[RANT] The Future of Debian (and Linux)
I have been monitoring the debian developers mailing list via Usenet and some
things are showing up that at first disturbed me. Now that I have had a little
time to think about it, it appears that there needs to be some kind of period
of reflection on what Debian (in particular) and Linux (in general) are doing
and where they are going and what is the best way to get there.
The leaders of the various linux projects (including Linus himself) are growing
into a world different than the one they were in when they built what we now
call the linux community. They have famillies, jobs, homes. Can we expect the
same level of effort and output from them when they could devote most of their
waking hours (and probably more) to Linux?
Is it time to begin to delegate more of the responsibility to younger hot-shots
in school with no carreer, no mortgage, no chicken-pox to interfere in their
development of linux? As thoughts turn to college education for their
offspring, medical expenses, projects at work requiring 16-hour days, who is
going to put in the long days on Linux that used to be the norm for this group
of (now) elders? :)
Who do you pass the torch to? Has it been thought about? In the grand scheme
of things, if Debian went tits-up tomarrow, Bruce would still have projects due
at work, Linus would still have a child to feed, clothe, and educate. In other
words, maybe it is time to pass a larger share of the work to a hungry, eager,
younger group that can devote all weekend, a summer, long night hours to the
project.
I suggest that after 2.0 has settled down, that there be a hiatis (?sp) for 90
days for review and reflection and that a conference be held (different than the
one just held in Santa Cruz) between the key figures in the linux community
where they might identify a new crop of up-and-coming stars to pass more of the
development of the OS to while they concentrate on getting their kids raised
and carreers fostered.
While I am not ready to go packing Bruce off to the nursing home just yet, I
guess that what I am trying to say is that I see some of the criticism in that
list as being a bit short-sighted particularly when famillies are involved.
Bruce and Linus (and many others) have probably sacrificed a lot more of their
life to the project than maybe they should have to. In the grand scheme of
things, when you look over that kid's homework, maybe Linux does not seem so
important. That is when, I think, it should be passed on to someone that is
living and breathing Linux. It IS the most important thing to the young
hot-shot that wants to make their mark on improving the system. That will
change and they, in turn, will pass it along to the next bunch once they
discover that there are probably more important things.
It is either that or we create some kind of system where linux development will
provide for people's housing, food, medical care and education of progeny.
There should be some mechanism put in place where the right people can be the
core deveoplers of the OS, evolve to a mentor-elder position in the community
with more time to devote to more important issues while remaining in very close
touch with the community and maybe finally, retiring BACK to a more active role
once the kids are on their own.
Just something for you all to think about on a slow Tuesday evening.
gb
ing
and where they are going and what is the best way to get there.
The leaders of the various linux projects (including Linus himself) are growing
into a world different than the one they were i
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