Dijkstra probably hates me

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Dijkstra probably hates me (kernel/sched.c)

Pebam Ringo *

Linus Torvalds is the creator of Linux, who gave it away for free. He developed it while he was a postgraduate at the University of Helsinki, Finland, in 1991. Since then, he has been the technical shepherd coordinating the volunteer work of more than 1,000 people who actively contribute code and ideas to the Linux kernel -- the core program. He's ... the symbolic leader of a movement made up hundreds of companies that are involved in Linux development, in addition to the thousands of volunteers.

Truths you can’t deny, a simple comparison of "Proprietary" and "Free and Open Source Software":

Some features about software covered by the [MicroSoft Windows XP] EULA:

copying was prohibited
could be used only on one computer with a maximum of 2 processors
cannot be used as a webserver or fileserver
required registration after 30 days
could stop working if hardware changes were made
updates could change the EULA if the company so wished
could be transferred to another user only once
the new user must agree to the license terms (no specification how this could be achieved)
imposes limitations on reverse engineering
gives Microsoft rights to collect information about the system and the its use
gives Microsoft the right to supply this information to other organisations
gives Microsoft the right to make changes to the computer without having to ask.
warranty for the first 90 days
fixes, updates or patches carry no warranty

Some features found in the GPL:

freedom to copy, modify and redistribute the software
precludes one party from preventing another from having these same freedoms
provides coverage for rights of users to copy, modify and redistribute the software
no warranty as there is no fee
can be sold if the user so decides and services for such software can be charged for
any patents must be licensed for everyone's use or not licensed at all
modified software must carry no licence fees
source code must be provided
if there is a change in license, the general terms of the existing one will be maintained.

Quote and Unquote:

"Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect.
- Linus Torvalds

"... when men were men and wrote their own device driver ..."
- Linus Benedict Torvalds

"See, you not only have to be a good coder to create a system like Linux, you have to be a sneaky bastard too."
- Linus Torvalds

"Linux: The OS people choose without $200,000,000 of persuasion."
- Mike Coleman

"I'd crawl over an acre of 'Visual This++' and 'Integrated Development
That' to get to gcc, Emacs, and gdb. Thank you."
- Vance Petree, Virginia Power

"Linux poses a real challenge for those with a taste for late-night hacking (and/or conversations with God)."
- Matt Welsh

"I mean, well, if it were not for Linux I might be roaming the streets looking for drugs or prostitutes or something. Hannu and Linus have my highest admiration (apple polishing mode off)."
- Phil Lewis, [email protected]

"I would rather spend 10 hours reading someone else's source code than 10 minutes listening to Musak waiting for technical support which isn't."
- Dr. Greg Wettstein, Roger Maris Cancer Center

Dijkstra probably hates me.
- Linus Torvalds, found in kernel/sched.c
[Edsger Dijkstra was a Dutch computer scientist of the ' Dijkstra's algorithm' fame.]

"Waving away a cloud of smoke, I look up, and am blinded by a bright, white light. It's God. No, not Richard Stallman, or Linus Torvalds, but God. In a booming voice, He says: "THIS IS A SIGN. USE LINUX, THE FREE UNIX SYSTEM FOR THE 386."
- Matt Welsh

"MSDOS didn't get as bad as it is overnight -- it took over ten years of careful development."
- By [email protected]

`When you say "I wrote a program that crashed Windows", people just stare at you blankly and say "Hey, I got those with the system, *for free*".'
- Linus Torvalds

"...the Linux philosophy is "laugh in the face of danger". Oops. Wrong one. "Do it yourself". That's it.
- Linus Torvalds

"... being a Linux user is sort of like living in a house inhabited by a large family of carpenters and architects. Every morning when you wake up, the house is a little different. Maybe there is a new turret, or some walls have moved. Or perhaps someone has temporarily removed the floor under your bed."
- Unix for Dummies, 2nd Edition (Found in the .sig of Rob Riggs )

The most important design issue... is the fact that Linux is supposed to be fun...
- Linus Torvalds at the First Dutch International Symposium on Linux

"While in Australia, Dennis Ritchie said that the one feature of Unix he was most proud of was that it was portable. When it comes to Linux, the one decision I am most proud of is not the actual physical design of the system, but the decision to make it free."
- Linus Torvalds

"I don't try to be a threat to MicroSoft, mainly because I don't really see MS as competition. Especially not Windows-the goals of Linux and Windows are simply so different."
- Linus Torvalds

"Making Linux GPL'd was definitely the best thing I ever did."
- Linus Torvalds

"Originally Linux was just something I had done, and making it available was mostly, Look at what I've done; isn't this neat? kind of thing."
- Linus Torvalds

"Software is like sex: it's better when it's free."
- Linus Torvalds

"That's what makes Linux so good: you put in something, and that effort multiplies. It's a positive feedback cycle."
- Linus Torvalds

"When I made Linux, I wanted it to be easily available, and I did not want it to be too expensive."
- Linus Torvalds

"Artists usually don't make all that much money, and they often keep their artistic hobby despite the money rather than due to it."
- Linus Torvalds

"Before the commercial ventures, Linux tended to be rather hard to set up, because most of the developers were motivated mainly by their own interests."
- Linus Torvalds

"[Linux] does endless loops in six seconds."
- Linus Torvalds

************************************ W A R N I N G ! **************************************
Linux should not be used by those under the influence of MicroSoft.
May cause dizziness or vertigo. Consult your tech support before
using Linux. (note--after using Linux, you may notice extreme
discomfort when using MicroSoft. Discontinue use of MicroSoft.)
************************************ W A R N I N G ! **************************************

* Ringo Pebam, a software Engineer in Bangalore and GNU/LINUX enthusiast, writes regularly to e-pao.net . He can be contacted at ringo_pebam(at)yahoo(dot)com . This article was webcasted on May 08, 2007.

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