Linus Torvalds: Trending quotes

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Linus Torvalds: 300 quotes28 likes

“Why don't we write code that just works? Or absent a "just works" set of patches, why don't we revert to code that has years of testing? This kind of "I broke things, so now I will jiggle things randomly until they unbreak" is not acceptable. […] Don't just make random changes. There really are only two acceptable models of development: "think and analyze" or "years and years of testing on thousands of machines."”

Linus Torvalds

Those two really do work. Torvalds, Linus, 2011-04-13, Linux 2.6.39-rc3, 2011-04-21 http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1126136, 2010s, 2011

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

Linus Torvalds

Why Intel and Netscape bought into Linux, 1998-10-01, CNN.com, Needle, David, 2016-03-08 http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9810/01/whylinux.idg/, 1990s, 1995-99

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

Linus Torvalds

Linux 1.3.53 CodingStyle documentation, 2011-08-13, 1995 https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/process/coding-style.rst, 1990s, 1995-99

“I like colorized diffs, but let's face it, those particular color choices will make most people decide to pick out their eyes with a fondue fork.

And that's not good. Digging in your eye-sockets with a fondue fork is strictly considered to be bad for your health, and seven out of nine optometrists are dead set against the practice.

So in order to avoid a lot of blind git users, please apply this patch.”

Linus Torvalds

Message to Git mailing list, 2006-06-22, Torvalds, Linus, 2006-08-28 http://lwn.net/Articles/190241/, 2000s, 2006

“I'm an egotistical bastard, and I name all my projects after myself. First Linux, now git.”

Linus Torvalds

2007-06-14
2000s, 2007

“And what's the Internet without the rick-roll?”

Linus Torvalds

Redhat Bugzilla Bug 439858: swf mozilla plugin - no youtube, 2008-03-31 https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=439858, 2000s, 2008

“Toto, I don't think we're talking white-socks-and-sandals any more.”

Linus Torvalds

Torvalds, 2011-03-01, pearls before swine, 2011-03-01 http://torvalds-family.blogspot.com/2011/02/pearls-before-swine.html, Torvalds contemplating his appearance at an Oscar Party. 2010s, 2011

“I personally just encourage people to switch to KDE.This "users are idiots, and are confused by functionality" mentality of Gnome is a disease. If you think your users are idiots, only idiots will use it. I don't use Gnome, because in striving to be simple, it has long since reached the point where it simply doesn't do what I need it to do.Please, just tell people to use KDE.”

Linus Torvalds

Message to usability@gnome.org mailing list, 2005-12-12, 2006-08-28, Torvalds, Linus http://mail.gnome.org/archives/usability/2005-December/msg00021.html, 2000s, 2005

“It's what I call "mental masturbation", when you engage is some pointless intellectual exercise that has no possible meaning.”

Linus Torvalds

Linus Torvalds, Geek of the Week Interview, 2008-07-17, Torvalds, Linus, 2008-07-17 http://www.simple-talk.com/opinion/geek-of-the-week/linus-torvalds,-geek-of-the-week/, 2000s, 2008

“A lot of people still like Solaris, but I'm in active competition with them, and so I hope they die.”

Linus Torvalds

Torvalds: Waiting To See Sun's Open Solaris, 2005-02-01, Rooney, Paula, CRN, 2006-08-28 http://www.crn.com/news/applications-os/59300278/torvalds-waiting-to-see-suns-open-solaris.htm, 2000s, 2005

“I'd like to say that I knew this would happen, that it's all part of the plan for world domination.”

Linus Torvalds

[Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution, The Linux Edge, http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/opensources/book/linus.html, 2006-08-28, 1-56592-582-3, 1999, O'Reilly & Associates, DiBona, C]
1990s, 1995-99

“Good job. More public indecency, less TSA, that's what I say.”

Linus Torvalds

[In response to http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/07/northeast_portland_man_who_str.html] 2010s, 2012

“I don't doubt at all that virtualization is useful in some areas. What I doubt rather strongly is that it will ever have the kind of impact that the people involved in virtualization want it to have.”

Linus Torvalds

Attributed Source: Desktop_architects list, 2007.8.3 https://lists.linux-foundation.org/pipermail/desktop_architects/2007-August/002446.html

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

Linus Torvalds

Post, comp.os.linux.development.system newsgroup, Google Groups, 1996-07-05, Torvalds, Linus, 2016-05-25 https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.os.linux.development.system/EG3iv5IcC3Y/6d_v3HZUZLYJ, 1990s, 1995-99

“Dijkstra probably hates me.”

Linus Torvalds

Comment in Linux kernel 1.1.42's kernel/sched.c file, 2006-08-28 http://www.linuxhq.com/kernel/v1.1/42/kernel/sched.c, 2000s, 2006

“Lawsuits destroy community. They destroy trust. They would destroy all the goodwill we've built up over the years by being nice.”

Linus Torvalds

https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/ksummit-discuss/2016-August/003580.html
2010s, 2017

“I claim that Mach people (and apparently FreeBSD) are incompetent idiots.”

Linus Torvalds

LKML, April 21, 2006 http://groups.google.com/group/fa.linux.kernel/msg/0aff8e90a185c176 2000s, 2006

“There are "extremists" in the free software world, but that's one major reason why I don't call what I do "free software" any more. I don't want to be associated with the people for whom it's about exclusion and hatred.”

Linus Torvalds

Microsoft Patches Linux; Linus Responds, 2009-06-22, Torvalds, Linus, 2009-06-26 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7439, 2000s, 2009

“[GPL] version 3 was not a good "here we give you version 2" and then we try to sneak in this new rules and try force everyone to upgrade; that was the part I disliked. The FSF did really sneaky stuff, downright immoral in my opinion.”

Linus Torvalds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PmHRSeA2c8&t=49m37s
DebConf 14: Q&A with Linus Torvalds
DebConf 2014 Portland
Youtube/Google
49min37
2014
Daniel Gillmore, Ana Guerrerero López.
2010s, 2014

“I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones.”

Linus Torvalds

unknown, news:1991Aug25.205708.9541@klaava.Helsinki.FI, Post, news:comp.os.minix, Google Groups, 1991-08-25, 2006-08-28, Torvalds, Linus http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&selm=1991Aug25.205708.9541%40klaava.Helsinki.FI, This was the launch of Linux. 1990s, 1991-94