The mind behind Linux
Day 2 / 365
If you ask any programmer to come up with a coder’s starter kit, I can assure you two things that would definitely be in it — The Linux operating system and Git.
I have been coding for about 6 years now and I have used both of those technologies heavily. But I didn’t know before today that both of these were created by the same guy. That man, Linus Torvalds, was the focus of the Ted talk I watched today.
Linux is huge. As an operating system is the first choice of most programmers. Apple’s macOS is Linux based as well, and so is Android. It’s safe to say there are billions of devices functioning in the world right now thanks to Linux, something that Linus Torvalds started in 1991 as a hobby project.
The idiosyncrasies of Linus Torvalds
This ted talk was essentially an interview with Linus, and he talked about some of his personality traits that most of us might find odd.
At his home Linus has a very minimalist work station, a walking desk with a single monitor.
He hates distractions. That explains the pale green colour of the walls, something which he mentions is common in mental institutions because of its calming nature. Though the performance of the computer matters, Linus cares more about it being as quiet as possible.
Coding for a purpose
Something that Linus mentioned that as a coder I found inspiring was that whenever he has worked on a project it has been on something that was meaningful to him, something that fulfils a need.
Git came about as a way to manage his first big project. The existing solution which was widely adopted at the time was CVS, which he hated and refused to use. Which is why he set out to create Git. This reminds me of Adam Grants talk about “Originals”. Linus doubted the popular solution, and had the stubbornness to create something better.
His stubbornness is something I admire a lot. We all have ides about changing the world. Few of us get off our asses and act on them, and even fewer see it through till the end and develop a finished product.
Linus was 21 when he worked on Linux. By that time he had been coding for almost half his life. This fact motivated me a lot. As someone who is a self taught programmer, it’s reassuring to know that it takes time to get better at it. I’m 24 right now, and I have been coding for about a fourth of my life, so I guess I still have a long way to go :)
This story is part of my 365 Day Project for 2019. Read about it here
up next — The Tragedy of a creative mind