Linus Torvalds responds to Slashdot readers

linus torvalds

The linux section of slashdot.com ran a contest among its readers for questions to ask Linus. From the questions asked, a dozen of the questions with the highest score were chosen, and a few days ago they published the answers he gave:

The first question was your opinion on the software patent wars, mentioning SCO and methods for detecting open source license violations. Linus says that his fury is not against the stock of patents but against their excesses and bad policies, that copyright problems and "using the law as a threat" are two separate problems (referring to SCO), and that when he mentioned that copyright protection was very strong, he was referring to the slogan of "the author's life + 70 years" (the time it takes for a work to pass into the public domain)

The second question was about your opinion on the instructions that can be handled by a processor but are not implemented (such as the comparison between dqword strings). Linus says he's not much of a fan of new features, that interoperability and compatibility matter more in processor design, and quotes Edison as "A genius is 1% inspiration and 99% sweat." He also tells CPU architects some tips like making a large memory subsystem independent of the instruction set and that the CPU doesn't ask for instruction scheduling for a set of instruction latencies or decoder limitations (he says that for that reason it hates the Itanium processor, because it's ridiculous to expose the microarchitecture in the instruction set).

The third question was what would you do differently if you had the knowledge and skills of today 20 years ago. He says almost nothing. That despite the mistakes, he chose the right thing for the greatest.

The fourth question was about microkernels. Linus says that his problem with them is that they put the problem of space within the problem of communication, making there an extra complexity such as finding new ways to avoid latencies and extra communications.

The fifth question was how Linux was able to avoid the fragmentation that other UNIX-based systems (such as BSD systems) suffered. Linus says, as a believer in GPLv2 that the license mattered a lot in that and that (for him) the important thing for an open source license is not that it offers the possibility of forking, but that it encourages mixing the forked code.

The sixth question is similar to the third, but regarding GIT. He says that it would only improve small details but that the nuclear design is quite robust and they have almost no redundant information. He also praises June Hamano's work as a git maintainer.

The seventh question was about advances in storage (referring to front, which 2 years ago was included in the kernel). He says it's not something he's very interested in. All it can say is that it doesn't support rotational storage and its latencies are horrendous.

The eighth question was about your favorite kernel hacks. Linus says he doesn't spend his time coding, but reading emails and mixing code that others wrote. And that when he gets involved with the code, it is not because it is cool, but because the code is broken and that is when he starts screwing the people who wrote it. However you want more people to be able to understand the kind of very low-level encoding, and you put for example something very simple like removing an item in a linked list.

The ninth question was about books. He says that he can never think of a book that has "changed his life", but that reading tends him more to escapism. He mentions titles like "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins, "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein, and "The Lord of the Rings" (which he claimed was one of the first books he read in English. He started it using a dictionary, and finished it without needing it).

The tenth question was about how you deal with stress. He says that he enjoys arguing and that despite the bitches he does, he knows when to stop obsessing over a subject and thus avoid going crazy. He mentions what he considered his worst moment, the famous "Linus doesn't Scale" of 10 years ago where he was not very aware of the growth of the kernel.

The penultimate question was to describe your computer. Linus has a Westmere 4-core PC that is nothing special except for its case and its Intel SSD. And he also has an 11 ”Apple MacBook Air (AND WITHOUT OS X), because he hates big laptops.

And the last question was “One day you will pass your duties. How do you see the kernel and the Linux ecosystem after that? Linus says not to worry as he has a very strong developer community and he has several "lieutenants" who can take his place. Still, you don't see yourself stopping what you've been doing for 20 years.

Original Post: http://meta.slashdot.org/story/12/10/11/0030249/linus-torvalds-answers-your-questions


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  1.   3ndriago said

    The great Linus has a Mac !!! Lol there must be a few on the verge of heart attack ...

    1.    KZKG ^ Gaara said

      That was always known, he has a Mac but he does not use their OS 😀

      1.    3ndriago said

        BUT he has a Mac !!! And if I buy a Mac to not use MacOS it means that you think the hardware is worth it, right?

        1.    erunamoJAZZ said

          The MacbookAir was one of the first lightweight laptops (ultrabooks?) To be manufactured. Seeing as Linus prefers lightweight laptops, it's not surprising. Anyway, mac in general have good hardware, although of course, I would never buy one of those things 🙂

        2.    Windousian said

          Linus has stated that that Mac was a gift. Another thing would be to pay for an Apple computer.

        3.    KZKG ^ Gaara said

          Man ... the hardware doesn't matter. Who wouldn't like a computer with 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a Core i7… a (I don't know…) 120GB SSD, etc? LOL!

    2.    DanielC said

      He has a mac but he doesn't use OSX… ..so he only bought it because of the design and size, at least that's how I understand it.

    3.    dwarf said

      The problem with Apple is not the hardware since it is practically the same that can be obtained anywhere. The problem is directly the xD system

      1.    DanielC said

        Not so much, rather the elitism that they handle very well with marketing.

  2.   cryotope said

    Cojonudo, a post about various opinions of Linus Torvalds and in the comments all talking about ONE of their machines. Admittedly, Apple's marketing department is the stick. 😀

  3.   rots87 said

    and what is the hate that a MAC has? MACs are very good PC's (although it is not convenient for me to occupy it ... but maybe I had one) now it would be different if I said that you have one with Wx (Windows Any version)

    1.    Luis said

      One of the few good things about Wx is the weak point of GNU / Linux: Whether we like it or not, the amount of software available is far superior.

      I have always seen stupid that closed of coco that by using GNU / Linux refuses to use another OS

      I always use GNU / Linux and I have a Wx in case I need to use a certain program, which rarely happens but I have it.

      1.    jorgemanjarrezlerma said

        What's up Luis.

        Look, I have been using Linux for almost 20 years and I have never needed any Windows program or application that does not exist in Linux. In fact, many of my clients have windows systems and if I need to do something about this then I virtualize it and that's it. The various databases, managers and administrators, design and vector graphics, office automation, programming, etc. (even vertical software) you find them, it's just a matter of searching.

        I respect your point of view, but I think you need to go deeper and you will see that what I am telling you is real. I know that there is specialized software developed for this environment but if you virtualize, as I mentioned, you don't need the windows. Even Wine can give you a solution to many alternatives.

        1.    Luis said

          Hello Jorge.

          To give you a case, when making the income statement online it is necessary to install an electronic signature on the computer we are using, although it supposedly also works with Firefox in practice it only goes with IExplorer.

          I also see missing an application for billing, accounting and warehouse management, something like FacturSol.

          In part you give me the reason: If you virtualize Windows or use Wine it is because at some point you have had to use a Windows application, right?

          For the record, I love GNU / Linux and I dislike both Microsoft and Aple but if I need to use a certain program I don't refuse to use it because it is for an OS that I don't like.

          1.    jorgemanjarrezlerma said

            What's up Luis.

            It is true but this is rather because the development of these specialized sites such as those of the Treasury is that they are developed with Microsoft technologies that extend the standards more than they should and this generates incompatibility with third-party software. If Microsoft respected the standards as is, this would not be a problem. Even if you use a MacOS (Lion or Snow Leopard) that use Safari as a web browser, you have the same problem.

  4.   jorgemanjarrezlerma said

    As always, unique in his style and way of thinking, as the saying goes: genius and figure to the grave. Very good interview and the questions cover many topics that are generally the most deeply rooted.

    Regarding the MAC, I do not see what is wrong since the hardware of this brand is one of the best, but nothing to write home about. It should be remembered that this reputation for quality has been good since the days of the founding of the company, thanks to the work of «Woz» (Steve Wozniack - one of the 3 founders of Apple Computers), which from my personal point of view, is one of the best engineers there has ever been, not for nothing I work at Atari under the guidance of Nolan Bushnell.

    1.    jorgemanjarrezlerma said

      Fix, Woz worked at HP not Atari.

      1.    3ndriago said

        Correction Correction: Jobs worked for Atari and subcontracted Woz for a new project, so directly or indirectly, Woz did work for Atari. (Read Jobs biography if you don't believe me!)

        1.    jorgemanjarrezlerma said

          In fact, Woz met Jobs through a mutual friend, Bill Fernandez (if I remember correctly). The detail is that when Woz designed his first personal computer, for contract reasons he had to present it first to HP, but they called him crazy and that the device had no future (curiously the same as in IBM), so with Jobs He presented it at the University of Berkeley where he achieved great success which is why Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Woz in 1976 founded Apple Computers Inc ..

  5.   Leo said

    Since nobody talks about the topic of the post ... I'll do it myself 🙂
    In general I like that someone like Linus is willing to share opinions with users (not programmers or collaborators, just simply users). It is special I liked the last question. What will happen when the great penguin goes to rest? And what he said reassures me about the fact that the community is very solid (which is clearly seen).
    And as for the Mac ... Stallman (who has nothing to do with this) always defended freedom, wouldn't freedom of choice also enter into happy freedom? If we have the freedom to criticize, don't we also have the freedom to choose between a "PC" or a "Mac", or even the freedom to choose between free and proprietary software? It's just a little doubt that I always had.

    1.    Anonymous said

      Without knowing what Stallman would answer you, on my own I can tell you that we have the freedom to buy a Mac or an iPhone, but as much as we have the freedom to choose them, nothing will guarantee that we have freedom (and privacy) when using them. I do not see logical so much activism on the internet so that later we ourselves drink from those who fight to cut off our freedoms.

    2.    jorgemanjarrezlerma said

      How about Leo.

      It's true, we went a lot (I include myself) for free. Look, freedom as you say is great, if we buy and use (legally or illegally) software or hardware I totally agree with you. In the particular case of software, the freedom that I understand, from the point of view of a common user, is that I can copy and install it as many times as it suits me without violating any legislation.

      1.    Leo said

        Of course, I think the same. But personally, I also make use of my freedom of choice by making use of the proprietary Nvidia driver, being aware that it limits me, but that does not mean that I stop being free, and less in sending it to fly whenever I want.
        Example: Firefox is one of the best browsers and it is free and the add-ons they have give you great freedom to use the internet, but making use of my freedom I use Midori, which, although it is free and has its good things, for which I choose it It limits me because it is not as advanced as Firefox, and being aware of that, I still choose it.
        BEWARE that I do not defend proprietary software, and I also have the same point of view as you, but this is how I see freedom of choice.

  6.   Ezekiel said

    Let's see, with regard to freedom and that of choosing between "private" and "free" software ... that each one chooses whatever the hell he wants. What matters is "choosing" and knowing the consequences ... nothing more.

    Linus is a big man.

  7.   Anonymous said

    I also want to talk about the topic of the post ...

    Linus, the man, the guide, the example to follow for every good troll, maybe one day we will see him almost as the magnificent Steve Jobs, a loud and horny boss who is forgiven for being the best. By then, I and many of us will say the same thing about him that we say about Jobs today.

  8.   oscar said

    What no one dares to say is that his MacBook Air has Windows 7 xD

    1.    Leo said

      Yes…
      And Bill Gates uses Debian Stable with LXDE on his 24-core PC because he likes speed. XD

  9.   Germaine said

    Of something if I am sure with this issue of the kernel's ... I have installed in 2 machines Kubuntu 12.10 and Linux Mint 13 and in both when changing from version 3.5.7 to 3.6.2 or 3.6.3 Pidgin no longer works for me or Kopete tells me that I am connected from another site, which is not true, and when I open my mail through Opera, although it opens, it does not load anything, the same happens with Chrome and Mozilla, they open the pages but do not load anything. They make it very slow, when going back to 3.5.5. or the 3.5.7 or even the 3.5.0.17 with which the 12.10 comes works perfect and fluid and the Pidgin or the Kopete does not tell me that I am connected from another site, I reinstalled some of the 3.6 series and again the errors It even leaves me without a keyboard or bluetooh and changes the LibreOffice configuration.
    Does it happen to anyone else?