Posted on 06/17/2003 1:30:04 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Boston -- Linux father Linus Torvalds is leaving microprocessor company Transmeta to work exclusively on Linux kernel development.
On Tuesday, the Open Source Development Lab in Beaverton, Ore., announced that Torvalds will join that organization as the first OSDL fellow.
In this role, Torvalds will devote himself full-time to the development of the kernel and guide thousands of open-source engineers that contribute code. He also will set priorities and direction for the OSDL's industry initiatives, the lab said.
The OSDL, founded in 2000, is aimed to promote the growth of Linux and its adoption in the enterprise. The consortium is backed by more than 20 major vendors, including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Cisco Systems, Dell Computer and Transmeta.
To date, Torvalds--who holds the trademark to the Linux brand name--has never worked in an official capacity for any Linux company and has steered clear of the business aspect of Linux.
That won't change, Torvalds told CRN in an e-mail.
Torvalds said he is focused only on the technology of Linux, not the business or legal issues, and is finally taking on an official role in the Linux world to concentrate on the kernel, particularly as the Linux 2.6 kernel approaches release.
"No, my concern for now is Linux kernel 2.6.x, and getting it out. Making a release is always painful, and it's a huge relief when it's done," said Torvalds in his e-mail. "I know I should care about customers and products, but I'm obviously somehow deficient, because I never could. I end up being excited about new technology, new things. This is the same reason I never end up maintaining stable kernel versions for too long either: I haven't even released 2.6.x yet, but there's already a known 2.6.x maintainer that will take it over and I'll go on to work on Linux kernel 2.7.x. Not immediately--I'll wait for 2.6.x to stabilize, but I'd go crazy if I stayed in 'productization mode' for too long."
Torvalds also said he is looking for a new challenge. "I think part of it is just getting stuck in a rut, and wanting to do something a bit different. But part of it is that Transmeta is such a different company than it was when I joined," Torvalds noted.
While the OSDL is vendor-neutral, its CEO and chairman are former and current IBM executives committed to Linux adoption in the business community.
OSDL CEO Stuart Cohen spent 17 years at IBM and held senior positions in the U.S. sales and marketing division for the IBM PC Co. Ross Mauri, chairman of OSDL, is vice president of development at IBM Systems Group.
However, Torvalds noted that he remains staunchly vendor-neutral and will continue to work in California--and not at the OSDL Lab in Beaverton.
"The role ends up being pretty much the same as far as outsiders can see, i.e., Linux kernel development. It's the setting, not the role, that is new and the fact that I can do it all the time," Torvalds told CRN. "Setting does matter, even if it's only because you end up talking with different people, and it influences you indirectly that way, but no, my aims haven't changed. Making the best OS you can, and having fun doing it, is the motto."
Torvalds' move comes as the development of Linux itself is under legal fire from The SCO Group, which has filed a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against IBM, charging that Big Blue improperly donated Unix code to the open-source Linux kernel.
Torvalds dismissed any notion that his decision was motivated by the SCO-IBM legal battle.
"When it comes to things I can't much affect, I try to take a wait-and-see attitude, and just mostly ignore it. So I try to largely ignore the legal spat, even if I secretly have to admit to a morbid curiosity," Torvalds wrote. "No, my concern now is for Linux kernel 2.6.x, and getting it out. Making a release is always painful, and it's a huge relief when it's done."
In characteristically humorous fashion, Torvalds insisted that Linux is on a strong track and that no lawsuit will derail it.
"I realize that some people have been following the SCO soap opera a bit too eagerly, but it does not bear on this thing," Torvalds said of his departure. "It also doesn't explain why the Europeans and the U.S. suddenly started sending probes to Mars. We are not evacuating the planet because of the SCO lawsuit. Really. No need to panic."
One analyst said it's time for a strong leader to work in an official capacity to steer the development of the kernel.
"The open-source community in general and the Linux community in specific has needed a center of gravity which would be neutral and yet could act as a bridge between the developers of the technology, the system and software suppliers, and the users," said Dan Kusnetzky, vice president of system software research at IDC."By taking the appointment as the first OSDL fellow, it will certainly help OSDL be an authoritative voice in the community and to officially contribute technology to the community."
Kusnetzky also dismissed the notion that Torvalds' new appointment will benefit any one vendor. "OSDL's board includes representatives of Oracle, HP, Intel, IBM and others," he said. "So, I don't see any of the members getting an advantage that the others don't also have."
This article appears courtesy of CRN, the newspaper for builders of technology solutions.
Of course he did, if SCO wins the lawsuit Linux is toast. Torvalds has always been just a little too arrogant and too big for his britches.
How is it "toast?"
Any offending code would simply be removed.
I have to agree with what others have said, that trial has no bearing on the future of Linux. Period.
| Thirteen companies announce Open Source Development Lab |
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| Aug. 30, 2000 Thirteen companies have jointly announced the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL), which is termed "the industry's first independent, non-profit lab for developers who are adding enterprise capabilities to Linux". The four core founders of OSDL -- Hewlett-Packard, Intel Corporation, IBM, and NEC -- have pledged to contribute significant equipment and funding to the lab over the next several years. Additional contributors and sponsors include Caldera, Dell, Linuxcare, LynuxWorks, Red Hat, SGI, SuSE, TurboLinux, and VA Linux. OSDL will be based near Portland, OR. Goal is to support existing open source projects The stated goal of OSDL is to support existing industry projects that use open source licenses and are established according to today's open source development model. The lab is not expected to create new projects, but instead will apply its resources to accelerating existing or new projects being developed or newly proposed by the open source community. The lab's initial projects will be announced later this year following an open, neutral process of choosing projects in coordination with the open source community. Initial projects are expected to range from tools development to kernel projects that advance the enterprise capabilities of Linux. Benefits extend to embedded, not just enterprise "The main focus of this well-funded lab will be on enhancing the state of-the-art of open source Linux software for high-end enterprise applications," said Inder Singh, chairman of Embedded Linux vendor LynuxWorks. "So why are we participating, and what does it mean for embedded Linux?" continued Singh. "I believe that the lines between embedded and non-embedded systems are blurring, especially at the high end of the embedded Linux space." "We hope to see the OSDL address areas such as high availability, kernel hardening and RAS in the context of the enterprise space," continued Singh. "[LynuxWorks has] been addressing the same issues already, in the embedded space. Through the ODSL, we expect to both contribute as well as take advantage of work done by others in the spirit of the open source model," added Singh. Independent Board to Govern Lab The lab will be governed by an independent board and management structure, and will consist of members from the open source community as well as representatives of sponsor companies. An independent executive director employed by the lab will implement policy, make funding decisions and work with the open source community to select projects. For further information, visit he OSDL website. |
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If anyone ripped code, it's more likely SCO did from Linux in creating their "Linux Kernel Personality."
SCO is also currently violating copyright by continuing to distribute the Linux kernel.
Colonel Development
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