What was L. Torvalds' Goal with Linux?

[TreeFinger]

What was his goal?

To create a freely distributable operating system kernel for use on personal computers? Or just to see if he could do it?

[crazyness003]

I think he just wanted to see what he can do. An when he realized he can, he continued to improve. And lo, here we enjoy its many freedoms.

http://ubuntuforums.org/images/buttons/post_thanks.gif (http://ubuntuforums.org/post_thanks.php?do=post_thanks_add&p=6215507&securitytoken=1227165012-0d7536459a6dc6f2b3c4601d8c1213d08f3fb529) to Linus for combining his name with UNIX to create: LiNuX

[grazed]

it all started with him making a terminal emulator to access unix file systems. the kernel just flopped around on usenet for a while, more of a hobby for him. then he decided to submit it to GNU. and it all took off from there.

it's worth noting that he never really... set out to start some crazy software/opensource revolution. he's played a big part, but by far not the biggest in terms of development.

he's also one grumpy, over emotional, and outright offensive person. he's not what people make him out to be. =/

if anything, his goals aren't being met with ubuntu. he's come out and said some pretty nasty things about gnome, and its developers. (in so many words saying its garbage and the devs are idiots) so i "assume" he doesn't have pleasant thoughts about where the linux desktop scene has gone.

[pmlxuser]

he's played a big part, but by far not the biggest in terms of development.

REALLY ??
are you hearing what you are saying??
Would you be hear if he didn't contribute to the kernel development???



he's also one grumpy, over emotional, and outright offensive person. he's not what people make him out to be. =/


I think HE is Human and not god, so he has his own preferences and opinion



if anything, his goals aren't being met with ubuntu. he's come out and said some pretty nasty things about gnome, and its developers. (in so many words saying its garbage and the devs are idiots) so i "assume" he doesn't have pleasant thoughts about where the linux desktop scene has gone.

Well if he doesn't like gnome does it mean he doesn't have pleasant thoughts about where the linux desktop scene has gone. I would think it means he likes Kde and its direction as far as desktops are concerned.

So I think you write alot for a person/guy/girl/man/woman who is not saying much but ones opinion of a person (i have a feeling you like Bill Gates since he liked anything microsoft did and never critisized its developers)

[eternalnewbee]

if anything, his goals aren't being met with ubuntu. he's come out and said some pretty nasty things about gnome, and its developers. (in so many words saying its garbage and the devs are idiots) so i "assume" he doesn't have pleasant thoughts about where the linux desktop scene has gone.
Do you happen to know where to find the article(s) in which he expressed these views?

[grazed]

Do you happen to know where to find the article(s) in which he expressed these views?

google his name + gnome.

as far as the desktop deal, take a look here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I8JtJsyJB4

you can listen to him say he really could care less about commercialisation and the such.

[grazed]

REALLY ??
are you hearing what you are saying??
Would you be hear if he didn't contribute to the kernel development???


I think HE is Human and not god, so he has his own preferences and opinion



Well if he doesn't like gnome does it mean he doesn't have pleasant thoughts about where the linux desktop scene has gone. I would think it means he likes Kde and its direction as far as desktops are concerned.

So I think you write alot for a person/guy/girl/man/woman who is not saying much but ones opinion of a person (i have a feeling you like Bill Gates since he liked anything microsoft did and never critisized its developers)

Open source would most definitely be here regardless. Have a look at what Sun is doing with Solaris. Read about the history of GNU. It all started a long time before he ever came along. If it wasn't the linux kernel, it would have been something else.

Again with his personality, I understand he is human, but he is beyond vulgar and offensive with developers and users, he has a bad temper, and talks down A LOT of software developers in the process. It isn't great business seeing as he's basically linux's spokesperson. I mean.. he's been officially quoted saying he has the ego of a small planet.

As far as the gnome vs. kde issue, why would he be happy with linux on the desktop at the moment? Maybe with KDE distros, Certainly not with Gnome seeing as how much emotion and obscenity he throws at it. Google his posts to the lead Gnome developer, see for yourself. See what he says about "average" linux users. Maybe then you'll change your tune.

[eternalnewbee]

as far as the desktop deal, take a look here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I8JtJsyJB4
This is the first time I've seen a video of Linus Torvalds (I thought he was a lot older), and he actually made quite a nice first impression. Maybe you posted the wrong link.

[dmn_clown]

Do you happen to know where to find the article(s) in which he expressed these views?


* From: Linus Torvalds
<snip>
On Tue, 13 Dec 2005, Till Kamppeter wrote:
>
> Frederic told that the options from the PPD file are intentionally mot
> listed in the printing dialog, the usability team of GNOME was against
> listing these options. They clutter the dialog and can be more confusin
g > than useful to the user.
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.

Linus

http://mail.gnome.org/archives/usability/2005-December/msg00021.html


On Tue, 13 Dec 2005, Jeff Waugh wrote:
>
> That's definitely not a point of view of the GNOME Project - we're focused
> on making Free Software appropriate for users who are smart (we don't talk
> about 'dumb users'), but just don't care about computing technology. We're
> just like every other Free Software project - fixing stuff requires the work
> and attention of people who care about the problem at hand.

No. I've talked to people, and often your "fixes" are actually removing
capabilities that you had, because they were "too confusing to the user".

That's _not_ like any other open source project I know about. Gnome seems
to be developed by interface nazis, where consistently the excuse for not
doign something is not "it's too complicated to do", but "it would confuse
users".


I wonder if forum nazis are related to interface nazis...

[SanskritFritz]

What was his goal?

To create a freely distributable operating system kernel for use on personal computers? Or just to see if he could do it?The Origins of Linux - Linus Torvalds (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVTWCPoUt8w)

[Noxn]

He made a book:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/books/nonfiction/38b2/

He says he did it for fun, as a hobby, like someone said before.


Also:
Maybe Linus isnt the friendliest person, but everyone can like/dislike whatever he wants. But maybe swearing about it is a bit too much.

[stinger30au]

What was his goal?

To create a freely distributable operating system kernel for use on personal computers? Or just to see if he could do it?


none of this

he just wanted a cool way to pick up chicks and be super famous


it worked!! :lolflag:

[Johnsie]

World Domination

[steveneddy]

Hacking......the planet.

bwa ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa

[Sealbhach]

He just made the kernel. Richard Stallman and the GNU people were trying to make an operating system and they found that they had all the parts except they needed a kernel...


.

[brunovecchi]

He just made the kernel. Richard Stallman and the GNU people were trying to make an operating system and they found that they had all the parts except they needed a kernel...


.

+1

It's really unfair how the collective knowledge seems to forget the fact that Linus created only one part of what a whole operating system is.
Richard Stallman should get at least half of the credit.

[Tom Mann]

+1

It's really unfair how the collective knowledge seems to forget the fact that Linus created only one part of what a whole operating system is.
Richard Stallman should get at least half of the credit.

That said - if it were just Stallman, or just Torvalds running the show... We wouldn't have the balance between freedom and functionality, which Ubuntu as an OS is trying to achieve.

[Johnsie]

I thought Ubuntu was all about Cannonical taking credit for other peoples work. Just kidding :-)

[chucky chuckaluck]

a cynic might suggest his ultimate goal was to create an audience for his snotty, little comments.

[TreeFinger]

a cynic might suggest his ultimate goal was to create an audience for his snotty, little comments.

I think he gave a great tip within 5 minutes of him speaking...

I'm glad I watched it.

[Compucore]

From what I remember reading and learning on linux way back when he was still in university or in college. And he had purchased his first computer which came with (Hacks and coughs and slides out.) Windows 3.1. I remember reading that he did not like that and he loved using unix and decided to base it on the unix environment. Kind of like a distant cousin of unix but based for the pc. I remember reading this in a linux for dummies when version 5 or 6 of red hat was out. But for what ever reason he decided to make linux linux it is a good thing.

COmpucore


He made a book:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/books/nonfiction/38b2/

He says he did it for fun, as a hobby, like someone said before.


Also:
Maybe Linus isnt the friendliest person, but everyone can like/dislike whatever he wants. But maybe swearing about it is a bit too much.

[AllenGG]

At lot has been written about Linus T., some of it true ! But his reasons given publicly (just Google it) make sense, he was young and in university and in reality it was a challenge.
FreeBSD exists, and what else ? FOSS was inevitable, is Linux the best ?
Did he really have a goal, or just met a personal challenge? :cool:

[wadelewis4]

Hack the planet!! H A C K T H E P L A N E T!!!! rotflmao!

[Sprax]

The Origins of Linux - Linus Torvalds (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVTWCPoUt8w)

Great video, answers all your questions. :)

He seems very likable.

[Lostincyberspace]

he's also one grumpy, over emotional, and outright offensive person. he's not what people make him out to be. =/

I know someone who has work with Torvalds in the past and has said he was just a regular guy. He also worked with Stallman and described him that way.



if anything, his goals aren't being met with Ubuntu. he's come out and said some pretty nasty things about gnome, and its developers. (in so many words saying its garbage and the devs are idiots) so i "assume" he doesn't have pleasant thoughts about where the linux desktop scene has gone.
He has dissed Debian, and praised Ubuntu in the same article.
Yes he prefers KDE, It's his opinion and he is entitled to it (even though it is wrong), but his biggest problem with Debian is it's super long release schedule, or he just doesn't like apt (I might be wrong on this point though).

[crazyness003]

i agree with stinger30au (http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=309332)
he did it for the flocks of women. and the pimpz-points

He is one of the most famous geeks

[PhoenixMaster00]

i agree with stinger30au (http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=309332)
he did it for the flocks of women. and the pimpz-points

He is one of the most famous geeks

Do you think his pimp stick has a diamond encrusted Penguin on top?

[collinp]

I think that he did it for the fun of it, then when he realized he could turn it into something he did. Also, anyone saying that Linus did not make Linux, or anything around that, is wrong. Badly wrong. Linux is the kernel, not the operating system. Linux is what the operating system is based off of. Without the kernel, Linux would not be Linux.

[Skripka]

Yes he prefers KDE, It's his opinion and he is entitled to it (even though it is wrong), but his biggest problem with Debian is it's super long release schedule, or he just doesn't like apt (I might be wrong on this point though).

People have strong opinions about the DE they don't use. I see people here call KDE and Kubuntu "unusable" and "impossible" and "ugly" etc etc....I myself really don't care for GNOME at all, and find many points of dislike in the interface. We al;l use what we use because we find it natural to ourselves, and see the "other DE" as being "annoying" and "impossible" or "ugly".

To each their own.

[crazyness003]

Do you think his pimp stick has a diamond encrusted Penguin on top?
maybe. Im sure he's got a cape with green binary all over it, instead of dollar signs.

but yeah. hobby turned 'important part of OS'. I can dig.

[brigadoon]

What was L. Torvalds' Goal with Linux?

I have no idea. However, Torvald and others over time have made Ubuntu possible. I view this as a good thing.

I am grateful to all of the people that have contributed to this operating system. Both directly and indirectly. Ubuntu meets all of my needs at present. I find it to be a very stable environment that I can hack around in.

[blakjesus]

I don't know what his goals were but i have to say major props to Linus Torvalds, Richard Stallman, Mark Shuttleworth, and all of the countless developers that love the idea of a free (beer and speech), secure, and stable system. Because i Ubuntu, i love every moment of using my computer.

:guitar:

[SanskritFritz]

He seems very likable.Well, yes, but he also tends to have strong opinions, if he opposes you, run for your life! :lolflag:
here: Tech Talk: Linus Torvalds on git (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XpnKHJAok8)

[Skripka]

Well, yes, but he also tends to have strong opinions, if he opposes you, run for your life! :lolflag:
here: Tech Talk: Linus Torvalds on git (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XpnKHJAok8)

If he opposes you, odds are you're wrong and your idea is stupid anyway. ;)

[SanskritFritz]

If he opposes you, odds are you're wrong and your idea is stupid anyway. ;)Et tu Brute (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Et_tu,_Brute%3F)? ;-) I have to admit, I'm a devout Subversion user, so I wouldnt go even near to Linus...