[Linus Torvalds] pumped out Linux roughly 20 years ago and has now won some pretty major recognition for his contributions. We’ve seen different flavors of Linux installed on virtually everything you can think of, even on a dead badger. This prize is being compared to the Nobel Peace Prize, since there isn’t a Nobel prize for technology(why not?).
While some might be wondering what the big deal about Linux is, consider this quote from the ZDnet article for a moment.
Is it deserved? Well, judge for yourself. Since Torvalds created Linux in 1991, it has become the world’s most ubiquitous operating system it powers the popular Android phones and eight out of 10 financial trades; it runs Amazon, Facebook, Google, Twitter and other major web networks. It is the dominant OS for supercomputers, supporting nine of 10 of these major systems, and is the preferable platform for cloud computing.
Tomorrow I’m going to tag Tux all over the city!
Congratulations! More than well deserved.
Congratulations, Linus! Well deserved and I look forward to
eventual world domination by our Tux overlord! lol
Onnea Linus!
Absolutely! Linux has been a very big part of my career for about 15 years. Well done and well deserved!
Thank you for the best Kernel I’ve ever used. Well done, and well deserved.
Have you ever tried *BSD’s or QNX or Plan9 or mach or …….? or is it that you don’t actually USE the kernel (only software that does) :/
I’ve played both with *BSD’s and Plan9, yet Linux kernel is superior to both, mainly because the collective effort that both *BSD’s and Plan9 never had…
He only created a kernel not the operating system. Linux is a collection of many open source projects. It’s misleading credit Torvalds as his creator.
The GNU project used Torvalds work because the project kernel is incomplete.
Actually, no it isn’t misleading that Linus created Linux and he should be congratulated. Without the kernel, there would be nothing for the GNU packages to hang off and obviously without the kernel there would be no GNU/Linux OS.
Maybe GNU would have come up with a suitable kernel without Linux but they haven’t, Linus did and somehow he got people fired up to contribute and build it to what it is today.
Anyone can have a good idea but it takes a little something extra to make things happen so rather than rain on his parade, look at how his success has kept GNU relevant.
^Stallman stalwart…
…. or just a Gates gladiator… -_-?
Couple of points:
GNU deserve the credit for what you have listed
ITRON heard of it? Now that’s ubiquitous!
Considering the guy he “shared” the award with did something “irrelevant” with non-embrionic stem cells… So yes, just like the Nobel (Obama) this award has become a farce.
that should be: *TRON
ooops 🙂
Yeah it really did cheapen the whole award since Barry Obongo didn’t even copy a single line of UNIX and try to pass off chunks of it as new and original with a few obfuscated CITRIX calls for good measure lol.
Everyone is a bit of a huckster these days.
Dude really? I did/do not in any way disparage Linus or, I’m guessing you mean Obama, since I’m from the other country (you know – the rest of the world) and I don’t keep up with what racist crap the wilfully ignorant are embarrassing themselves with this week.
I was making the point that like the Nobel committee, the Millennium people are just gushing sycophants with an agenda. Their actions alone have made the awards a farce.
Sorry, but you have lost Stallman. It is wrong say Linux but it is correct say GNU/Linux.
http://www.maxsoftprojects.com/2012/04/millenium-technology-prize-prize-to-be.html
Without Linux we would still be waiting for HURD 🙂
If there was not Linux, GNU would still exist and it is likely that it would use some other kind of kernel.
Do not get me wrong, Linux is great, Linus is great too, and this prize is deserved, but in my honest opinion, it would be better to celebrate GNU more often. That was the real base for the big change.
The relationship between Linux and HURD is not so simple. I’m sure the appearance of Linux took contributors away away from the HURD kernel. But there’s probably also many people who were attracted to the huge and vibrant world of GNU/Linux but later worked on HURD.
To add to your list, it’s pretty difficult to buy a TV that doesn’t run Linux, not to mention printers and DSL routers.
Linus IS the man !!!!
Linux and open source in all it’s incarnations are probably the biggest technology story since technology came into existence.
May it continue its historic path !!
He is way cooler than Steve or Bill!
Being portrayed in Operation Swordfish made him that cool.
Way to go, Linus “Axel” Torvalds.
Not only well deserved, but also long overdue. 🙂
meh. Others have done significantly more and received substantially less.
Congrats on the reward though.
get ready for Stallman’s angry letters.