KernelTrap has spoken with Linux guru Alan Cox. He is perhaps the second most influental Linux kernel hacker, next only to Linus. In this interview he talks about himself, his history with computers and Linux, working for Red Hat,
Marcello and the 2.4 kernel, the DMCA, the future of Linux and much more.
He and Linus will be remembered by history for a long time. that is just how History works….it forgets the Big business people who work hard to squeeze the consumer (unless they are a catalyst for Change in government law, i.e. Standard oil).
History remembers those who act for the good of Humanity, not those who act for the good of their selfs.
What about Adolph Hitler or Napolean? Certainly they weren’t acting for the good of humanity, yet they’ll surely be remembered. Same goes for Bill Gates – that’s another name that will outlast Alan Cox…
Sorry, I should have enclosed my statment into a spesific domain……
I was refering to the leaps in human understanding/Technology…….
I can generalize it like this to allow for the wider array of history.
History remembers those that affected the world the most.
Hence, people such as hitler, people who revolutionize ways of thinking.
no one remembers business men because Business does not revolutionize anything at all, they bring revolutions to market.
the people who created the foundations of the GUI and even a very simple UI were University computer scientists…Xerox tried to bring it to market…Apple widend the GUI market, and Microsoft “standardised” the market.
Linux is a revolution in the way Humans create software. Open and distributed. even at Universities, the people creating software and could contribute, were a select group. with Linux, we have a world wide Open development of a complex peice of software. anyone can help, and anyone can folloew the progress.
will we remember the companys founders who bring linux to market? no. will we remember Linus and Allan and a host of other Kernel hakers that have a high level of influence over the project? yes, because they work for the beterment of Linux, not for profit.