“Possible problems facing Linux in the Future”
“The huge growth in the use of Linux and free software has
triggered a great increase in the number of commercial and
non-commercial developers; this is leading to an ever-increasing
rate of growth and innovation. In the midst of all of this
great evolution, I see a number of factors that may end up hurting
Linux and other free software in the long run. Here are some of
them…”
“Linux (and UNIX in general) was extremely well-designed for the
needs of the people of its time. With the change of requirements of
users and applications, change is continuously required. Linux has
done better than other UNIX systems in dealing with this change,
e.g., the FHS (File Hierarchy Standard) is much more in touch with
user requirements than many commercial UNIX systems. There is still
room for improvement, in my opinion. The important thing to
remember is that change has to be emphasized and standards should
be there to facilitate change by providing a common working ground,
not by hindering it…”
“With all the pushing for making Linux easier to use, a number
of programs try to imitate other operating systems by having the
computer do the computer managing with the user just watching
without knowing what is actually happening. This lack of
understanding or distinction between the different parts of the
system prevents the user from using the different parts in new and
creative ways. In fact, this flexibility is one of the best
features of Linux. This doesn’t mean that graphical interfaces are
not required–quite to the contrary, I think we are in desperate
need of properly designed ones–it just means that it should be
thought out. It should reflect the way a typical Linux system is
put together and at the same time have room to grow as different
components are added in the future…”