In article <1992Aug5.192748.23519@mits.mdata.fi>, kennu@mits.mdata.fi (Kenneth Falck) writes:`

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> By the way, have there been any plans about a v1.0 release that
> would be the "real" Linux for some time? I mean, currently there
> seem to be several competetive software-collections, and also
> the kernel gets updated nearly every other day, and an old
> DOS-user like me gets annoyed when you have to "ps U" etc.
> and recompile all the time :-)
> 
> Maybe it's good to have plenty of choice, but what's also 
> annoying is that the ftp-sites contain a lot of old and
> useless software, and it's hard to tell what is meant to be
> used with the current kernel...

True.

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> 
> So what I mean is that since everyone always wants to get the 
> latest kernel whenever one is released, and a new kernel always
> brings some trouble, kernels shouldn't be released too frequently 
> after 1.0. Maybe this is what Linus has planned, I don't know..

I couldn't disagree with you more here. I see Linux as an educational
tool first and foremost, and as a useful (as in practical)  O.S. second
(maybe third, just after "infinite time-sink").

While it would be nice to have a stable, solid release availible for
many non-programmer types, I believe lots of us demented sickos 
actually *enjoy* making kernel patches, adding new features, and 
trying not to break things in the process. The engineer in me says..
"if it ain't broke, fix it anyway, or at least improve it!" I hope 
Linus shares this view, rather than looking towards potential market
value (at least for now: you *are* staying for PhD, right Linus?!)

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> 
> Also I hope that if 1.0 becomes the main release for some time,
> old and useless stuff could be deleted or archived to some special
> directory on ftp-sites.

Good point. Make 1.0 easy for the masses, while the rest of us
continue the current effort.

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> 
> (Just my two cents worth...)
> 
> -- 
> kennu@mits.mdata.fi
> Old accountants never die, they just lose their balance.
> 

R Michael McMahon       chad@src.umd.edu