From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu From: erik quanstrom Subject: Re: [9fans] design issues in operating systems Message-Id: <20011204172744.411EF3F414@quanstro.net> Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 12:27:44 -0500 Topicbox-Message-UUID: 2f978a36-eaca-11e9-9e20-41e7f4b1d025 > On Mon Dec 3 15:52:18 EST 2001, mike@ducky.net wrote: > > I suspect one important factor in the popularity of Linux > > is the relative openness of the development process of Linux. > > There are regular releases of the latest version of the > > code, even when there are works in progress that aren't > > finished yet. > > > > By contrast the Plan 9 developers are constantly dropping > > all these hints about how great the next thing will be, > > but the rest of us never get to see any code until it's > > "done" -- and big changes take a long time. > > > > I think Plan 9 would have a more enthusiastic following > > if the ongoing development tree were out there for everyone > > to see (and contribute to). > > Do we hint that the next thing will be great? If so, we should stop. > It may or may not be great but it will be different, I think that's > about as far as I'd be willing to go. in so many words, i think so. 9p2000 has been talked about on this list for quite some time now. (i'm waiting with baited breath to see it.) and rather than somebody /saying/ that the next thing will be great, i think that folks have gotten excited to see the 9p2000 without any hype. i know i have. don't stop dropping tidbits. they're interesting. but i think mike's point is that having something akin to (for lack of a better analogy) the linux development series (e.g. x.y.z where y is odd) would be a Good Thing. of course, doing this isn't free. it takes time & effort to release. and releasing early & often take time early & often.