LinusTorvalds about Linux release

LinusTorvalds: Linux releases-general Linux technology-Linux technology and application information. The following is a detailed description. Some days ago, Linus Torvalds, the Linux creator, was interviewed. In an interview, he talked about his Linux release:

Over the years, I have used a variety of releases. At present, most of my computers happen to use Fedora 9, which actually comes down to the fact that when I used Fedora, it had considerable support for PowerPC, so I gradually get used to it. However, I do not care too much about the release, as long as it is easy to install and remains updated. I care about the kernel and a few programs, and the Assembly I really care about is actually quite small.

Speaking of the release version, one of my main problems is that it is easy to install. Although I am a technician, I am interested in specialized fields and should not fight with other things. Therefore, only the well-known "over-technical" releases that I voluntarily shy away from-for example, the releases that encourage you to compile your own programs.

Of course, I have done it, but for me, this will slightly lose the complete meaning of the release. Therefore, I like easy-to-use releases. For example, I have never used Debian without decoration, but I like Ubuntu. In the past, Debian also attacked me-Yes, I know, I know, it is said that Debian is simpler and easier to install. But I am not used to it, so I have never had any reason to seek help.

Last month, I wrote comments for Slackware. Three of the four major comments were attributed to ease of use. Some Slackware users caught fire in what I said, but in my opinion, due to the lack of graphical management tools, the lack of a package manager with dependency check, and the lack of a decent additional software package repository, therefore, Slackware is not user-friendly. Some people even raise objections to my use of user-friendly general definitions, specifically, even a technical user, the installation, configuration, and maintenance of the release version should also be intuitive and easy to operate.

Ease of use is not only suitable for beginners. No one doubts about Linus Torvalds's expertise, but when talking about Linux or his expertise, he still emphasizes ease of installation and ensures that the release is easy to update. In this case, his preference for Fedora and Ubuntu is more meaningful than what he calls a "over-Technical" release. Although he only said the Debian name, I think we can safely determine that Gentoo and Slackware belong to this category.

Ubuntu, Fedora, Mandriva, and SUSE have become dominant desktop distributions because they all work hard, and, to a large extent, users are successfully able to focus on things other than OS, such as jobs that they want to process with computers from the very beginning. Each of these releases allows you to clearly customize and adjust to any limits you may want or need. What forces you to know is that you only need to complete the configuration. A large repository means you will not be forced to regularly compile source code. Linus Torvalds's views on the release are consistent with the preferences of most Linux users who have worked with me over the years, even those with high technical skills.

Another point worth extracting from Linux is:

For myself, I believe in choice. Yes, the choice may be confusing, and it may make the market more broken, but on the other hand, it will also lead to competition. Competition is a good thing-and even in a project, competition is also a good thing. It enables people to try all kinds of things and eventually become the real driving force.

In this case, without all the wild and crazy releases, I personally don't think we will make progress. I would rather have a lively debate or even an inner, than just one vendor (or two or three vendors.

The free selection provided by many Linux distributions makes it almost possible for Linux users to always select the most appropriate release. It is clear that a considerable number of Linux applications will choose Linux distributions such as Debian, Gentoo, and Slackware.