Linux takes aim at the desktop

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- With the most recent upgrade to the Linux kernel out on the street, open-source programmers should now set their sights on the desktop, says Linux inventor Linus Torvalds.

Delivering last night's keynote to a boisterous LinuxWorld crowd here, Torvalds prodded open-source programmers to shy away from the "sexy" task of scaling up the OS to compete with commercial Unix flavors. Instead, he said, programmers should actually focus on scaling down the operating system for user-friendly use on devices from desktop PCs to PDAs.

"Scaling down may not be that sexy, but it could be very interesting to many people," said the open-source pioneer.

Speaking before the largest Linux gathering ever, Linus Torvalds predicted future versions of Linux will compete on both high-end systems and smaller devices -- and become a major player on desktop computers.

"It means that in a few years we'll be the biggest OS on the whole planet, and I like that," Torvalds told the audience at Linuxworld Expo. Torvalds, who invented the operating system in 1991, often quips that 'world domination' is in Linux's future. The OS has grown from one user in 1991 to more than 7 million today. "It's up there with the big boys, and the big boys are nervous," said Torvalds.

Torvalds for President?
Dressed in a navy button-down shirt and black pants, Torvalds received a standing ovation when he walked on stage. Only moments earlier, a handful of fans, some of them wearing "Linus Torvalds for President" buttons, sprinted to the front of the room when the doors swung open, hoping to get a closer look at their hero.

Right now, Linux is used mainly on heavy-duty computers used as servers on networks, but Torvalds predicted desktop projects such as Gnome and KDE would help Linux take off.

Although Torvalds insisted the community-developed OS is neck-and-neck with other Unix players when it comes to performance and scalability, he also emphasized the need for a continued healthy competition with these players.

"These [Unix] big boys shouldn't go away... you want to have competition," to trade ideas and push development, he said.

Two more years
With version 2.2 of the Linux kernel released recently, Torvalds said it could be another two years or so before the next major upgrade. In the meantime, he said he expects the desktop applications -- ranging from office suites to games -- to catch up to Linux demand.

He also said companies such as Corel -- which today outlined its plans to make Linux user friendly - would boost the OS.

During his light-hearted keynote, Torvalds took several pokes at Microsoft Corp. and its boss, Bill Gates. When discussing why the Linux community shouldn't have more visionaries, he quipped: "People standing in the middle of the road look like road kill to me." At one point, he showed a slide predicting what his grandchildren will say about computing. Rounding out the list: "Microsoft? They used to do computers, right?"

UPDATED 3/3/99 at 9:59 AM PT

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- With the most recent upgrade to the Linux kernel out on the street, open-source programmers should now set their sights on the desktop, says Linux inventor Linus Torvalds.

Delivering last night's keynote to a boisterous LinuxWorld crowd here, Torvalds prodded open-source programmers to shy away from the "sexy" task of scaling up the OS to compete with commercial Unix flavors. Instead, he said, programmers should actually focus on scaling down the operating system for user-friendly use on devices from desktop PCs to PDAs.

"Scaling down may not be that sexy, but it could be very interesting to many people," said the open-source pioneer.

Speaking before the largest Linux gathering ever, Linus Torvalds predicted future versions of Linux will compete on both high-end systems and smaller devices -- and become a major player on desktop computers.

"It means that in a few years we'll be the biggest OS on the whole planet, and I like that," Torvalds told the audience at Linuxworld Expo. Torvalds, who invented the operating system in 1991, often quips that 'world domination' is in Linux's future. The OS has grown from one user in 1991 to more than 7 million today. "It's up there with the big boys, and the big boys are nervous," said Torvalds.

Torvalds for President?
Dressed in a navy button-down shirt and black pants, Torvalds received a standing ovation when he walked on stage. Only moments earlier, a handful of fans, some of them wearing "Linus Torvalds for President" buttons, sprinted to the front of the room when the doors swung open, hoping to get a closer look at their hero.

Right now, Linux is used mainly on heavy-duty computers used as servers on networks, but Torvalds predicted desktop projects such as Gnome and KDE would help Linux take off.

Although Torvalds insisted the community-developed OS is neck-and-neck with other Unix players when it comes to performance and scalability, he also emphasized the need for a continued healthy competition with these players.

"These [Unix] big boys shouldn't go away... you want to have competition," to trade ideas and push development, he said.

Two more years
With version 2.2 of the Linux kernel released recently, Torvalds said it could be another two years or so before the next major upgrade. In the meantime, he said he expects the desktop applications -- ranging from office suites to games -- to catch up to Linux demand.

He also said companies such as Corel -- which today outlined its plans to make Linux user friendly - would boost the OS.

During his light-hearted keynote, Torvalds took several pokes at Microsoft Corp. and its boss, Bill Gates. When discussing why the Linux community shouldn't have more visionaries, he quipped: "People standing in the middle of the road look like road kill to me." At one point, he showed a slide predicting what his grandchildren will say about computing. Rounding out the list: "Microsoft? They used to do computers, right?"