Key Insights:
Linux Desktop
- The familiarity of running applications in a web browser on Chromebooks is helping get mainstream users to a point where they could adopt Linux.
- Mainstream OS’s typically use binaries to make application installation easy for non-technical users, Linux needs something to mirror this
- Linus thinks all distributions need to focus on making their experience better for non-technical, mainstream users.
Binaries
- Binary packages are a major challenge in Linux because each distribution has different resource paths that must be accounted for in the binary.
- Valve will likely play a major role in improving binary use on Linux, but they will rely on statically-linked binaries that will force other distributions to adopt them.
Git
- Linus considered Git to be a huge success story which has spread to all operating systems.
- Its adoption was controversial at first, but has become widely supported once people got familiar with it.
GPLv3
- Linus is not a supporter of GPLv3 for Linux, primarily centered around the concept of “tivoization.“
- He believe it gives the distributor too much power over how users can use GPL licensed software.
- Linux operates under the fundamental belief that code is shared openly, and anyone who makes changes must contribute them back.
Other
- Linus believes the Linux ecosystem is exceptionally healthy currently with many companies that once caused problems now playing an integral role in kernel development and maintenance.
