Title: Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux, vs. Steven Rostedt: The Open Source World.
Introduction. In the cloud of the open source world, Linus Torvalds is once again in the spotlight. This time, the technical battle between him and Steven Rostedt, a programmer from Google, made waves on the Linux kernel mailing list. This is not a simple dispute, but a collision of ideas, involving technical perspectives, design concepts, and an understanding of the core values of the open source community.
Background to the controversy. The Linux kernel mailing list has always been an important platform for tech gods to exchange ideas, and the controversy stems from the eventfs patch. Steven Rostedt raised the question of the uniqueness of Inodes in his post, sparking an unprecedented discussion. In the Linux file system, inodes are the core concept of storing metadata for files or directories. However, Linus Torvalds' suggestion to use the same inode in eventfs raises a number of questions, especially with regard to the tar command and filesystem functionality.
Questions and Proposals.
Linus Torvalds' proposal aims to simplify the implementation of getdents(), but Steven Rostedt insists that all files and directories should have a unique inode. He not only brings out the core of the problem, but also provides a solution by modifying the get next ino() function of the vfs layer. However, this proposal was strongly opposed by Linus, who firmly believed that "inodes are no longer the only descriptors and we should not continue to rely on this old mechanism".
Argument process.
The dispute lasted up to 4 days, and the two sides had heated discussions on the mailing list. It's not just a technical debate, it's about understanding the core values of the open source community. In the debate, Linus Torvalds firmly denounced Steven Rostedt's ** as garbage, emphasizing that reliance on old mechanisms no longer applies. Steven Rostedt, however, is adamant that a single INODE is essential to simplify the file system.
Finale. Although the controversy continued until January 29, Linus Torvalds did not stop there. Instead, he released Linux kernel 68-rc2 version, and users are actively encouraged to test it. This action shows that in the midst of a heated technical debate, Linus still puts the advancement of technology first. This is not the first time that the two gods have "confronted" in public, in early 2020, Steven Rostedt had a public conversation with Linux in a speech about how to improve the efficiency of Linux.
Historical Context. Back in early 2020, Steven Rostedt and Linus Torvalds had a public argument, and this is not the first time the two have disagreed on technical views, showing their different views on the development philosophy in their long-term collaboration.
Community response. The open source community reacted differently to the dispute. Some argue that the historical baggage should be discarded in favor of Linus' technical perspective, while others believe that this is just a gap between the two men's design philosophy. This reflects the open source community's acceptance of technical debates and divergent views on traditional design.
Impact on the open source community.
This technical battle on the Linux kernel mailing list is not just a first-level debate, but also a clash of different points of view in the open source community. Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux, has made waves in the open source community with every statement. Despite his tough stance on Steven Rostedt during the debate, he continued to push the cutting edge of technology, releasing new versions to solve the problems of previous versions. The controversy has also sparked deep reflection on how the open source community operates, its core values, and the direction of technology.
The core values of the open source community.
The open source community has always had collaboration, sharing, and openness as its core values. However, the controversy revealed that different developers may have different understandings of "open source" in the process of technological development. For Linus Torvalds, moving away from traditional mechanisms is an evolution of open source, while for Steven Rostedt, maintaining uniqueness is fundamental to ensuring the stability of the system.
The value of the technical argument.
Technical debates are the norm in the open source community. This debate not only drives technological advancements, but also enables developers to understand and think more deeply about the complexities of system design. Although the debate may be fierce, it is precisely this kind of confrontation and collision that provides a broader space for the development of the open source community.
Future outlook. This technology battle is not the end, but part of a long journey in the open source world. Linus Torvalds and Steven Rostedt represent voices of their own perspectives, and their debates will continue to influence the direction of the open source community. In the future, we may see more such technical disputes, but it is the debate that will lead to a richer and more innovative future for the open source community.
Epilogue. The technical battle between the father of Linux and Google programmers has set off a storm in the open source community. This is not only a collision, but also a stirring of ideas. Linus Torvalds and Steven Rostedt each defend their ideas and push the open source community forward. This controversy reflects the diversity and openness of the open source community, and also makes us think deeply about the direction and core values of the technology. In this era of change and innovation, the open source community will continue to sail in the ocean of technology and meet more challenges and opportunities.
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