have been like emailing Bill Gates for help because a driver didn't install correctly on Windows. Surprisingly, Linus wrote back and explained that I needed to update my version of procps (or whatever it was called at the time). Linus, if you are reading this comment, I'd like to say thanks again for the tech support. ;^)
Slashdot's first reaction to VMware
In the 20th century, humanity took a transformational step forward when it "went interplanetary". This impacted billions of lives and changed everyone's perspective about our role in the universe.
A lot of bad stuff happened, too -- weaponization of nuclear energy; oppressive governments; new tools like computers being twisted to serve repressive governments rather than the common man; continual and destructive wars; accelerating destruction of the environment and natural resources; etc.
If there's one objective -- one imperative with a positive end-goal that will transform humanity, or at least the way we think about ourselves, in a good way -- that the current and next generation should focus on, what objective do you think that should be?
In short, what should be our next moonshot as a global society? I say global because I believe any objective worth achieving at this scale cannot be accomplished even by a small cadre of very powerful advanced industrial nations. We would need truly global support for any initiative on the scale I'm talking about.
What are your thoughts on why it is that Linux doesn't have a higher adoption rate?
You might want to limit that question to some subset like just "desktops". afaik, Linux still has the highest install base of any operating system: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
You post publicly on both Google+ and the LKML. Some of your posts get a lot of attention on G+ like naming the next version 3.20 or 4.0, which is a different audience than the Linux Kernel mailing list.
What do you like and dislike about communicating on either platform, Google+ or the LKML? How do you feel about their respective audiences? Do you enjoy the tools you use to participate in public discussions on Google+ and the LKML?
Several years ago, you were employed by Transmeta designing the Crusoe processor. I understand you are quite knowledgeable about cpu architecture. What are your thoughts on the Current Intel and AMD x86 CPUs particularly in comparison with ARM and IBM's Power8 CPUs? Where do you see the advantages of each one?
Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
Linus - My observation is that folks who're blindingly successful have a degree of asshole-ness to them. Jobs, Gates, Musk, Torvalds. Probably the US founding fathers, and Einstein and Edison. All the right degree of 'f em, I know what needs to be done.' Is that a correct assessment of you? do you have an external face, and one that is the more real you, or are you an asshole through and through?
Aside from adding drivers and refactoring algorithms when performance limits are discovered, is there anything left for the kernel?
Maybe it's a failure of tech journalism but we never hear about the next big thing in kernel land anymore.
Since you have become a naturalized U.S. Citizen, you must like living in America. What do you miss about Finland? What are some thing the U.S. does better than Finland?
Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
Hi Linus!
So I've read you live somewhere near Portland, and as shocking as it is to consider you amongst the flesh-and-blood mortals that I might encounter in this life, I believe I might just be able to keep from frothing and gibbering were it to happen. No promises. But in any case I'd be nice to know if there were any social or tech events in the area that you might attend. Also, breaking the rules about multiple questions, but possibly relevant to the above: what sort of beer do you drink?
- J. Random Linuxuser
Those who advocate genocide deserve every protection afforded by law, and none afforded by common human decency.
Obviously, you use Linux every day. What distribution do you use? Do you have a preferred desktop environment or window manager? A preferred text editor?
...but it's being eaten...by some...Linux or something...
How do you stay up to date with tech news? Do you read Slashdot on a regular basis, or where else do you get your news from?
What do you think of the newer computer languages ?
Rust, Swift,Go,Haskell,D,etc
Keep up the good work, the world needs fewer meglomaniacs building evil empires.
P.S. What do think of the idea of a VM sandbox safe area to run a systems internet facing programs in ?
This would be to limit malware/virus/etc access.
This is my opinion based on what little I know and understand of the rumors and lies Thanks, Randal
he answered that question at the Debian conference last year.
After 20 years of your debate with Andrew Tanenbaum about kernel architectures, what are your thoughts about such debate ?
Is there any inspiration that a GPU based kernel / scheduler has for you? How might Linux be improved to better take advantage of GPU-type batch execution models. Given that you worked transmeta and JIT compiled host-targetted runtimes. GPUs 1,000-thread schedulers seem like the next great paradigm for the exact type of machines that Linux does best on.
-Michael
Whatever happened to your Granddad's VIC-20, and what was your high score on Avenger? Radar Rat Race?
READY.
PRINT ""+-0
What would it take to use clang instead of gcc in the Linux kernel?
I've tried to get myself around to learning C++ since the early 90ies and really never made it just yet. I find your comments on C++ interesting and wouldn't be suprised if they had a grain of truth, if not more. To be honest, I've been second-guessing my C++ ambitions since I've read your comments on it.
Which brings me to my question:
I know you're a plain-ol C guy, but do you see a point in recent attempts to build a new Systems language, particularly the Go project from Google and the Rust project from Mozilla? Do you think this is just a fad or do these projects have potential? Are they adressing real problems and doing something useful or are they just a waste of time in your opinion?
And if you would differntiate, what do you think in particular about Go and what about Rust?
Can you picture yourself using a different language than C for programming a thing such as Linux or Git?
That's more than one question, but since they're related, I believe you can answer them in one reply.
All that aside:
Thank you very much for your and the Kernel teams great contribution to society. Very much appreciated. Your straight-forward approach to things at times serves as a concrete role model for me in my daily work as an IT person.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca