[CS-FSLUG] Kernel worth hundreds of millions

[Marco Tedaldi]

Jon Glass wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 9:25 AM, Fred A. Miller <fmiller at lightlink.com> wrote:
>> SLOCCount estimates that it would take a team of over 200 developers
>> about nine and a half years to rewrite the Linux kernel from scratch.
> 
> <snip>
> 
>> In fact, thousands of programmers have contributed to developing the
>> Linux kernel, over a period of more than 15 years.
> 
> Interesting stats, and interesting difference. Supposedly, a mere 200
> people could have accomplished this over 9 years, instead of thousands
> over 15 years. Does this not, in a manner of speaking, make open
> source software a bit inefficient?
> 
In fact: No :-)
Most of the programmes are not working fulltime on the kernel (Even the 
developers that get paid for the work on the kernel often have some 
other projects they are working on in parallel), so you can't compare this.
Than the Kernel has grown with advancements of technology. When Linux 
started noone was talking about ACPI, AGP, PCI-E, S-ATA Gigabytes of RAM 
and Terrabytes Of disk Spaces (among many other things).

So I must say that it's quite surprising, that 200 programmers would 
need 10 Years to develop something like the linux kernel directly to the 
technology now available. And no one knows what technology will be in 10 
Years :-)

So a great "thank you" and "congratulations" to all the people who keep 
the development process of the linux kernel going.

Marco
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