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Linus Torvalds

Linus Torvalds Quotes

Software Engineer

Linus Torvalds, born on December 28, 1969, is a renowned software engineer. He is the founder of the Linux operating system, which has had a profound impact on the global computer industry. During his studies at the University of Helsinki, Torvalds began developing Linux, releasing the first version in 1991. His work has not only promoted the development of open-source software but also advanced personal computer and server technology.

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Famous Linus Torvalds Quotes

“What I find most interesting is how people really have taken Linux and used it in ways and attributes and motivations that I never felt.”

People Way Used Motivation Felt Interesting Taken Attributes Most Interesting Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Before the commercial ventures, Linux tended to be rather hard to set up, because most of the developers were motivated mainly by their own interests.”

Hard Interest Economy Motivated Venture Developers Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I often compare open source to science. To where science took this whole notion of developing ideas in the open and improving on other peoples' ideas and making it into what science is today and the incredible advances that we have had. And I compare that to witchcraft and alchemy, where openness was something you didn't do.”

Ideas Whole Today Source Notion Incredibles Developing Compare Openness Improving Witchcraft Alchemy Open Source

Author:Linus Torvalds

“People enjoy the interaction on the Internet, and the feeling of belonging to a group that does something interesting: that's how some software projects are born.”

People Doe Feelings Enjoy Born Interesting Economy Groups Internet Projects Belonging Software Interaction Something Interesting Belonging To A Group

Author:Linus Torvalds

“The cyberspace 'earnings' I get from Linux come in the format of having a Network of people that know me and trust me, and that I can depend on in return.”

People Knows I Can Economy Trust Depends Return Know Me Earning Trust Me Format Linux Cyberspace

Author:Linus Torvalds

“An individual developer like me cares about writing the new code and making it as interesting and efficient as possible. But very few people want to do the testing.”

People Want Writing Care Individual Interesting Like Me Code Efficient Testing Developers

Author:Linus Torvalds

“By staying neutral, I end up being somebody that everybody can trust. Even if they don't always agree with my decisions, they know I'm not working against them.”

Ifs Knows Ends Decision Agree Staying

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Every once in a while an issue comes up where I have to make a statement. I can't totally avoid all political issues, but I try my best to minimize them. When I do make a statement, I try to be fairly neutral.”

Trying I Can Political Issues Come Up Statements Political Issues

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Helsinki may not be as cold as you make it out to be, but California is still a lot nicer. I don't remember the last time I couldn't walk around in shorts all day.”

May Stills Lasts Remember Walks Economy Cold California Last Time Shorts Helsinki

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I don't actually go to that many conferences. I do that a couple of times a year. Normally, I am not recognized; people don't throw their panties at me. I'm a perfectly normal person sitting in my den just doing my job.”

People Years Persons Jobs Couple Normal Sitting Conferences Dens Panties Perfectly Normal

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I get the biggest enjoyment from the random and unexpected places. Linux on cellphones or refrigerators, just because it's so not what I envisioned it. Or on supercomputers.”

Enjoyment Unexpected Refrigerators Linux Cellphone Unexpected Places Supercomputers

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I used to be interested in Windows NT, but the more I see it, the more it looks like traditional Windows with a stabler kernel. I don't find anything technically interesting there.”

Looks Used Interesting Economy Window Traditional Used To Be Kernel

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I'd much rather have 15 people arguing about something than 15 people splitting into two camps, each side convinced it's right and not talking to the other.”

People Two Sides Talking Convinced Arguing Camps Not Talking Splitting

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I'm perfectly happy complaining, because it's cathartic, and I'm perfectly happy arguing with people on the Internet because arguing is my favourite pastime - not programming.”

People Internet Arguing Complaining Programming Favourite Pastime Cathartic

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I'm sitting in my home office wearing a bathrobe. The same way I'm not going to start wearing ties, I'm also not going to buy into the fake politeness, the lying, the office politics and backstabbing, the passive aggressiveness, and the buzzwords.”

Way Home Lying Office Sitting Fake Ties Passive Politeness Aggressiveness Backstabbing Home Office

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I've actually found the image of Silicon Valley as a hotbed of money-grubbing tech people to be pretty false, but maybe that's because the people I hang out with are all really engineers.”

People Found Hanging Out Valleys Engineers Silicon Silicon Valley

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I've felt strongly that the advantage of Linux is that it doesn't have a niche or any special market, but that different individuals and companies end up pushing it in the direction they want, and as such you end up with something that is pretty balanced across the board.”

Want Different Ends Individual Felt Company Special Advantage Boards Pushing Balanced Niche Linux Pushing It

Author:Linus Torvalds

“In many ways, I am very happy about the whole Linux commercial market because the commercial market is doing all these things that I have absolutely zero interest in doing myself.”

Way Whole Interest Zero Very Happy Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“It's a personality trait: from the very beginning, I knew what I was concentrating on. I'm only doing the kernel - I always found everything around it to be completely boring.”

Found Personality Boring Traits Concentrating Kernel Personality Traits

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Software patents, in particular, are very ripe for abuse. The whole system encourages big corporations getting thousands and thousands of patents. Individuals almost never get them.”

Whole Bigs Individual Particular Abuse Corporations Software Ripe Patents Big Corporations

Author:Linus Torvalds

“The thing I love about diving is the flowing feeling. I like a sport where the whole point is to move as little as humanly possible so your air supply will last longer. That's my kind of sport. Where the amount of effort spent is absolutely minimal.”

Kind Littles Whole Feelings Lasts Moving Sports Effort Air Amount Things I Love Diving Minimal Effort

Author:Linus Torvalds

“There were open source projects and free software before Linux was there. Linux in many ways is one of the more visible and one of the bigger technical projects in this area, and it changed how people looked at it because Linux took both the practical and ideological approach.”

People Way Changed Source Projects Approach Areas Bigger Practicals Visible Software Ideological Linux Open Source

Author:Linus Torvalds

“There's innovation in Linux. There are some really good technical features that I'm proud of. There are capabilities in Linux that aren't in other operating systems.”

Proud Innovation Features Capability Linux Operating Systems

Author:Linus Torvalds

“To be a nemesis, you have to actively try to destroy something, don't you? Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect.”

Trying Sides Technology Effects Microsoft Side Effects Nemesis

Author:Linus Torvalds

“To be honest, the fact that people trust you gives you a lot of power over people. Having another person's trust is more powerful than all other management techniques put together.”

People Giving Persons Facts Together Powerful Honest Management Technique Being Honest

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Turtles are very stable and have been around forever. But they have problems adapting. When humans came along, turtles came under serious threat. Biodiversity is good, and I think it is good in technology as well.”

Thinking Humans Wells Has Beens Problem Technology Forever Serious Threat Stable Adapting Turtles Biodiversity

Author:Linus Torvalds

“What commercialism has brought to Linux has been the incentive to make a good distribution that is easy to use and that has all the packaging issues worked out.”

Has Beens Use Easy Issues Distribution Incentives Linux Commercialism Packaging

Author:Linus Torvalds

“When it comes to software, I much prefer free software, because I have very seldom seen a program that has worked well enough for my needs, and having sources available can be a life-saver.”

Needs Wells Enough Economy Source Program Available Software

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.”

Enough Given Programming Shallow Bugs Eyeballs Bazaars Testers

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Talk is cheap. Show me the code.”

Shows Code Programming Software Show Me Computer Programming Programming Languages Developers Linux Software Design Talk Is Cheap Programming Funny Coders

Author:Linus Torvalds

“The bulk of all patents are crap. Spending time reading them is stupid. It's up to the patent owner to do so, and to enforce them.”

Reading Technology Stupid Computer Spending Programming Owners Crap Computer Programming Patents Spending Time

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I love making friends.... it's people I can't stand.”

People I Can Funny Witty Valentine Valentine's Day Love Making Making Friends

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I will, in fact, claim that the difference between a bad programmer and a good one is whether he considers his code or his data structures more important. Bad programmers worry about the code. Good programmers worry about data structures and their relationships.”

Important Facts Differences Worry Trust Claims Structure Data Code Programming Programmers Computer Programming Computer Programmers Data Structures

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Theory and practice sometimes clash. And when that happens, theory loses. Every single time.”

Sometimes Happens Loses Practice Theory Live By Clash Theory And Practice

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Those that can, do. Those that can't, complain.”

Can Do Complaining Live By

Author:Linus Torvalds

“If you think your users are idiots, only idiots will use it.”

Ifs Thinking Use Inspiring Inspire Computer Idiot Programming Users Programmers Computer Programming Computer Software

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Software is like sex: It's better when it's free.”

Sex Technology Programming Software Computer Programming Developers Software Engineering Linux Computer Software

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Avoiding complexity reduces bugs.”

Simplicity Complexity Programming Avoiding Bugs Software Engineering

Author:Linus Torvalds

“If you want to travel around the world and be invited to speak at a lot of different places, just write a Unix operating system.”

Ifs World Want Writing Different Speak Around The World Invited Different Place Linux Operating Systems Want To Travel Unix

Author:Linus Torvalds

“A lot of people want to have market share numbers, lots of users, because that's how they view their self worth. For me, one of the most important things for Linux is having a big community that is actively testing new kernels; it's the only way to support the absolute insane amount of different hardware we deal with.”

People Way Want Important Different Self Bigs Community Views Deals Numbers Support Share Amount Absolutes Important Things Self Worth Insane Users Testing Hardware Linux Kernel

Author:Linus Torvalds

“On the internet nobody can hear you being subtle.”

Internet Subtle

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Only wimps use tape backup. Real men just upload their important stuff on ftp and let the rest of the world mirror it.”

Men World Important Real Use Stuff Computer Mirrors Tape Real Men Linux Backup Wimps

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Bad programmers worry about the code. Good programmers worry about data structures and their relationships.”

Worry Structure Data Code Programming Programmers Computer Programming Computer Programmers Data Structures

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Non-technical questions sometimes don't have an answer at all.”

Sometimes Answers Economy

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Developers have the attention spans of slightly moronic woodland creatures.”

Attention Creatures Developers Attention Span Woodland Woodland Creatures

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Portability is for people who cannot write new programs.”

People Writing Program Portability

Author:Linus Torvalds

“A computer is like air conditioning - it becomes useless when you open Windows”

Air Computer Window Useless Conditioning Air Conditioning

Author:Linus Torvalds

“An infinite number of monkeys typing into GNU emacs would never make a good program.”

Numbers Program Infinite Monkeys Typing

Author:Linus Torvalds

“We all know Linux is great...it does infinite loops in 5 seconds.”

Knows Doe Infinite Seconds Loops Linux Kernel

Author:Linus Torvalds

“One of the questions I've always hated answering is how do people make money in open source. And I think that Caldera and Red Hat - and there are a number of other Linux companies going public - basically show that yes, you can actually make money in the open-source area.”

People Thinking Shows Numbers Company Source Red Areas Making Money Hated Hats Linux Open Source Yes You Can Red Hat

Author:Linus Torvalds

About the Author

Born: December 28, 1969
Known for: Software Engineer
Quotes: 225

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