[dakiol]

AI won’t become “normal technology” until the open source versions are more powerful than the closed ones. Just like Linux is the “best” kernel out there, and that doesn’t prevent other kernels to be proprietary (but that doesn’t matter because they are not better than Linux).

Imagine for a moment what would happen if suddenly one company “buys” the Linux kernel, and suddenly you need to pay per the number of processes you run in your machine. Awful.

[falcor84]

I don't think that's a hard requirement.

Spreadsheets for example became normal technology long before we had a good open source one. And arguably we still don't have an open source one that's more powerful than the closed source ones.

[tilne]

I agree with you. I think OP’s point becomes more valid if you limit the discussion to tools used while developing/maintaining software, as opposed to tools used by a wider audience.

I don’t fully believe that either, but I see where the point would come from.

[torginus]

Linux isn't the "best" OS - on platforms that are not servers, Linux (and open source OSes) are in the minority

[dijksterhuis]

> Linux is the “best” kernel

> Linux isn’t the “best” OS

kernel != OS.

kernel makes the OS possible. and the linux kernel makes it possible for a lot of linux OSes to exist.

also… android?

[torginus]

I know the difference between an OS and the kernel, still a lot of devices don't run on the Linux kernel. Windows isn't Linux, macOS/iOS is not Linux, PS5/Xbox/Nintendo don't run on Linux, Xiaomi and Huawei are transitioning away from Linux.

I stand by my point that Linux isn't particularly dominant in the consumer space, even if we include Android, whose Linux-ness and open source pedigree is questionable.

[owebmaster]

> I stand by my point that Linux isn't particularly dominant in the consumer space

what if we add Steam deck? chromebooks? smartTVs, smartwatches, amazon echo, google home? GoPro and similar cameras? Maybe we should add some drones too. There are way more devices using linux in the hands of consumers than all other OS's together.

[dijksterhuis]

i’ll try another way

> the internal combustion engine is the “best” engine

> lorries/hgvs are not the “best” vehicles

then

> lorries/hgvs are in the minority, so the internal combustion engine cannot be the best vehicle

> … cars?

nothing you’ve said refutes the statement ‘linux is the “best” kernel’.

like, i geddit. you don’t like linux OSes. you’re entitled to have an opinion.

i personally disagree. but that doesn’t matter. my opinion is not really worth much.

[torginus]

I don't have any particular feelings for or against Linux, and even if I had, they would be irrelevant for the sake of this argument. I'm just saying for something to be the objectively being 'best' at something, means it makes little sense to use anything but that thing, excepting niche cases.

Which is why you could make a credible case for Linux being the 'best' server OS, but you couldn't make the case for it in other spaces (consumer, embedded etc.), because the alternatives are preferred by huge chunks of the market.