Linus Torvalds's Quotes

I don't expect to go hungry if I decide to leave the University. Resume: Linux looks pretty good in many places.

I like to think that I've been a good manager. That fact has been very instrumental in making Linux a successful product.

I very seldom worry about other systems. I concentrate pretty fully on just making Linux the best I can.

I've been employed by the University of Helsinki, and they've been perfectly happy to keep me employed and doing Linux.

I've been very happy with the commercial Linux CD-ROM vendors linux Red Hat.

I've never regretted not making Linux shareware: I really don't like the pay for use binary shareware programs.

Linux has definitely made a lot of sense even in a purely materialistic sense.

My name is Linus, and I am your God.

Non-technical questions sometimes don't have an answer at all.

Shareware tends to combine the worst of commercial software with the worst of free software.

The thing with Linux is that the developers themselves are actually customers too: that has always been an important part of Linux.

Before the commercial ventures, Linux tended to be rather hard to set up, because most of the developers were motivated mainly by their own interests.

People enjoy the interaction on the Internet, and the feeling of belonging to a group that does something interesting: that's how some software projects are born.

The cyberspace earnings I get from Linux come in the format of having a Network of people that know me and trust me, and that I can depend on in return.

Helsinki may not be as cold as you make it out to be, but California is still a lot nicer. I don't remember the last time I couldn't walk around in shorts all day.

I never felt that the naming issue was all that important, but I was obviously wrong, judging by how many people felt. I tell people to call it just plain Linux and nothing more.

I used to be interested in Windows NT, but the more I see it, the more it looks like traditional Windows with a stabler kernel. I don't find anything technically interesting there.

The fame and reputation part came later, and never was much of a motivator, although it did enable me to work without feeling guilty about neglecting my studies.

What commercialism has brought into Linux has been the incentive to make a good distribution that is easy to use and that has all the packaging issues worked out.

When it comes to software, I much prefer free software, because I have very seldom seen a program that has worked well enough for my needs, and having sources available can be a life-saver.

Software is like sex: it's better when it's free.

If Microsoft ever does applications for Linux it means I've won.

There are lots of Linux users who don't care how the kernel works, but only want to use it. That is a tribute to how good Linux is.

Intelligence is the ability to avoid doing work, yet getting the work done.

Most good programmers do programming not because they expect to get paid or get adulation by the public, but because it is fun to program.

In my opinion MS is a lot better at making money than it is at making good operating systems.