Torvalds Takes Issue With De Icaza's Linux Desktop Claims

An anonymous reader writes "Linux creator Linus Torvalds has poured scorn on claims made by the co-founder of the GNOME Desktop project, Miguel de Icaza, that he (Torvalds) was in any way to blame for the lack of development in Linux desktop initiatives. De Icaza wrote in his personal blog: 'Linus, despite being a low-level kernel guy, set the tone for our community years ago when he dismissed binary compatibility for device drivers. The kernel people might have some valid reasons for it, and might have forced the industry to play by their rules, but the Desktop people did not have the power that the kernel people did. But we did keep the attitude.'" Update: 09/02 18:39 GMT by U L : The original source of the comments (and an exciting flamewar between Free Software heavyweights).

Re:Re-inventing the wheel

[jones_supa]

The reason why so many people stick with XP, or Vista, or even Windows 2000 is because it just works.

BTW there is a Japanese guy who has made a improved version [msfn.org] of Windows 2000 KERNEL32.DLL, making it possible to run some software that should work on XP only.

Re:The problem with GNOME

[gbjbaanb]

Its true that the cry of "write in a managed language and all your developer productivity problems disappear" is bullshit.

The problem with developer productivity is documentation - once you learn how to do something, it doesn't really matter if the boilerplate that makes up 80% of your GUI app is C, Java or Python.

However, even if you don't accept that, you must realise that if writing code in C is "slow", and a higher level language is faster, then you must also realise that writing in a script language is going to be even faster (and perf isn't that big a deal for LoB apps, just look at the perf problems with WPF to see that it isn't a big deal for nearly everyone).

So... why not write your GUI code in javascript using Qt quick. Anyone demanding java or C# should know that jjs is going to be even faster, and that if that's their argument, they need to upgrade past a mediocre managed language for Qt (which has perf too as you can write as much as you like in C++)

Java or C# indeed, neither as fast as C/C++, nor as productive as script. No reason to have either of these compromises :)

Re:i don't understand "the blame" game...

[fikx]

"Thorvalds" ... why do I now have an image of Linus holding a hammer , wearing a cape with a penguin on his shoulder stuck in my head?

Re:Bye, bye

[gmhowell]

If you think ratpoison is crazy, wait until you hear what they call their Photoshop wannabe.

Re:OK, but that's YOUR OPINION.

[bipbop]

Stallmane and GNU ***DO*** have the last word on what the GPL says. What do you think the "G" stands for?

I don't know. I tried a depth-first evaluation, but it's not done yet!