“where they combine packages from the open source ecosystem with the linux kernel in order to create a desktop OS does not make it as if the Linux (kernel) has been pushed or promoted as a desktop os from the very start.”
What? You’re trying to use the argument that the Linux kernel was not intended for desktop use from the very start. That distros decided this themselves. Not true. Linus intended Linux to be for desktop use himself. I even pointed to Linux Wikipedia entry showing Linux is targeted to desktop, servers and embedded.
comp.os.minix post from Linus (August 1991), “I’m doing a (free) operating system…”, “I’ve currently ported bash(1.08) and gcc(1.40), and things seem to work. This implies that I’ll get something practical within a few months, and I’d like to know what features most people would want.”
That sounds more like making Linux for desktop use to me. Linus’ M.Sc. thesis was titled Linux: A Portable Operating System. Does that sound like he only wanted to target the server and embedded markets to you?
I would strongly say that Linus was making sure his OS would be adopted on the desktop also from the first day he coded the kernel. Linus never said his OS was just for servers. Corporations strongly adopted Linux because similar to Unix and very strong at security and stability - two very important things for servers.
“again Con Kolivas who you referred to left kernel development due to the lack of interest there in improving the kernel for desktop use, should ring a bell.”
You still don’t understand. The issue was not that Linux kernel could not be used on or marketed to the desktop but about lagging performance on the desktop. Linux is better suited to servers because it focused on throughput and not responsiveness. Likely a result of being similar to Unix in design. Below quote talks about performance on desktop and not Linux being just for servers.
Linux wikipedia:
“The performance of Linux on the desktop has been a controversial topic; for example in 2007 Con Kolivas accused the Linux community of favoring performance on servers. He quit Linux kernel development because he was frustrated with this lack of focus on the desktop, and then gave a “tell all” interview on the topic.[56] Since then a significant effort has been expended improving the desktop experience.”
I get what you’re saying. The Linux kernel is better suited for servers and embedded markets but that does not exclude its use from the desktop. Anyone can still use Linux on the desktop. You can say that Linux has failed to capture market share or popularity on the desktop. Still, Linux is very useable as a desktop OS and been so from the very start.
Think about these. Can Linux be used on the desktop? Has Linux been used on the desktop? Did Linus intend Linux kernel to be only for servers and embedded systems? Have distros marketed Linux for the desktop? Are certain Linux applications only for desktop (ie: bittorrent client)?
"Well likely I was just too lazy here and for that I apologize, I skimmed some posts of yours on OSNews like:
-‘What are you afraid of, that Linux will lose the battle? You like Linux so much, then stick with it and let the rest of us enjoy BeOS/Haiku.’"
You were not lazy but trying to dig up dirt on me. It is an attack style tactic some people use to tarnish others. You bring up the post to make me look bad and then apologize to make yourself look good. I will respond to this:
- That post was from April 2007 (3 1/2 years ago). What does an old post like that have to do with this thread? It only attacks my character.
- It was a Zeta (Haiku) thread (to give context)
- A linux poster was being negative about Haiku. Saying it would amount to very little. This part was annoying “Haiku won’t do any better than BeOS on the desktop”. Of course the rest of his post seems accurate but he didn’t have to come to a Haiku based thread to dump on Haiku which hit a nerve with me.
- Opinions and attitudes can change over time. I may think differently about something today than I did 6+ months ago.
- You posted my quote here to show what? That I was angry with a Linux user? Or very likely to make me look bad.
- I was using BeOS (& Haiku) lots back then and was enjoying it. I didn’t need someone coming to Haiku thread to say it would never go anywhere and I should change to Linux. Irrelevant if he may have been right. It’s like me going to a Linux group and telling them to switch to Windows 7.