Linus Torvalds, Hero, Nov 14, 2006

Linus Torvalds was just 21 when he changed the world. Working out of his family's apartment in Helsinki in 1991, he wrote the kernel of a new computer operating system called Linux that he posted for free on the Internet — and invited anyone interested to help improve it.

Linus Torvalds has picked up one of Apple's new Intel-based Mac minis to play with, but the Linux creator still prefers Apple's old PowerPC architecture for his primary desktop machine.

Linux kernel creator speaks out about the current controversy over an update to the key open-source license.

Asking Stallman (the founder of the Free Software Foundation as well as its titular head) to compromise is like asking the Pope to be less Catholic.

On Friday Several kernel developers issued a position paper criticizing the GPLv3 drafts. That prompted Software Freedom Law Center (SLFC) chairman Eben Moglen to issue a "renewed invitation" yesterday to kernel developers to participate in the GPLv3 process. Linus Torvalds responded to Moglen's statement by saying that his position on the license is clear and that he's "fed up" with the FSF.

When many of the top Linux developers announced their disapproval of the GPLv3 draft, there was one major name conspicuously missing: Linus Torvalds. On September 24th, Torvalds explained why he hadn't signed it, and why he thinks GPLv2 is the best possible open-source license.

Linux creator Linus Torvalds today signalled his enjoyment of the annual "Talk Like a Pirate Day" festivities, using the nautical lexicon to launch an update to the kernel at the heart of his open source operating system.

In an email interview with Red Herring, Mr. Torvalds says the increasing focus of venture capitalists and large companies on open source can only be good for a community that, until now, was on the fringes of the commercial realm.

Linus Torvalds had harsh comments about the committees organized by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) to help it draft version 3 of the GNU Public License (GPLv3). However, so far as NewsForge can determine, none of those actually involved in the process agree with Torvalds' assessment that the FSF isn't listening to feedback.

Linus Torvalds, who helped create the open source operating system Linux, is blasting the Free Software Foundation (FSF) again as the group releases its latest draft of a revised General Public License (GPL).

The second draft of a revised General Public License has been released, but Linus Torvalds--founder and leader of the best-known software project governed by the GPL--remains unconvinced of its merits.

Usually media shy, the 36-year-old Finn invited Kristie Lu Stout and the Global Office team into his home for an insight into life at the helm of the operating system that is giving Microsoft some serious headaches.

The Open Source Development Lab (OSDL) is looking beyond its existing sponsorship of Linux creator Linus Torvalds with the formation of a Technical Advisory Board.

In an interview via e-mail with Forbes, Torvalds discusses GPLv3, digital rights management and sharks with laser beams.

Linus may have it wrong on digital rights management (DRM), but it's the vague wording and confusing concepts - like what is meant by a "derivative work" - that is causing the real headaches over the next General Public License (GPL).

In his latest protest against the new version of the General Public License, Linux creator Linus Torvalds wrote, "We do not--as software developers--have the moral right to enforce our rules on hardware manufacturers. We are not crusaders."

Linus Torvalds doesn't want to change the Linux kernel's software license, and he said so again last week. For good measure this time, he threw in some inflammatory remarks.

Linus Torvalds could see using the proposed GPL 3 license for Linux, but he thinks it would be very hard to do in practice and he still has concerns about the Complete Corresponding Source Code section.

Provisions against digital rights management in a draft update to the General Public License could undermine computer security, Linus Torvalds said this week in e-mails reflecting the Linux leader's pragmatic philosophy.

Torvalds says that the Linux kernel "in general" has always been covered under version 2 of the GPL, and that that isn't going to change.

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