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Tuesday, 8 December 2009

MilkandCookies - The Code

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Video about Linus Torvalds / Linux
//The Code is a Finnish-made documentary about Linux from 2001, featuring some of the most influential people of the free software movement.

The Code presents the first decade of Linux from 1991 to 2001. Besides Torvalds, it includes many of his closest allies in development process, that is nowadays seen as the greatest success story of the Internet culture. Eventually, Linux becomes a viable business solution within the computer industry.

Media loves the story of ‘a single hacker against the forces of darkness’. ‘Linux’ becomes a catch phrase. Torvalds turns into an international media star. No more a shy nerd, but a relaxed, witty media performer par excellence. Linus is a Jesus for a politician, respected and adored by both Linux enthusiasts, the counter-culture – and the big businessmen. A rare combination, this time or any other.

But even after all this attention Linus Torvalds remains, as a person, an enigma. When interviewed in the media, he is always asked the same questions and usually giving the same answers too. We think we know him, but do we really? Why did he put his code into the Net for free, initially? Many can still not understand it. Maybe because ‘given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow’, giving a way to a better product? Or is there something more to it?
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3 comments:

  1. Ah good old Linus. Responsible for so many hours of mine trying to compile/install/recompile a damn operating system...

    (Which, of course, was more appropriate then the MS alternative!)

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  2. I'd never really come across Linux until 7 or 8 years ago, and it struck me what a brilliant teaching aid it must be to have something like it available to pick apart, examine and re-jig.
    You can go in at any level and just tinker. Brilliant.

    When I studied OSs they were all proprietary, and all you could see were the APIs.

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  3. I still have a copy of Xinu somewhere (The book tome that started the process, I think - I haven't seen the film yet)

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