Torvalds switches to Apple

C|NET ^ | 9 MARCH 2005 | Renai LeMay

[rdb3]

   http://www.news.com/

Torvalds, who initially created Linux for the Intel x86 platform, revealed to the Linux Kernel Mailing List in February during a discussion on kernel size reduction that his main desktop machine no longer featured an x86 processor. Hence, Torvalds said, a patch specific to the x86 platform that he was submitting to the list for consideration was totally untested.

ZDNet Australia was intrigued by this remark and sought to question Torvalds on why the man who helped revolutionize the use of Unix on the x86 platform would move away from it, and where he had moved to.

Torvald's response came quickly and succinctly. "My main machine these days is a dual 2GHz G5 (aka PowerPC 970)--it's physically a regular Apple Mac, although it obviously only runs Linux, so I don't think you can call it a Mac any more ;)" he wrote.

"As to the why...Part of it is simply that I wanted to try something else, and I felt like there were enough people testing the x86 side that it certainly didn't need me. Part of it is that I personally believe there are two main architectures out there: Power and x86-64 are what _I_ think are the two most relevant ones, and I decided that I had to at least check the other side of it out seriously if I really believed that," he wrote.

But the kernel guru sought to stop any potential accusations of favoritism in their tracks: "And don't read anything really deep into that--Linux supports 20+ architectures, and the fact that I personally think that two of them are more likely to be the most relevant really doesn't mean all that much. It's just a personal quirk of mine."

As it turns out, this key figure behind the Linux insurgency is probably not all that different from any other technology enthusiast.

"Oh, and part of it is that I got the machine for free," said Torvalds. "I'm really a technology whore."

He did not specify who provided the computer.

Renai LeMay of ZDNet Australia reported from Sydney.

[rdb3]

Heads ^

[Jet Jaguar]

ping

[Swordmaker]

Torvald goes Mac Ping.... running Linux though

If you want on or off the Mac Ping list, Freepmail me.

[Rodney King]

I'd buy a Mac, but I'm not gay.

[Common Tator]

Dang.. Bill Gates is down to 46 billion dollars and is only a couple of billion dollars from being the second richest man in the world.

Linus admits he got a free machine and describes himself as a prostitute.

I wonder if Linus will use his Mac to write a technical version of the Vagina Monologe.

[talosiv]

Notice that he said 'PPC' several times and 'Mac' only once. Is a Apple-bulit PPC machine running linux a 'Mac' anymore ? I don't think so. My guess is that IBM bought it for him, seeing as how IBM/Lenovo wants to see more PPC-powered boxes sold (esp servers).

Far from being an endorsement of Apple, this is a shot across the bow of the 'other' proprietary operating system.

-R

[rdb3]

I'd buy a Mac, but I'm not gay.

---

I hear you. I own a 1.6Ghz PowerBook G4 with a 17" screen. But I'm not gay.

Imagine that...

[vbmoneyspender]

"Oh, and part of it is that I got the machine for free,"

Cheap is good. Free is better.

[PokeyJoe]

I went to look at Mac with my wife the other day. I asked the salesman, "So, do I get a discount if I say that I'm from San Fransisco?" He puts the topside of his hand under his chin, puts his weight on one foot, and lisps "honey, if you're from San Fransisco you need a Mac for a Wife, not a Mac for a computer"

"She's buying" I say while walking away to look AMD64 stuff. *insert tim allen grunt here*

[B Knotts]

Hey, if someone gave me a nice Mac for free, I'd happily use it (with Linux, obviously). My dual Celeron 333 is getting long in the tooth.

[ShadowAce]

Mac / Linux ping

[Golden Eagle]

He's only using it because it has an IBM CPU in it. As far as Apple's unique product, their software, he calls it "a piece of crap."

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-255450.html?legacy=cnet&tag=mn_hd

[avenir]

"Oh, and part of it is that I got the machine for free," said Torvalds.

Okay, sounds good to me. My wishes needs are modest:

Dual 2.5GHz G5

20" Cinema Display (why be greedy?)

Epson Stylus Photo 2200

Assorted software

..............

Brothers, can you spare $16,093.95? Pleeeease?

[ShadowAce]

So? Can you honestly tell the forum here that 10.3.8 is not better than OS X? Can you honestly claim that a first version (even though it's "version" 10) is not crap?

Lose the strawman and find another one, GE. This one's getting old.

[Golden Eagle]

Those comments stand unless you've got any new ones from Finland praising Apple sofware. I doubt there are, since last I heard he was calling the new Solaris UNIX "a joke", right along the same lines.

http://news.com.com/Torvalds+A+Solaris+skeptic/2008-1082_3-5498799.html

[ShadowAce]

Those comments stand unless you've got any new ones from Finland praising Apple sofware.

Those comments are four years old, and refer to software that isn't in use any more. It's a strawman. Find something recent and at least relevent to today's enironment.

[Golden Eagle]

Far from being an endorsement of Apple, this is a shot across the bow of the 'other' proprietary operating system.

I totally agree, he's undoubtedly trying to portray Apple's software as inferior, which his disciples will be quick to gobble up.

"it obviously only runs Linux, so I don't think you can call it a Mac any more ;)" - Linus Torvalds

[Golden Eagle]

It's a strawman.

That's your opinion, obviously. Mine is he likes to poormouth great American software products that already exist like Apple and Solaris, so people might dump them for his foreign clone instead.

[ShadowAce]

From your link:

Solaris/x86 is a joke, last I heard. (It has) very little support for any kind of strange hardware. If you thought Linux had issues with driver availability for some things, let's see you try Solaris/x86. (Editors' note: Drivers enable an operating system to communicate with specific hardware such as a video card or network adapter.)

I thought this was one of your issues with Linux. If another OS has this many problems, why are you recommending it? It would just cause headaches for the user.

Another point--now that it's open source, what's to prevent non-US workers from stealing it and copying it for their own needs? Again, you are recommending an OS that is able to be DL'ed into a foreign country and used "with no financial gain back to the US" as you like to repeat.

Personally, if it has as much trouble with hardware as your link indicates, I'll stay away from it until it matures more. I've already got a POSIX-compliant OS that runs great and recognizes all my hardware.