Linux sets the standard. [LWN.net]

Linux sets the standard.

Posted Sep 22, 2005 19:25 UTC (Thu) by cventers (subscriber, #31465)
Parent article: Reiser4 and kernel inclusion

I certainly don't "own Linux" or have the opportunity to contribute as
much as I'd like to, which means my opinion carries no actual weight.

However, I object to the statement "Linux is not an experimental or
research-oriented system". True - the quality of the system as a whole is
not experimental, and great emphasis is put on making the most robust
production system possible.

But Linux is a UNIX *clone*, and its vast and multiplying market share
have given it the opportunity to set the standard for the future.
Backwards compatibility is absolutely essential, but as long as we're not
abandoning the core tenants of UNIX that have carried it so many years,
why not utilize our market share and the excellent pool of available
genius to advance computing as a whole?

Eric Raymond once said that Microsoft's shoddy products and corrupt
business practices set the computing industry back ten years. I couldn't
agree more. But I think Linux and the rest of Open Source are in the
process of pushing it forward twenty years.

Hans has made some mistakes, and he doesn't share Linus's amazing talent
to peacefully lead a mob. Many of the objections raised by LKML need to
be addressed for Reiser4 to be merged. But objecting merely because of
political reasons, a dislike of Hans/Namesys, or the idea that Linux
isn't here to innovate, is totally retarded.

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Linux sets the standard.

Posted Sep 23, 2005 23:05 UTC (Fri) by amikins (guest, #451) [Link]

An argument could be made that Linux is not there to innovate, but instead it's there to be as correct as possible.
Sometimes that means doing something new, but more often that means doing something old but with refinement.

In particular, as a 'UNIX clone', there's a lot of 'tried and true' concepts that largely get upheld in designing aspects of Linux. There's a consistent logic to what came before, and sometimes deviating from that is only inviting failure.. Not because the deviation in concept is itself bad, but because it doesn't mesh with everything else in place. Might as well start over at that point.

Besides.. Isn't it the job of the people who are responsible for its current and future state to decide what Linux is here to do?

And if you don't agree.. Well, download a tarball and either apply some patches from other folks or start coding yourself. Just remember that while the result may suit your desires and needs better that way, it's not "Linux" unless the folks currently in charge of Linux decide it is, at least until someone else takes over.

Welcome to open source.

Linux sets the standard.

Posted Sep 24, 2005 3:20 UTC (Sat) by cventers (subscriber, #31465) [Link]

Believe me, I understand open source well. I also trust in LKML. The main
point of my comment was an objection to the idea that Linux isn't here to
innovate. Being 'correct as possible' is certainly very important, and I
believe that the UNIX model has obviously proven itself with its
longevity. I do think some of the Reiser4 ideas (like
files-as-directories) do vary from this model in potentially damaging
ways.

I'm not sure anyone can say for certain *what* Linux is here to do -
remember, in 1992, it was nothing more than a college student's pet
project. But now look at it - it's actively developed on by people and
companies around the world, achieves O(1) scalability in numerous
categories (managing to blow much of its competition out of the water in
many areas), boasts good stability, and runs on everything from set-top
DVD players to supercomputers. Whether or not Linux is here specifically
to innovate, Linux *has* innovated in vast and amazing ways. It is a
shining example of some of the earliest UNIX ideas - portability,
simplicity, robustness.

So we, the great Linux masses, and more specifically, the brains on LKML,
have been given the opportunity to define the future of computing.
Whatever we do, let's not be afraid to innovate.