http://www.osnews.com/story/14656/Interview_Linus_Torvalds Exploring the Future of Computing en-us Copyright 2001-2009, David Adams adam+nospam@osnews.com Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:22:20 GMT http://www.osnews.com/images/osnews.gif http://www.osnews.com http://osnews.com/thread?126247 http://osnews.com/thread?126247 However, the strangest thing is that CNN is thinking that Linux is giving Microsoft headaches?

What is strange about it, is that most main US centric news stations never used to think of Linux like that.

Should it not be Apple that are supplying the headaches for Microsoft

After all, if most of the fan-boys here will attest to, no-one actually uses Linux..... except me of course. Fri, 19 May 2006 20:41:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (raver31) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126252 http://osnews.com/thread?126252 It is a very nice interview. Linus is a great person and he has made his views clear about OSS.
With due respect to Linus, my views about the interview
We should not see Linux as system is giving serious headaches to microsoft. Linux is a kernel and maybe serious compititor to windows kernel but not to Windows as OS. Again when put together with DE and all other linux based softwares 'can' make serious threat to windows. But MS is gigantic system integrating, hardware, software, backword compt, very effectively. On the other hand Linux and other developers live in their own world, each one is the best in his domain. But to seriously compete with MS we need a highly charismatic personality to bind all developers together, including Linus. Fri, 19 May 2006 20:50:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (rakamaka) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126260 http://osnews.com/thread?126260 apple's one of microsoft's better friends I'd think. consider that MS provides the office suite that's on the most macs (a guess, but a fairly safe one I'd think). and now, they've even provided a way to install microsoft's operating system on their hardware...

microsoft already won round one of the desktop battle (not necessarily on technical merits of course, but figures like 90odd% do attest that they did something right in the stricly business sense. the future of course is yet to be seen) the server area on the other hand is one that they've desperately trying to get in on, and easily linux is the main barrier there (yeah yeah, I know, they do have a pretty substantial presence already. but it certainly isn't the 90some percent like the desktop, and MS isn't known for liking to compete in a balanced and level playing field) Fri, 19 May 2006 21:14:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (macisaac) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126262 http://osnews.com/thread?126262 Looks like Linus has gained a bit of weight, might be time to unplug for a bit and hit the treadmill.

I don't think anyone over at MS is losing any sleep over Linux. OSS perhaps, but not Linux (as in the kernel) itself. Fri, 19 May 2006 21:17:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (jayson.knight) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126279 http://osnews.com/thread?126279 I don't think anyone over at MS is losing any sleep over Linux. OSS perhaps, but not Linux (as in the kernel) itself.

What OSS? Microsoft isn't losing any sleep over OSS desktop. It's the server side that Microsoft is battling Unix with. Proprietary Unix is gone for the most part, and now it's Solaris, BSD, Linux, and Windows fighting on that front. Fri, 19 May 2006 21:44:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (slate) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126292 http://osnews.com/thread?126292 Don't know where you've been but they haven't been exactly keeping their darkest fears a secret.

http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20010110S0006 Fri, 19 May 2006 22:14:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Sphinx) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126294 http://osnews.com/thread?126294 Yeah, he seems to have put on a few pounds.

Anyone ever wonder how rich he actually got?
I mean, we can all check on BillG's wealth with a few clicks. Fri, 19 May 2006 22:15:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (lopisaur) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126301 http://osnews.com/thread?126301 You must live in the pee cee world.


Linux is a not only a serious threat but is actually hurting microsoft in many areas of the server/non-desktop market. Fri, 19 May 2006 22:36:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Milo_Hoffman) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126304 http://osnews.com/thread?126304 >Yeah, he seems to have put on a few pounds.

Wife + Kids + Family + Job + Boss + lots of travel + finnish love of beer = DUH.

When we first got to know Linus he was a poor single graduate student who spent more time in the university college lab than sleeping, and had little time or money for eating after all....he has a bit of a different life now. Fri, 19 May 2006 22:38:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Milo_Hoffman) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126313 http://osnews.com/thread?126313 Don't forget to factor in American junkfood. We got more fast food joints and more kinds of food guaranteed to make you fat (if it doesn't kill you) than probably the rest of the world combined. Also there's the age factor. From 30 on, if you're not watching what you eat and exercising, most people do start getting round and it just gets worse from there. Fri, 19 May 2006 22:51:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (vitae) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126332 http://osnews.com/thread?126332 When we first got to know Linus he was a poor single graduate student who spent more time in the university college lab than sleeping, and had little time or money for eating after all....he has a bit of a different life now.

i prefer the single, thin, free, graduate student life instead. now that explanies linus bad attitude sometimes. I say get married late while in the mean time make a load of cash and spend, spend spend date supermodels like bill gates well he did not actually went on a spending spree nor dated models but he did make a load of cash. Sat, 20 May 2006 00:01:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (happycamper) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126346 http://osnews.com/thread?126346 I think you meant 20 because that's when people typically begin to gain adult weight..
Maybe the last generation had this problem at 30? Sat, 20 May 2006 01:12:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (ma_d) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126356 http://osnews.com/thread?126356 "..I end up being the central gathering point but it's because people know me, people trust me. I am neutral." --- Raise your hand if you think this is entirely true. I recall the Gnome/KDE issue.Edited 2006-05-20 02:05 Sat, 20 May 2006 01:58:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (kill) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126358 http://osnews.com/thread?126358 Care to elaborate? Sat, 20 May 2006 02:04:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (thebluesgnr) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126368 http://osnews.com/thread?126368 This generation has the problem starting in childhood. Porkers. Sat, 20 May 2006 03:58:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Get a Life) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126382 http://osnews.com/thread?126382 He favors KDE over GNOME, with a derogation post.

I personally just encourage people to switch to KDE. This "users are idiots, and are confused by functionality" mentality of Gnome is a disease. If you think your users are idiots, only idiots will use it. I don't use Gnome, because in striving to be simple, it has long since reached the point where it simply doesn't do what I need it to do. Please, just tell people to use KDE.

http://chucker.mystfans.com/2005/12/13/linus-hates-gnome.entry Sat, 20 May 2006 05:43:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Babi Asu) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126389 http://osnews.com/thread?126389 I think the pic makes him look a bit fat he used to look quite skiny, didn't he? Anyway my father always tells me: "good appetite is a sign of good health"! Sat, 20 May 2006 06:58:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (bouh) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126390 http://osnews.com/thread?126390 Alright I could have read more in details the previous posts. Sat, 20 May 2006 07:01:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (bouh) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126398 http://osnews.com/thread?126398 "Linus Torvalds: Well today what I do mostly is actually communication."
Well, we all here know what it means ))))) Sat, 20 May 2006 08:20:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (growchie) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126409 http://osnews.com/thread?126409 "Usually media shy, the 36-year-old Finn invited Kristie Lu Stout and the Global Office team into his home for an insight into life..."

Interview doesn't really live up this description. It was similar to many other Linus interviews and didn't offer much in the way of personal insight. Sat, 20 May 2006 11:26:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (rhyder) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126411 http://osnews.com/thread?126411 Haven't you thought he means he is neutral in matters in which he actually can make a difference? I don't know... such as the kernel, perhaps? Sat, 20 May 2006 11:49:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (jbauer) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126413 http://osnews.com/thread?126413 Maybe he meant neutral about the kernel and what goes to the main tree. About DE he doesn't need to be neutral. He is not a DE developer (I think). Sat, 20 May 2006 12:29:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (bufalo_1973) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126415 http://osnews.com/thread?126415 What does that statement have to do with the Linux kernel and neutrality in that respect? He doesn't maintain desktop environment integration into the Linux kernel.

He is neutral where he is supposed to be neutral. If he gave preference to a kernel developer over the rest you could question his neutrality. The point of the desktop environment doesn't pertain here and hence is moot. Sat, 20 May 2006 12:48:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (CaptainFlint) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126422 http://osnews.com/thread?126422 "Interview doesn't really live up this description. It was similar to many other Linus interviews and didn't offer much in the way of personal insight."

I agree, a very generic feel with no vision. Very blasé.
LINUX is pretty generic though. I duel boot WindowsXPPro/Linux. With all the craziness of Bill Gates, I still think he offers a decent, if not morally skewed sometimes, vision.
He is a programmer and not a philosopher though and lately the future has been very unpredictable. I agree we are in the 'Live' era and Bill Gates mentioned how the CD/DVD was dead a while back but then brought up how we need it and is important lately, so a lot of conflicting messages there. Plus Bill doesn't really understand the idea of the purist aspect of coding C/C++, it seems (although he uses it for his .NET CLR), so I am a little miffed at that. Because of such a tyrannical closed mentality they have driven forward with .NET forgetting their roots. On the other hand, Linux can get puritanical, though.

I still like the Windows DIRECT feel with the properties tab menus for each file, instead of KDE's: everything located in the system menu. You feel like you have more power there. Linux still has that central communal servery (co-dependent) feel and Linus always referring to open source software as community based doesn't help break that non-capitalist sentiment to me. I still am a believer in the American way of an individual being the main inventor while depending on the community for competition to keep his ass in line. It's called capitalism.
Just because something is open source doesn't mean it's not capitalist. I still have the thought it offered more competition in a free market.

Today people don't really need new invention there looking for innovation, efficiency and stability so something generic got very popular. I think it's a good thing but I still like Windows although I still want it open sourced so I can see their patches and fix that dang thing properly when it breaks. Sat, 20 May 2006 13:24:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Bonus) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126446 http://osnews.com/thread?126446 1.Linux is a pea in the desktop os world

2.Windows is the no.1 server now.
http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=... Sat, 20 May 2006 15:17:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Eric Martin) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126467 http://osnews.com/thread?126467 2.Windows is the no.1 server now.

From the article:

The trend of Microsoft besting Unix appears to be accelerating, noted IDC. Windows server sales climbed 4.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005, year-over-year, while Unix server revenues dropped 5 percent. Linux, meanwhile, posted double-digit year-over-year growth: fourth quarter 2005's numbers were 20.8 percent higher than 2004's.

Hmmm. Unix isn't losing out to Windows, it's losing out to Linux, which is outpacing both in sales growth. Which also doesn't take into account the deployments of non-commercial linux, since they're not measured. I'll also refrain from pointing out that linux solutions tend to be cheaper in price than Unix or Microsoft solutions, so revenue numbers are in no way indicative of unit sales, which I would consider to be a more relevant indicator.

Microsoft can enjoy a hollow victory if you want, I'd say those numbers are actually stronger vindication for linux in the data center. But then again, it's strength and capability there is never really questioned by anyone but the most diehard and misdirected Redmond revisionists. Sat, 20 May 2006 17:01:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (elsewhere) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126474 http://osnews.com/thread?126474 Actually, I think most of the source of Linux's success on the server has been at the expense of traditional Unices, such as AIX and HP-UX, as has Windows advances in the server space Sat, 20 May 2006 17:45:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (BluenoseJake) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126477 http://osnews.com/thread?126477 Mine started hitting me around 25. I'm skinny everywhere but between my ribcage and my belt. And I don't drink alcoholic beverages either. For me, it's a combination of genetics, lack of good exercise and a sit-down desk job. Sat, 20 May 2006 17:55:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Morgan) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126509 http://osnews.com/thread?126509 i prefer the single, thin, free, graduate student life instead. now that explanies linus bad attitude sometimes. I say get married late while in the mean time make a load of cash and spend, spend spend date supermodels like bill gates well he did not actually went on a spending spree nor dated models but he did make a load of cash.


I assume the person who modded my score down to zero thinks others wise. but we are all free to choose our own kind of lifestyle.unless we all live in a socalist country where we all fall in the pit of fire together. i want to know why was my score modded to zero? what is wrong with making alot of cash and studying and going out? Sat, 20 May 2006 22:36:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (happycamper) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126594 http://osnews.com/thread?126594 linux have taken over more and more of the good old big irons yes. there is allso the clustering enviroment. and webservers (this is where linux got its start, below apache, on cheap x86 hardware).

microsoft's contribution to the server room is exchange on top of windows NT, and now active directory. to get there they "bested" novell. the same novell thats not pusing suse linux along with their own brand of linux distro.

i dont see microsoft doing much movement towards big irons or clusters. but they are aiming for the webserver space. and thats realy where the linux distros and the microsoft products are facing off... Sun, 21 May 2006 06:12:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (hobgoblin) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126625 http://osnews.com/thread?126625 I didn't mod you down but,
I don't think college effects at all except making more connections. Maybe you mean that he should work for a college research lab more in the background. They really are doing, as much or more, in the invention department latley then companies. The companies bring it to market. He may not like the limelight that the dektop brings.
Mark Shuttleworth likes it allot though.
Still on the cellphone he is more poipular then MS I think. Sun, 21 May 2006 11:29:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Bonus) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126867 http://osnews.com/thread?126867 Linux isn't giving Microsoft any "headaches", nobody cares about Linux except a small cult of zealots that constantly quibble among themselves to be the new King of the Geeks. You might as well say Unitarians are giving the catholic church "headaches". They've been telling us that Linux was poised to take over the desktop since '98, but anyone stupid enough to buy a Linux distro soon learned it was a bunch of hot air. Now so many years have gone by, nobody posts conspiracy crap about XP or IE anymore, it's a done deal, Microsoft owns us, and your contributions changed very little but timing. Mon, 22 May 2006 09:50:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Dreadstar) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126882 http://osnews.com/thread?126882 Come on, that view doesn't reflect real life, and you proberly know it. So please don't write it, just to p*** people off. Mon, 22 May 2006 11:32:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (damp) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?126887 http://osnews.com/thread?126887 I hear some "resistance is futile, you will soon be assimilated". (-:

Oh, I didn't BUY a linux distro, I downloaded it for free and using it, very happily. On the other hand I hear a lot of people who STEAL some Windows and using it, very happily. If Windows wanted to protect itself better, than Linux would gain some interest. Mon, 22 May 2006 12:26:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (lighans) Comments