Addressing concern that tweaks to the operating system aren't being pushed through fast enough, Linus Torvalds has taken steps to formalize control over the project's underlying source code.
Torvalds, the founder and lead programmer of the Linux operating system, is generally respected as a good manager of the OS, but some have been concerned that he can't keep up with the volume of changes to the software.
In the last 10 years, Linux has grown from Torvalds' programming project to a software package serious enough to become the heart of IBM's server strategy. Torvalds' personal style still remains, though, despite the increasing corporate involvement in the software.
Two weeks ago, addressing the perceived delays in dealing with tweaks to the OS, one programmer proposed that Torvalds anoint a "patch penguin"--a person responsible for applying the oodles of patches and updates to the software.
Now Torvalds has taken measures to automate the process using BitMover's BitKeeper software. Larry McVoy of BitMover has long advocated the change.
Changing over to the BitKeeper system "has definitely made me slower," Torvalds said last week in a posting to the Linux kernel mailing list, but "some of it pays off."
Torvalds said improvements expected from the system include the ability to apply patches directly from the e-mail in which they're sent and an easier synchronization of other versions of Linux with Torvalds' version. Easier synchronization, however, will require others to use the same system--a change Torvalds said won't come quickly.
Join the conversation
Comment replyThe posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Click here to review our Terms of Use.
Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon--all are targets for Mozilla's plan to use Web apps to free people from ecosystem lock-in. Also: new Firefox features aplenty.
The rise of Apple's stores is one of the past decade's great retail stories. So, why then does the company continue to creep back into the big-box outlets and will this hurt the brand?
The company helps small businesses with little tech savvy build apps easily, and now its partner Constant Contact will email-blast prospective users, too.
The Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 S6500 could make its debut at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month, according to a leaked promotional image.
Web giant is spending $120 million to beef up its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, according to filings with the city reviewed by the San Jose Mercury News.
Join the conversation