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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

“I never felt that the naming issue was all that important, but I was obviously wrong, judging by how many people felt. I tell people to call it just plain Linux and nothing more.”

People Important Felt Issues Judging Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“The Linux kernel is under the GPL version 2. Not anything else. Some individual files are licensable under v3, but not the kernel in general. And quite frankly, I don't see that changing. I think it's insane to require people to make their private signing keys available, for example. I wouldn't do it. So I don't think the GPL v3 conversion is going to happen for the kernel, since I personally don't want to convert any of my code. You think v2 or later is the default. It's not. The _default_ is to not allow conversion. Conversion isn't going to happen.”

People Thinking Want Happens Individual Example Keys Conversation Available Conversion Versions Insane Code Files Default Signing Linux Kernel

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Some people have told me they don't think a fat penguin really embodies the grace of Linux, which just tells me they have never seen an angry penguin charging at them in excess of 100mph. They'd be a lot more careful about what they say if they had.”

People Ifs Thinking Grace Angry Careful Fats Excess Linux Charging Operating Systems Penguins

Author:Linus Torvalds

“OK, I admit it. I was just a front-man for the real fathers of Linux, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus.”

Men Real Father Fronts Teeth Fairy Santa Santa Claus Linux Tooth Fairy Real Father

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I changed the Linux copyright license to be the GPL some time in the first half of 1992. Mostly because I had hated the lack of a cheaply and easily available UNIX when I had looked for one a year before.”

Years Firsts Half Changed Available Hated License Copyright Linux Unix

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Bill Gates really seems to be much more of a business man than a technologist, while I prefer to think of Linux in technical terms rather than as a means to money. As such, I'm not very likely to make the same kind of money that Bill made.”

Thinking Men Kind Mean Made Seems Term Bills Gates Linux Business Man

Author:Linus Torvalds

“One of the reasons that I really don't mind that people are selling Linux commercially is exactly because it does make me feel good that people use the product.”

People Feels Mind Doe Reason Use Products Selling Feel Good Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“While I may not get any money from Linux, I get a huge personal satisfaction from having written something that people really enjoy using, and that people find to be the best alternative for their needs.”

People Needs May Enjoy Written Huge Satisfaction Alternatives Being The Best Linux Personal Satisfaction

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Linux has more than satisfied any small initial expectations I had. It's simply incredible how successful Linux has been, and how good a time I've had developing it and leading the project. It does take a lot of my time, but it's time I really enjoy spending, and Linux has continued to be challenging both technically and from a managing standpoint.”

Doe Has Beens Enjoy Challenges Successful Projects Expectations Incredibles Spending Satisfied Developing My Time Initials Standpoint Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I don't go to conferences quite as much as I used to: having a child and movin away from the university leaves me with less time, but I've tried to balance things out - not just spending time with Linux all the time, but having a real job and a real life at the same time.”

Children Real Jobs Used Balance University Spending Real Life Leaving Me Conferences Spending Time Linux Real Jobs

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I'm not worried about the kernel itself or the basic system. All the commercialization is about the distributions and the applications. As such, it only brings value-added things to Linux, and it doesn't take anything away from the Linux scene.”

Values Scene Worried Application Distribution Linux Kernel Commercialization

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I don't think commercialization is the answer to anything. It's just one more facet of Linux, and not the deciding one by any means.”

Thinking Mean Answers Just One Facets Linux Commercialization

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I can mostly laugh at myself and this whole mess called "Linux developers," which means that I get along with most people and most people get along with me.”

People Mean I Can Whole Laughing Mess Developers Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“On a purely technical side, I'm really very happy with how Linux gets used in a very wide set of different areas. It's important for development.”

Important Different Used Sides Development Areas Wide Very Happy Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I'd argue that everybody wants to do something that matters, and the fact that Linux has had a huge impact on the tech market and is used virtually everywhere is obviously very personally satisfying. I think programming is fun, and the community around the kernel is great, but a project has to be relevant too.”

Thinking Want Matter Facts Used Fun Community Huge Projects Impact Arguing Programming Satisfying Relevant Linux Kernel

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Me trying to make a business around Linux would have been a total disaster.”

Trying Has Beens Disaster Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I made very sure that I did not get involved with any of the commercial Linux companies, exactly so that I would be neutral and not ever seen as "working for the competition".”

Made Would Be Company Involved Competition Get Involved Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I don't actually follow other operating systems much. I don't compete - I just worry about making Linux better than itself, not others.”

Worry Linux Operating Systems

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I was never a "big thinker". One of my philosophies in Linux has always been to not worry about the future too much, but make sure that we make the best of what we have now - together with keeping our options open for the future and not digging us into a hole.”

Philosophy Bigs Together Worry Too Much Holes Thinker Digging Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Bill Gates really seems to be much more of a business man than a technologist, while I prefer to think of Linux in technical terms rather than as a means to money.”

Thinking Men Mean Seems Term Bills Gates Linux Business Man

Author:Linus Torvalds

“If Microsoft ever does applications for Linux it means I've won.”

Ifs Mean Doe Application Microsoft Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“There are lots of Linux users who don't care how the kernel works but only want to use it is not only a tribute to how good Linux is, but it also brings up issues that I would never have thought of otherwise.”

Want Use Care Economy Don't Care Users Tribute Linux Kernel

Author:Linus Torvalds

“The Linux philosophy is "laugh in the face of danger". Oops. Wrong one. "Do it yourself". That's it.”

Philosophy Faces Technology Laughing Economy Danger Do It Yourself Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Microsoft isn't evil, they just make really crappy operating systems.”

Evil Technology Economy Microsoft Linux Operating Systems

Author:Linus Torvalds

“When you say 'I wrote a program that crashed Windows,' people just stare at you blankly and say 'Hey, I got those with the system, for free.'”

People Humor Funny Economy Program Window Hey Staring Microsoft Linux Blank Stares

Author:Linus Torvalds

“See, you not only have to be a good coder to create a system like Linux, you have to be a sneaky bastard too.”

Linux Sneaky Coders

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Making Linux GPL'd was definitely the best thing I ever did.”

Best Things Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“The memory management on the PowerPC can be used to frighten small children.”

Children Used Memories Management Programming Small Child Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I don't try to be a threat to MicroSoft, mainly because I don't really see MS as competition. Especially not Windows-the goals of Linux and Windows are simply so different.”

Trying Different Goal Window Competition Threat Setting Goals Microsoft Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I do get my pizzas paid for by Linux indirectly.”

Economy Paid Pizza Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“That's what makes Linux so good: you put in something, and that effort multiplies. It's a positive feedback cycle.”

Effort Positive Cycles Feedback Linux Positive Feedback

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I don't expect to go hungry if I decide to leave the University. Resume: Linux looks pretty good in many places.”

Ifs Looks Economy University Hungry Resumes Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I don't have any authority over Linux other than this notion that I know what I'm doing.”

Knows Authority Notion Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I like to think that I've been a good manager. That fact has been very instrumental in making Linux a successful product.”

Thinking Has Beens Facts Economy Successful Products Managers Linux Good Manager

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I very seldom worry about other systems. I concentrate pretty fully on just making Linux the best I can.”

I Can Worry Economy Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I'm interested in Linux because of the technology, and Linux wasn't started as any kind of rebellion against the 'evil Microsoft empire.'”

Kind Evil Technology Empires Rebellion Microsoft Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I've been employed by the University of Helsinki, and they've been perfectly happy to keep me employed and doing Linux.”

University Employed Linux Helsinki

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I've been very happy with the commercial Linux CD-ROM vendors linux Red Hat.”

Hate Economy Red Hats Very Happy Cds Linux Red Lipstick Vendors Red Hat

Author:Linus Torvalds

“I've never regretted not making Linux shareware: I really don't like the "pay for use" binary shareware programs.”

Use Pay Economy Program Linux Binary

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Linux has definitely made a lot of sense even in a purely materialistic sense.”

Made Economy Materialistic Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“Part of doing Linux was that I had to communicate a lot more instead of just being a geek in front of a computer.”

Fronts Computer Communicate Just Being Geek Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“The thing with Linux is that the developers themselves are actually customers too: that has always been an important part of Linux.”

Important Customers Developers Linux

Author:Linus Torvalds

“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

“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

“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'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

“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

About the Author

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

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