this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2023
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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Will we all be fucked or is there a Linus 2?

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[–] [email protected] 265 points 11 months ago (19 children)

We've all agreed that when he dies it would be disrespectful to keep using Linux so we'll pack it up and switch to Windows from them on.

[–] [email protected] 122 points 11 months ago (2 children)

The year of the netbsd desktop is finally here.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 11 months ago (4 children)

what's the bsd equivalent to arch

[–] [email protected] 82 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I think BSD is the BSD equivalent to arch.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 11 months ago

I'll go back to HaikuOS, it should be ready by then. ReactOS will still be working on Win98 support.

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[–] [email protected] 203 points 11 months ago (2 children)

GNU will spring their plan into motion for world domination, and send anyone who has said Linux and not GNU/Linux to GNUlag

[–] [email protected] 72 points 11 months ago (2 children)

They'll reveal that GNU was actually Unix all along.

[–] [email protected] 59 points 11 months ago

GNU is Now Unix

[–] [email protected] 27 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That devious Joseph Stallman!

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[–] [email protected] 42 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They will finally release HURD

[–] [email protected] 42 points 11 months ago (2 children)

The real HURD is the friends we made along the way.

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[–] [email protected] 155 points 11 months ago (3 children)

We're actually on the 10th Linus now, so the next one will be LinuXI

[–] [email protected] 36 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Stupid God-Emperor keeps ordering all these gholas

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[–] [email protected] 139 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (4 children)

Nothing. Linus doesn't personally do coding on the kernel, he has a team who do that and he oversees it and makes the hard decisions.

There are others who will take his place and the work will continue.

If somehow the entire kernel team shut down, Google, Samsung or some other large corporation would take it over and continue development because at this point many, many, many servers, phones, smart devices, iot, and other appliances rely on the Linux kernel to function.

It simply cannot be left to die.

[–] [email protected] 142 points 11 months ago (3 children)

"Today here at Microsoft we are celebrating the legacy of the late Linus Torvalds by releasing a new kernel, re-written entirely in Golang using Copilot. No GPL code was touched, merely re-written, and we will offer ISOs to the coding community for free! Stay tuned for more updates, as we will be exclusively developing on this kernel going forward! This is a great day for open source!"

[–] [email protected] 50 points 11 months ago

Our worst nightmare come true 😱

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[–] [email protected] 48 points 11 months ago (4 children)

Google, Samsung or some other large corporation would take it over

Perkele!

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Too big to fail is for once not for a big corporation or bank

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[–] [email protected] 117 points 11 months ago (2 children)

A number of candidates will create their own forks and there will be a long Game of Thrones style war between different factions. After couple of weeks each distro will choose the fork they will make the default one and people will split into warring factions. After that we will enter a nuclear winter style period lasting couple of years during which 90% of post on Lemmy will be just shitposting the rival forks. After a decade or two of backstabbing, dirty politics and other drama new dictator will be selected and all will be back to normal.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 11 months ago

So like systemd but ten times more dramatic.

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[–] [email protected] 115 points 11 months ago (3 children)

His firstborn son will take over as Linus II, as is tradition.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The far future: A man sits at a table, staring at a floating hologram display. He watches as an indecipherable block of alphanumeric characters wiggles and splits into two segments. He nods slowly.

He takes a breath and closes his eyes, broadcasting a message to everyone on duty that day.

"Merge the request. Tell Linus#3418 that Wayland is now the default display manager."

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[–] [email protected] 101 points 11 months ago (5 children)

There will not be a Linus 2, but rather there will be a peaceful transfer of "power".

Linus is not the Benevolent Dictator For Life of the Linux Kernel.

Linus has already stepped away from developing the Kernel. He did this after an incident to work on his professionalism & mannerisms towards people. Kernel development did not stop. Linus does not approve and merge every patch into the Kernel.

Rather it is more likely that the Lead Maintainer/Developer changes to Greg Kroah-Hartmon, and the project does not skip a beat.

Rest assured with something as important as the Linux Kernel: development will keep going.

[–] [email protected] 51 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Rest assured with something as important as the Linux Kernel: development will keep going.

Morgan freeman voice: but he was not rested or assured.

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[–] [email protected] 90 points 11 months ago (5 children)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_factor is a thing that any GOOD project or IT department considers. How many of your staff can you afford to lose if they all happen to be travelling in the same bus, on their way to eat at the same place for lunch when an asteroid inevitably punches through said bus and/or diner.

'Hit by an asteroid' is a little unrealistic. Sentenced to prison for 15 to Life has happened in the Open Source community at least once before. The project I linked to had a Bus Factor of about one. It's now 'old code using outdated APIs' and is considered obsolete.

I've personally seen legal and criminal issues for a single individual cripple IT departments before, meaning their bus factor was also way too low. I've been on trips that have been rudely interrupted by screaming executives when I came down out of the mountains into cell range because I was the only bus factor left on certain systems. Natural disaster, such as hurricanes, wildfires, and floods are very serious existential threats to even the largest of organizations.

Since Linux seems to be a good project, I can't imagine that the discussion hasn't been had, in public or in private. Millions of individuals and dozens upon dozens of big corporations depend on Linux, Open source and otherwise. If the bus comes for core maintainers or project leaders we have at least SOME backup.

[–] [email protected] 51 points 11 months ago (1 children)

We need to consider truck-kun factor, where the developer get isekai-ed.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 11 months ago (4 children)

"I'll Become the Strongest Adventurer in the Other World with My Maximum Level Open Source Operating System Development Skills."

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

"Known for: ReiserFS, murder" kinda makes it sound like the dude invented both.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I've been on trips that have been rudely interrupted by screaming executives when I came down out of the mountains into cell range because I was the only bus factor left on certain systems.

Wow, incredible management skills, genius move to treat your one critical employee like a piece of shit.

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[–] [email protected] 59 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

sudo mount --bind /linus2 /linus

[–] [email protected] 55 points 11 months ago (4 children)

From what I understand Greg Kroah-Hartman would take over

[–] [email protected] 37 points 11 months ago (3 children)

A quick search shows he's actually two years older than Linus. Though I'm sure there's plenty of young blood in the community by now.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 11 months ago (1 children)

At which point it becomes Gregus.

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[–] [email protected] 55 points 11 months ago (9 children)

Think we all can agree that the only sensible choise would to convert to Tempel OS...

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[–] [email protected] 51 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

For a moment I thought this post was about the LTT host. And was like they could replace him with any of his doppelgangers in the group and no one will notice.

[–] [email protected] 91 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

That is what this post is about, IDK who this Torvalds guy is.

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[–] [email protected] 42 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Then the propheciced hurdnus will rise and awaken a new era of foss

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The role of Linus being a stubborn decision maker will be handed over to a competent close one to Linus. He is not letting any of the "sociopolitical" experts take over the tech role that Linux plays critical to servers, security users, militaries, governments and activists.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Linus has stepped away from kernel development before, and probably will again. Life continues on.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 11 months ago (2 children)

By then GNU/Hurd will be ready lmao

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Linus is getting old and its time to pick his replacement.

And its you! Congratulations! I hope your ready

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Everyone is making jokes but the thought has occurred to me: Yes, we have an organisation in place that is ready to replace him. But, from what I understand, he IS the benevolent dictator, and he has used his power a few times to stop some changes that otherwise would be in the kernel right now. And I think that's a good thing.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 11 months ago (1 children)

When he dies, I expect his family will be sad for a while and bury him.

If he retires, his family will be pretty happy for him.

Other people will keep doing Linux stuff.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 11 months ago

I’m training a code and language model to write Linux kernel code and provide snarky comments, of course all based on Linus’s extensive commit history.

Our AI Überherr will be pleased.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 11 months ago

The git based AI he was secretly programming will take over and anyone who can't use git submodules without looking up the commands will die.

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