Linux and its identity crisis
Friday, September 21, 2007 by Philly0381 | Discussion: Personal Computing
If your're interested, check out the c/net News.com link below.
If you've been following the current rift in the Linux community between Linus Torvalds and his minions squaring off against Con Kolivas and the mainstream Linux fanatics, you probably know that it's getting quite heated. You also probably know that these two entirely different ideas could create three possible paths Linux can take for the future: stay geeky and appeal to the advanced tech guru in all of us; go mainstream and leave the advanced functionality and reliable kernel behind to compete with Microsoft and Apple; or face a "civil war" that could lead to total Linux annihilation.
WWW Link
Reply #2 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:49 PM
MasonM thanks for leaving a reply. You also provide information that explains much better just what Linux is all about. Appreciate it.

Reply #3 Saturday, September 22, 2007 11:30 AM

Reply #4 Saturday, September 22, 2007 11:48 AM
Does anyone know the numbers of computers that are running Linux? Since it's open source I wonder if anyone is able to track that sort of thing?

While there aren't any hard numbers as there aren't any licenses sold, there are millions of registered Linux users around the world, and many government and corporate users.
Reply #5 Saturday, September 22, 2007 11:54 AM

Reply #6 Saturday, September 22, 2007 12:03 PM
Bite my ass, SC...

There's three running in our tiny community.
Reply #7 Saturday, September 22, 2007 12:36 PM
Oh yeah! Sorry to forget you, Gid. So there's four of us rockin' Linux lovers here . . .
Reply #8 Saturday, September 22, 2007 10:39 PM

Ubuntu user for about 1-2 years now.
Reply #9 Saturday, September 22, 2007 11:37 PM
It's 'cuz you don't post often enough, XX. That makes five.

Reply #11 Monday, June 15, 2015 9:08 PM
Oh come on........I even had forgotten I made this post.
Reply #14 Tuesday, June 16, 2015 12:20 AM
Huh. What happened in the end, then?
(also fwiw: tried to install a Linux a few years ago, didn't support my hardware even though it said it did, also annoyed me with a confusing installation - no thanks)
Reply #15 Tuesday, June 16, 2015 12:54 AM
Huh. What happened in the end, then?
The butler did it....
Not a lot. Linux is still around.....and still being used by guys in propeller hats.
And in spite of all recent attempts by MS to bugger-up Windows the market share is still 'curiosity-level'...
Reply #16 Tuesday, June 16, 2015 1:56 AM
And they said "Arise oh Necrothread" and it arose, smelling like onions and old socks
Reply #20 Tuesday, June 16, 2015 4:46 PM
Necrothreads attract flies because of their content?
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Reply #1 Friday, September 21, 2007 4:33 PM
As 'Linux' is actually only the kernel, and each GNU/Linux 'flavor' is in essence a different although related operating system, having different operating systems targeting specific users or niches is hardly a threat to the survival of Linux overall and in fact has led to a great many improvements in GNU/Linux operating systems in recent years.
There will always be differences of opinion between the purists, the practical, and the mercenary. I personally think it's a good thing as that's about as far from a monopoly as one can get.
One major flaw of thought among some people, particularly those of the author, is that they seem to think that the goal of the Linux community is to develop a replacement or competition for MS. Although there is a small group who think this way, the majority of the Linux community simply couldn't care less about this and aren't at all concerned with MS one way or the other. We each have our favorite 'flavor' of Linux, mine being Slackware Linux, and many of us dabble with others, but in the end developing something to compete with MS simply isn't a factor at all.