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Linux, Inc.
BusinessWeek online ^ | 21 January 2005 | Steve Hamm

Posted on 01/21/2005 9:34:02 AM PST by ShadowAce

Linus Torvalds once led a ragtag band of software geeks. Not anymore. Here's an inside look at how the unusual Linux business model increasingly threatens Microsoft

Five years ago, Linus Torvalds faced a mutiny. The reclusive Finn had taken the lead in creating the Linux computer operating system, with help from thousands of volunteer programmers, and the open-source software had become wildly popular for running Web sites during the dot-com boom. But just as Linux was taking off, some programmers rebelled. Torvalds' insistence on manually reviewing everything that went into the software was creating a logjam, they warned. Unless he changed his ways, they might concoct a rival software package -- a threat that could have crippled Linux. "Everybody knew things were falling apart," recalls Larry McVoy, a programmer who played peacemaker. "Something had to be done."

(Excerpt) Read more at businessweek.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Technical
KEYWORDS: business; culture; linux; notwindows
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To: E. Pluribus Unum; ShadowAce

I launched a "root shell" terminal, and ran "passwd". Worked fine.

Other ruffles to smooth out, but way cool.


141 posted on 01/22/2005 6:26:55 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2004, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: Cyber Liberty

So some guys on the internet talked you into it, and you're up on the net running off your unpatched CD from Europe now huh. I bet you feel safe LOL. At least you didn't run the one from some guy named "ShadowAce", LMAO.


142 posted on 01/22/2005 9:35:32 PM PST by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle
... the stock was $30 last summer and is now down to $10, with no end in sight.

Not to be too pedantic, but you need a different figure of speech. No end in sight? Zero is an obvious end in sight.

143 posted on 01/22/2005 9:58:30 PM PST by Petronski (Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?)
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To: Golden Eagle
Well obviously not everyone has one, especially those limited to dial up, as already mentioned in this very thread.

Not very hard to get one. If someone has the where-with-all to get and install Linux on their hard drive, they've most likely got what it takes to get a bootable Linux image.

The smart thing to do is stick with what works well for 90% of us, and not go off on some obscure fairy tale being pushed on us by liberals.

It's more than that. It's a movement that can't be stopped. For better or for worse.

But if you do want to involve yourself with obscure liberals, at least stick to Apple, being a decent enough wholly-owned US product.

LOL! Yeah, if you want to be called a fag by many Windows users on this very forum. This might be the first time ever I've heard a Windows faithful recommend Macs.

But seriously,I understand where you're comin' from. Capitalism is great, I love it, it's the best system ever. But now that Pandora's box has been opened, do you really think it can be stopped? Linux installations get easier and easier every day. And the onslaught of malware for Windows gets worse and worse every day, adding up to make Linux an attractive alternative to people who are just fed up.

I don't think Linux can be stopped. And as they say, resistance if futile. It's not happening fast, but it's definitely happening. I think time would be better spent learning how we can be profitable with it rather than trying to stop the unstoppable.

That's my 2 cents, fwiw.

144 posted on 01/22/2005 10:04:03 PM PST by Musket
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To: Petronski
No end in sight? Zero is an obvious end in sight.

Is that a prediction, LOL? It would be right on the current curve.

145 posted on 01/22/2005 10:10:55 PM PST by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle

I tend to believe it is a prediction.


146 posted on 01/22/2005 10:20:11 PM PST by Petronski (Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?)
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To: Musket
I understand where you're comin' from. Capitalism is great, I love it, it's the best system ever. But now that Pandora's box has been opened, do you really think it can be stopped?

Sure it can, if one of these current or surely upcoming Federal trials can nail linux for bootlegging. And there's no reason they shouldn't, legal experts within the Free Software Foundation itself are the ones that have admitted the likely patent violations they know of, 300 or so in the kernel alone.

It's so obvious what's going on, the linux crowd's best answer is to revoke the entire US patent system, you see it on here and elsewhere all the time. LOL, good luck with that guys. Actually they're working to rewrite the kernel right now (don't believe the denials, it's their only chance), but they'll never be able to get them all out. IBM is trying to setup some sort of patent welfare system, but it's going to be limited in what it can protect because not many others that have actually earned patents are ready to throw them to the wind.

In the meantime, linux is just a rip off of US intellectual property, run by a bunch of guys who know it but make it their full time job to run around denying it, and pushing for our laws to be changed. I'll get ripped like usual for pointing it out, but hey, it's actually their problem, not mine.

147 posted on 01/22/2005 10:52:12 PM PST by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle
Just because I am looking for a good Linux distro that is relatively easy to run does not mean I don't know anything about the platform.

Tell me more about Linux viruses. I especially like the ones about trojan horses that can defeat UNIX security. My mom used to read them to me before I went to sleep at night.

148 posted on 01/23/2005 6:26:06 AM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2004, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: Golden Eagle
I've been looking at a lot of your comments, and you appear to be a Buchanan-style protectionist. I really cannot relate to your arguments, because I consider that fight long past. I'm not going through it again, so I leave it to others.

What you have been arguing amounts to the same type of protectionism we've seen destroy the economy every time it's been tried. Intellectual property is no different than steel or textiles.

I can understand why Linux is distributed freely. This is an environment dominated by a couple of companies distributing and licensing Operating Systems. If you're selling applications (like Oracle at $10K a pop), then it makes sense to distro the OS for free. Especially if some other company's already done the distro for you. Double espcially if the company that did it is offshore.

149 posted on 01/23/2005 6:40:05 AM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2004, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: VeniVidiVici
Just don't try it with a wireless card. You'll run screaming for the door.

Ditto that!

150 posted on 01/23/2005 7:24:49 AM PST by browardchad
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To: Cyber Liberty

I'm not a protectionist, I just don't support building up communist governments at our expense. Obviously, some can't see past their own free copy of linux. But it's no accident communist governments like Vietnam's are passing laws requiring all their systems use open source. Some don't care. I do.


151 posted on 01/23/2005 7:34:01 AM PST by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle

So......by extension of your comment I don't care about communist regimes?


152 posted on 01/23/2005 8:29:40 AM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2004, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: Cyber Liberty
That's for you to decide. But actions speak louder than words, and for every action, there's a reaction.
153 posted on 01/23/2005 8:43:14 AM PST by Golden Eagle
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To: Golden Eagle

I'll keep an eye on my Precious Bodily Fluids.


154 posted on 01/23/2005 8:59:10 AM PST by Cyber Liberty (© 2004, Ravin' Lunatic since 4/98)
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To: Cyber Liberty
Other ruffles to smooth out, but way cool.

From http://www.shockfamily.net/cedric/knoppix/

To use Knoppix in place of a broken windows installation, there a few things that you will find convenient. You may wish to be able to write to your hard drive (Appendix C). If you configure a printer (Appendix D) or set up a dial-up internet connection (Appendix A), you may wish to save the configuration (Appendix E). If you start using OpenOffice or a Web Browser, email client, or other program that has personal settings or configuration, you will want to create a persistent home directory (Appendix F).

155 posted on 01/23/2005 10:27:14 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Drug prohibition laws help fund terrorism.)
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To: Golden Eagle
Just curious... what is your programming experience?

What is your preferred programming language?

Also, could you give a brief list of the applications you have written?

156 posted on 01/23/2005 10:45:53 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Drug prohibition laws help fund terrorism.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I'm an EE, hardware guy originally, now in management but have done everything short of component design. Many many years ago I might have sided with IBM - thinking these software guys are hard to work with, let's glut their industry and show em hardware rules. But foreign open source is a threat to the security and economy of the United States, so here I am defending them. But I'm done with this thread, and FR for a few days. Regards to all.


157 posted on 01/23/2005 11:38:37 AM PST by Golden Eagle
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To: Publius6961
Another three persons that I know personally over last weekend switched to Firefox.

Firefox won't stop viruses or worms, go ahead and switch, you have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain.

158 posted on 01/23/2005 11:59:05 AM PST by SwordofTruth (God is good all the time.)
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To: Cyber Liberty
Look, GE is an MS schill but he does have a point, I use Knoppix as a debugging, testing, and recovery tool. Its also really nice to have as an intro to Linux (as you are using it). But depending on the age it can have some vulnerabilities.

Given that your running off of a non-writable media that problem is somewhat mitigated (in fact I have friends who use Linux and BSD firewalls off of CD because its much harder to hack).

159 posted on 01/23/2005 12:26:18 PM PST by N3WBI3
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To: Golden Eagle
But foreign open source is a threat to the security and economy of the United States...

"Foreign" open source?????

Lots of "Uhmericuns" contribute to open source projects, in case you were unaware.

Should that be illegal?

Should public licenses be illegal?

Should public domain be illegal?

I am tired of your ephemeral, intellectually vacant generalizations about "Communists in the code."

Should publicly available operating system source code be illegal?

160 posted on 01/23/2005 5:29:37 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Drug prohibition laws help fund terrorism.)
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