9/22/2009

Linux is huge, scary, bloated: Torvalds

You've got to hand it to Linus Torvalds, he's never been afraid to speak his mind. Even when it comes to his own baby.

Speaking yesterday at LinuxCon, he stated that the Linux kernel has become "huge and scary" and that it isn't "the streamlined, hyper-efficient kernel I envisioned when I started writing Linux."

Asked whether a solution was in the works, he commented, "I'd love to say we have a plan."

You gotta admit, the guy is honest.

Predictably, his comments have ignited discussions on several forums, including Slashdot, CNET, and OSNews.

9 comments:

cidermonkey said...

heh.. Linux Torvalds.. that's awesome..

Sameer said...

In my opinion, Mr. Torvalds should have pointed of Linux is that it is the opposite of Enforced Simplicity. I don't like to admit, but I have also used Linux. I think Linux is used by :

- Those who wanted to speak against MS Windows but were too poor to buy MacOS and were unaware of QNX, Solaris and perhaps that older UNIX, Lynx.

- Those wishing to be arrogant about mugging-up long command lines.

- Those wanting to find Alien life by running mathematics ( SETI ) whilst munching vegetarian food and when tired, jumping into Yoga poses.

- The Funny Ones like OLPC, IPCC, Green Peace etc.

- Unnecessary SFX.

Sameer said...

Just a fearful thought. The Great Indian IT industry ( gits ) now turning to Microkernels. Indian newspapers calling for "graduates from reputable univerities" with twenty five years experience in QNX Neutrino.

hp said...

grass is always greener on the other side of the hedge.
micro or mono - there're pros and cons for both.

Paul N. Leroux said...

Re Sameer's comment re QNX Neutrino: Neutrino was introduced in the late 1990s. So to the companies asking for 25 years' experience: Good luck with that! :-)

Sameer said...

Indeed. If, heavens forbid, SpaceX and RosKosmos open recruitment in india, their indian manager will probably call for candidates with decades of experience in RTOS ( after being through A Reputable University ), and ultimately recruit a IIT professor ( Indian Institute of Technology ) with decades of wonderful experience in accountancy software and singing Sanskrit hymns to plants to make them bloom.

Robert Berger said...

concerning "Linux is huge, scary, bloated":
Yes it is. Especially when we look at the lines of code. 9 September 2009 - Linux 2.6.31 was released (12,046,317 lines of code) What's fascinating to me is the relatively short time in which relatively few people managed to write all this code, which does not have too many bugs. So I don't think it's the good old story of micro versus monolithic kernel. From a technical point micro is better, but the Linux guys somehow managed to have a very high productivity with not too many bugs. That's pretty cool!

concerning QNX and India:
I was asked to give QNX trainings in India, where this kind of training business is strictly controlled by QNX themselves.
So obviously not enough people are trained in QNX in India and unless QNX changes their policy and opens up the market this will not change as well, hence companies will search for other alternatives.

Regards,

Robert

--
Robert Berger
Embedded Software Specialist

Reliable Embedded Systems
Consulting Training Engineering
Tel.: (+30) 697 593 3428
Fax.:(+30) 210 684 7881
URL: http://www.reliableembeddedsystems.com

Paul N. Leroux said...

Thanks for your comment re training in India, Robert. Will share this with my colleagues.

Cheers,

- Paul

Sameer said...

While I don't envy Robert Berger or QSSL in the money they will make from teaching QNX to india, I ask Why?. Let some things be Elite. Else, You will be teaching those who two years ago were villagers and whose extent of language now limits to 'Core Competencies', 'Multiple skill sets', 'Verticals' and 'Best Practices'. I happen to live in Bangalore and do not have money to get out. When You teach QNX here, You are making indians rich and me poorer. Sir, the real atrocities never occured in Sudan or Old Iraq or Soviet gulags, they occur here. The next time You are in Bangalore, I can show You what I mean. In this most religious town in the world.