Re: [ATTEND] How to act on LKML

H. Peter Anvin
2013-07-16T19:31:05Z

On 07/16/2013 09:58 AM, Stefano Stabellini wrote:
>
> Because Linux is the most widely used kernel, it's everywhere from
> embedded devices to supercomputers.
> Many different companies make a business on Linux and pay people to work
> on it (not FreeBSD or NetBSD). But that's different from what I was
> saying below. Also not all the sub-groups within the kernel development
> circles work this way.
>

I think you have an inverse causal relationship here.

Linux took off in a way that the other OSS operating systems didn't, and
several of them had started earlier and with way more funding available.

You really have to think about why we are not running Hurd, or any of
the various *BSDs, and instead Linus' "not big and professional like
GNU" hack. In my opinion it was because the Linux community was in fact
the most open and welcoming of the Open Source communities around.

> When HPA wrote "I find it utterly impossible to be offended by it", that
> might be true for Linus' rants and I also find them humorous sometimes.
> But unfortunately this kind of behavior is by no means limited to Linus
> and it's easy to misunderstand, especially when you don't know the
> person.

There seem to be a fair number of people who think they can imitate
Linus' style but do so without understanding the subtle aspects about
how to apply it.

-hpa