well the last week i am really concerned for this:What will happer when Linus cannot continue writting linux ??
I mean that there are the users,companies etc...that help in developement of the kernel but the main developer is Linus.And i am asking you guys...is that a reason not to start with Linux ???Because propably the developement of the kernel will not stop(after Linus quits)...but who will do it freely and share it freely ???
Has anyone else "authority", except Linus, on the kernel ?

Anyway i believe that you got the point of what i am asking...
heh, i don't want any *BSD guys laughing at me after some years....

sponsii; good question, this just an opinion(mine), since LT started ,he may have a core of people that may take the
reins then. however from ur implied question seems there is doubt whether
to or not try linux with that idea in mind.
assurance not forth coming but neither is yours with years yet ahead. ally your
fears aside for now and try linux for the joy!

The GPL will see that it continues.
http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html

i dont think the world breaks apart when linus torvalds quits kernel development.
the linux kernel as we know it today is maintained by a lot of people.
although linus and only linus decides which features are introduced in each kernel release, only about 2% of the kernel are written by himself.
so, linux life will last at least a while

My guess is that Andrew Morton will take it up. He already has a lot of responsibility for the kernel as Linus's right hand man.

so...there is no big worry that the kernel will be messed up by companies or irresponsible ppl etc.. when Linus quit, right ?

Even today, there's nothing to stop a company or irresponsible person taking the kernel source code & screwing it up. (Tho I believe Linus owns the "Linux" trademark, so they couldn't CALL it Linux without his permission)

You'd just avoid their 'fork' and use a different one. Like the recent widespread switch to Xorg.

That's the strength of GPL'd software.

I think the only thing that has prevented a fork so far is the understanding that Linux's strength draws from there being ONE version around which everybody rallies.

I agree with that."Anything else you want mister is your lame a*s sitting on a chair and coding..."
Also i like the idea of a kernel distro not kernel/system distro like the *BSD(not that this is bad..just what ain't i like although the right question is what is the best--plz no reply for this )

Let's hope the hole kernel thing wont collapse some years later..

Actually there is something to worry about.............I predict that Richard Stallman and his GNU/Hurd crybabies will screw it
up for ALL of us in the near Future............!!

You heard it here first!! --

I don't think so. RMS cares about free software. Linux, being licenced under the GPL, is free software. Together with the other GNU tools it fulfils his dream of a free software operating system. Why would he want to spoil that?

Maybe a Linus Jr. will take over.

There are several people who are qualified. Alan Cox springs to mind. Of course all these people are still young (in their 30s I think) so there's not necessarily any need to worry yet.

Of course, it could well be that in the future some other young hacker will produce what will become the successor to Linux. Nothing lasts forever!