Linux “Unforked!” Mea Culpa!

After much deliberation and review, I’ve decided to recant my previous blog entry. I no longer believe that the Linux kernel should be forked. In fact, I’m more convinced than ever that Linux needs *less* fragmentation, not more.

It takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong. But I simply cannot bring myself endorse a course of action that I now know will cause irreparable harm to the already fragile Linux ecosystem. If I’ve learned anything over the past week it’s that Linux is a bit of a miracle. And miracles are precious things that need to be protected. Right now, the tenuous fibers that link together this wondrous amalgam of talent and resolve are still too new, too pliable. One wrong movement could twist the whole structure beyond repair. We must be cautious.

Mr. Torvalds, I implore you: Handle your precious creation with care. Don’t let the forces of practicality and pragmatism blind you to your inner calling. Nurture your child. Help it to grow strong and true so that someday, many, many years from now when it has reached its full stature, it can withstand the temptations of the world and instead embrace its own uniqueness. The quest for acceptance is snare that traps many a dream. Teach your creation to stand apart, secure in its technical superiority.

To the greater Linux community, I preach patience. The path to enlightenment will be long and arduous. You may find yourselves questioning the vision of your leaders. But let yourselves not be deceived: In the end, the miracle that is Linux will prevail, but only as long as you are of one mind and one heart. So I say “lay down your petty squabbles. Seek not to question the vision but rather embrace the miracle and be glad.”

“For wide is the gate and broad is the path that leads to … the dark side.”