Linus Torvalds

Torvalds: Not easy to become major Linux coder

Paul Mah — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:03:17 -0400

In an interview with ZDNet.co.uk, Linux project lead Linus Torvalds noted that it is not easy to become a "big contributor" to the Linux kernel. While it is relatively easy to contribute small patches, the situation is different for large modifications. Other than the size and complexity of the kernel, Torvalds acknowledged that it does take time to learn about how the development community works. Sending in huge chunks of rewritten kernel code without warning will just be "frustrating for everybody." At the end of the day, it is more about human interaction than a quantifiable set of steps to adhere to. To prevent developers from becoming frustrated with the process, the Linux Foundation has released a guide to Linux kernel development for those who are interested.

For more on this article:
- check out this ZDNet News article

Linux creator criticizes makers of OpenBSD operating system

Paul Mah — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:05:21 -0400

Linux creator Linus Torvalds noted that "security people are often the black-and-white kind of people that I can't stand." The row came about after a developer who works to patch the Linux kernel accused Torvalds, among others, of not correctly labeling security flaws as such.

While concluding that security is important, Torvalds wrote that "it's no less important any everything else that is also important!" He then went on to single out the creators of the OpenBSD operating system, accusing them of making a big deal about security to the detriment of almost everything else. The OpenBSD community places extraordinary pride on security and auditing their variant of Unix. Still, all appears to end well. An OpenBSD developer wrote, "We all had a good laugh about it."

For more on what Linus Torvalds wrote:
- check out this ZDNet article

ALSO NOTED: Gartner: 80% of apps to use open-source by 2012; Flash drives get serious about security;

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:59:50 -0500

> Gartner: 80% of apps to use open-source by 2012. Article
> Motorola CEO takes helm of handset division. Article
> Lenovo ThinkPad power adaptor charges phones, PDAs too. Article
> Apple bumps iPhone to 16GB of storage. Article
> Linus Torvalds blasts Sun, Microsoft, virtualization. Article
> Flash drives get serious about security. Article
> Remembering failed Apple buyout amid Microsoft/Yahoo speculation. Article

And Finally... A brand-new computer from 1984 gets unboxed. Article

ALSO NOTED: iTunes DRM-free tracks drop to $0.99, as expected; HTC to ship 50,000 Google Phones this year?;

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> iTunes DRM-free tracks drop to $0.99, as expected. Article
> Linus Torvalds' own family uses Windows. Article
> HTC to ship 50,000 Google Phones this year? Rumor
> Acer-Gateway deal is official. Press Release
> When will your iPod die? Article
> MySpace, Skype hook up. Article
> Ultraportable MacBook on the 26th? Rumor

And Finally... Astrophysicist replaces supercomputer with Playstation 3s. Article

Linus Torvalds: DRM, GPL full of "hot air"

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:01:32 -0500

The ever-outspoken Linus Torvalds recently spoke his mind on a few tech topics, at the Linux.conf.au conference in Sydney. According to the Linux creator, both DRM and the GPL--current hot-button topics--will amount to little in the grand scheme of things. "I suspect--and I may not be right--(that) when it comes to things like DRM or licensing, people get really very excited about them. People have very strong opinions," Torvalds said. "I think it is going to cause a lot of hot air; it's going to cause a lot of hurt feelings; there (are) going to be a lot of arguments about it. But in practice, will it be a big deal? I suspect it is not going to be that big. But time will tell." Indeed, some studios and record labels have been looking cautiously toward DRM-free downloads, in the face of declining sales. Whether or not this is a sign of a shift toward more consumer-friendly digital content remains to be seen. Torvalds, for his part, remains optimistic: "One of the issues I have is that the most important thing is good technology. It's not about being commercial or noncommercial, open-source or closed-source...I also happen to believe that it is the best way to, eventually, get the best end result."

For more on Linus's outlook:
- see this CNET article

ALSO NOTED: Linus Torvalds now officially a hero; Salesforce.com pursuing ERP containment; and much more...

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 19:01:31 -0500

> Already a hero to open-source geeks worldwide, Linus Torvalds has been named to the European edition of Time Magazine's "60 Years of Heroes" list. Article

> More and more folks are reporting that a Social Security email scam, identified earlier this month, is continuing to make the rounds. Article

> Salesforce.com pursuing ERP containment? Article

> OpenSUSE 10.2 RC1 was served up on Thanksgiving day. Article

> Will an online version of Windows one day go head-to-head with Google OS? Article

> $2 billion is lost in online retail annually, due to security fears. Article

> Is Apple working on the iTablet? Blog

And Finally... Using Linux to boot Windows XP on a PlayStation 3 game console. Video

Top developers of Linux critique GPLv3

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 20:01:35 -0400

Some top Linux developers are taking Linus Torvalds' side against supporting the new General Public License 3. The GPL is written by the Free Software Foundation's Richard Stallman and it applies to a huge range of open-source software, not just Linux. But the Linux programmers say that GPL 3 clauses related to rights management and patents are inferior to the current GPL 2 and could actually weaken, not strengthen, the open-source movement as a whole.

For more on open-source:
- read this Linux-Watch article

ALSO: DOS, older Windows and others still in demand. Op-Ed

Linux biz kernel maintainer cites problems

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Is there trouble with a capital T in Linux? Yes, according to Linux 2.6.x.y co-maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman. Despite scores of satisfied customers, from Novell to Red Hat, problems with the enterprise Linux kernel include infrequent updates, terrible power management, insufficient communication between vendors and the kernel braintrust and shutdown problems specific to mobile devices. There's also the big issue of whether Linux knowledge is too centralized--what if something happens to Linus Torvalds?

For more on Linux:
- read this internetnews.com article

Linux kernel getting buggier, leader says

Sun, 07 May 2006 20:01:38 -0400

Linux code co-maintainer Andrew Morton said he and Linus Torvalds might cease writing new kernel code to concentrate on fixing bugs for a while. Microsoft did this a couple of years ago as well. "It seems we're adding bugs at a higher rate than we're fixing them," he said. Another problem is that bug-fixing is a dull job which nobody wants to do. For more on the bugs:

- read this News.com article

ALSO: Report casts doubt on Vista security. Article

PLUS: Computer security in the next 50 years. Article

Linux lab mending fences with techies

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 19:01:35 -0500

Programmers aren't always easy to get along with, and Linux programmers... we'll be nice and say they are a particular sort. The Open Source Development Labs seems to agree. OSDL employs Linux founder Linus Torvalds and his right-hand man Andrew Morton, and now they're forming an advisory board to help interface with Linux programmers worldwide. In the past, ideas reached OSDL primarily through mailing lists and emails, so now it will be a more formal process. That kind of organization might just be good for the young OS contender.

For more on the OSDL:
- read this News.com article

ALSO: Why good technologists are hard to find. Article