Re: Linus Geek of the Week

["Bill Bogstad" <user=6@nabble.blu.org>]

 On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 10:25 AM,  <[hidden email]> wrote: 
>> On Sun, Jul 20, 2008 at 3:47 PM,  <[hidden email]> wrote: 
>>> I have mixed feelings about Linus. When all is said and done, the first 
>>> version of Linux wasn't so hot. It took a lot of people a lot of work 
>>> and 
>>> a lot of time to make it good. 
>>> 
>>> Also, where some people see that he has been a great administrator and 
>>> guide for Linux, one could just point out there are a lot of people who 
>>> could have done the same thing, and there's more about random chance and 
>>> opportunity that this particular guy ended up doing it. 
>> 
>> I don't disagree with what you say later about luck and other things 
>> making a difference, but I think you also underestimate whatever it is 
>> that Linus had/did.   Don't forget that 386BSD was released in 1992 
>> while the first (very primitive) Linux code was out in 1991.  For 
>> whatever reason, despite 386BSD being a well tested base on which to 
>> build; none of the free Unices that sprung from 386BSD were ever as 
>> successful as Linux. 
> 
> It wasn't until BSD 4.4lite (circa 1994?) were the AT&amp;T encumbrances and 
> legal status resolved. Lest you forget, GNU - GNU is NOT UNIX was a free 
> implementation of "POSIX" without AT&amp;T's license and law suits. 
> 
> 
>> Personally, I think it was for the following 
>> reasons: 
>> 
>> 1. Use of the GPL. 
> 
> While I am a proponent of GPL, I don't agree. The AT&amp;T suit and licenses, 
> more than anything else, prevented development of BSD over Linux. Had AT&amp;T 
> let BSD be unencumbered earlier, there would be no Linux.