BusinessWeek: Linux Inc.

"Five years ago, Linus Torvalds faced a mutiny. The reclusive Finn had taken the lead in creating the Linux computer operating system, with help from thousands of volunteer programmers, and the open-source software had become wildly popular for running Web sites during the dot-com boom. But just as Linux was taking off, some programmers rebelled. Torvalds' insistence on manually reviewing everything that went into the software was creating a logjam, they warned. Unless he changed his ways, they might concoct a rival software package--a threat that could have crippled Linux. ' 'Everybody knew things were falling apart,' recalls Larry McVoy, a programmer who played peacemaker. 'Something had to be done...'"

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