Globe and Mail: Is Linux Manageable?

“Jack Kapica’s column was interesting and quite neutral, but I
do think a few issues would benefit from further discussion.

“First, what is an operating system? In essence, it is an
annoying, complex blob of code that stands between operation of a
useful and beneficial program and the computer hardware it runs on.
The operating system brings no immediate and intrinsic
application-level benefit–it doesn’t check spelling, correctly add
columns of figures or correct the colour of digital pictures of
grandchildren.

“Frankly, the ‘cachet’ of operating systems and the hype about
them is a media and marketing-created illusion. The most practical
thing I can say about operating systems is, ‘Who cares, and why
should they?’ Basically, they are program loaders. The
long-standing (and tired) operating systems ‘wars’ metaphor has
long been saddled with the more painful and inappropriate religious
connotation.

“Software is not religion–it is science. Why? Science is based
on hypothesis, experimentation, accumulation of statistical and
measurable results and proof or failure of a hypothesis.
Quantitative measurement against a known framework is used to
evaluate results and advance a factual base of understanding. All
of man’s accumulated scientific knowledge is based on the
incremental progress of this methodology…”

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