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Xref: sserve comp.os.386bsd.misc:2322 comp.os.linux.misc:12921 Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!munnari.oz.au!news.Hawaii.Edu!ames!hookup!yeshua.marcam.com!charnel!xmission!u.cc.utah.edu!cs.weber.edu!terry From: terry@cs.weber.edu (Terry Lambert) Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.linux.misc,alt.magnus.and.ketil Subject: Re: Impressions: FreeBSD vs Linux Date: 11 Apr 1994 21:16:02 GMT Organization: Weber State University, Ogden, UT Lines: 35 Message-ID: <2ocemi$kb2@u.cc.utah.edu> References: <MAGNUS.94Apr4201634@haukugle.ii.uib.no> <2o50rl$h11@u.cc.utah.edu> <MAGNUS.94Apr9155537@haukugle.ii.uib.no> NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.weber.edu Magnus>Who needs a core team? Terry> Anyone who wanted a smooth transition instead of a 16 month Terry> power struggle if the lead developer dropped out. Magnus>I think people are more likely to drop out of a 'core team' than the Magnus>Linux movement. With Linux, you only work as much as you feel like. Magnus>Our 'lead developer' does a lot, true - but that's because he wants Magnus>too. He doesn't *have* to hand-optimize the patches he recieves. A core team is a node of stability in the flux of constant source changes; currently, there are two nodes: NetBSD and FreeBSD. You are not required to live at one or the other locations to be able to do something useful. People pop in and out of the BSD core teams, albiet infrequently. The main advantage is in continuity of purpose, something that is not able to be maintained in a single point of failure. The most stunning example of what I believe would happen to the Linux community without Linus is what already happend to the BSD community without continued interaction by Bill Jolitz (the Linus of BSD). I would advise some type of core team approach in the Linux community as well as a prophylactic against a single point of failure before it becomes necessary. You can still grant Linus an overriding veto on top of the organization, but the organization ought to be in place *before* there is a need for it. History does repeat itself. Terry Lambert terry@cs.weber.edu --- Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present or previous employers.