Who created Linux? Sure, Linus
Torvalds has been there from
the start, hacking the kernel
and nurturing its growth. And
for the most part, Linux has been built by developers just like him — individual contributors writing software for their own, individual reasons. But today companies, as well as individual developers, are looking for ways to contribute to Linux. Big companies. Firms like IBM, SGI, and Intel all want to bring their big company technology and big company resources to the Linux community.
Who created Linux? Sure, Linus Torvalds has been there from the start, hacking the kernel and nurturing its growth. And for the most part, Linux has been built by developers just like him — individual contributors writing software for their own, individual reasons. But today companies, as well as individual developers, are looking for ways to contribute to Linux. Big companies. Firms like IBM, SGI, and Intel all want to bring their big company technology and big company resources to the Linux community.
This is a Good Thing; Linux was built on an open model that thrives on increased contributions. We don’t really care where this software comes from; we care that the technology is sound, and that it’s Free. In fact, creating some of the software that the big players bring to Linux would require resources far beyond the reach of your average individual developer.
Now alongside these big companies and individual developers there is a new class of company that is having a major impact on Linux development: the Linux company. These are the companies that have built their business around Linux. My company, VA Linux Systems, as well as others like SuSE, and Red Hat Software all employ developers who contribute heavily to Linux and other…
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