Microsoft and the Linux threat
Ravi Madapati
Faculty Member
Icfai Knowledge Center
The successful evolution of Linux
into a popular operating system looked improbable when it was first launched 10
years years ago. That seems to have changed now. Linux’s increasing popularity
is posing a threat to the dominance of Microsoft. This article shows how Linux
is making inroads into the closely guarded territory of Microsoft.
Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates is clearly worried these days about the
competition that his best selling Windows operating system is facing from Linux.
Though not owned by any company, a powerful movement is championing Linux led by
a ragtag band of open source programming volunteers scattered around the globe
and hooked up via the Internet.
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The software is flexible enough to run on hardware
ranging from an IBM supercomputer to a Motorola cell phone. Both
developers and users are figuring out how to take full advantage of Linux.
Analysts believe Linux has gained ground due to a combination of
circumstances. The downturn in the US economy has put corporations under
intense pressure to reduce their computing bills and look for low-cost
alternatives. Intel, the dominant maker of processors for PCs has loosened
its tight links with Microsoft and started optimizing its chips for Linux
in addition to Windows. Corporations are able to get all the computing
power they wanted at a fraction of the price.The widespread resentment of
Microsoft and the fear that the company is on the verge of gaining a
stranglehold on corporate customers is another factor. Many knowledgeable
users seem to like the idea of being able to customize Linux on their own.
This is not possible with Windows. |
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The rise of Linux
Linux had originated from another operating system UNIX, designed by AT&T in
the 1970s. UNIX had a unique, modular, file-based structure that allowed the
system to evolve piecemeal. Many software developers could work independently on
various parts of the program. An important event in the history of Unix was the
development of a free clone of it called the GNU UNIX, by Richard Stallman
(Stallman), an independent programmer at MIT.
Since UNIX was modular system, Stallman was able to replicate its functionality
piece by piece. His software acquired an excellent reputation for quality. The
compatibility of Stallman’s system with UNIX ensured that Stallman had a large
base of users for his free software. Stallman, however, was slow to write a new
operating system kernel (the set of components that contained the most important
basic functions needed for managing system access, file storage, memory usage,
device drivers, and processor scheduling). This delay provided an opportunity
for Linus Torvalds (Torvalds) to come up with Linux.
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While in college in Finland, Torvalds was using a
program called Minix, an educational operating system developed by Andrew
Tanenbaum (Tanenbaum), a professor at the Free Amsterdam University.
Tanenbaum, frustrated by AT&T’s decision to make new releases of UNIX
proprietary, decided to write an operating system similar to UNIX that
would not be based on AT&T’s code. Tanenbaum called his UNIX-like
operating system Minix. But Tanenbaum did not think of Minix as a
commercial product and was in no hurry to evolve the system as fast as
people like Torvalds wanted. Torvalds bought his first PC in January 1991
and installed the version of Minix that had been adapted to the Intel
80386 chip. He played with it, downloaded Stallman’s GNU C Compiler, and
started writing programs to experiment with Minix. |
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Linux started as a
complement to Minix,
then functioned
without the help of
Minix and finally
ended up as a
substitute for Minix |
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In August 1991, Torvalds posted in
the Minix Usenet group an e-mail announcing that he was working on a free
operating system for 386 and 486 PCs. His posting drew immediate interest.
Torvalds put together a list of the 10-15 people who had responded to his
e-mail, posted his first version (version 0.01), and solicited their comments
and feedback. Linux started as a complement to Minix, then functioned without
the help of Minix and finally ended up as a substitute for Minix.
In the early 90s, more and more
software developers became involved with Linux. They were attracted to a stable
operating system that would let the users add new features themselves and
experiment. This idea of releasing code and encouraging users to submit feedback
and modifications or improvements became a part of the Linux culture. Developers
of Linux took full advantage of this idea, allowing quick releases of new
versions that contained improvements submitted by many users. The Internet also
played a major role in enabling this rapid creation and release of new versions
of the product, as well as frequent exchanges of comments, suggestions for code
patches, and sharing of code.
At first, users suggested only a few,
relatively small changes to the operating system. Torvalds got to know many of
them and managed to retain personal control over the platform as it evolved. He
also released new versions at an astounding pace, but with mostly small
modifications. In May 1992, for example, Linux was already in its 96th edition
(version 0.96). The “release early, release often” philosophy allowed Torvalds
to treat his users as co-developers. The kernel – the core set of basic features
that Torvalds had mostly designed and written on his own – was not itself
modular. But the small, stable core that Torvalds had created could easily
accept additional functionality as separate modules. Some disagreements emerged
among Linux users on how to move forward. But Torvalds was able to exert
leadership based on his legitimacy as a talented programmer. The emergence of
volunteers who specialized in particular areas and were willing to answer
questions in their areas also helped guide the design. As a result, the
distributed innovation process did not lead to chaos.
Linux-based business models
Growing acceptance among corporates
© Icfai Press. Global CEO •
April 2003, All Rights Reserved.
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