This is one of many short video segments which will be added to the Digital Tipping Point (DTP) archive. Thanks to Thomas King, a writer for Linux.com and LXer, for doing the rough editing for this series of interview segments!

In this series of 6 interview segments, real-time Linux kernel developer Bill Huey talks about his experience with the efficacy of the Linux kernel society. He explains why he thinks that the Linux kernel project has proven to be such a huge success over more than a decade of existence, while other Free Open Source Software communities have proven less viable. He also compares the strength and weaknesses of corporate software development versus his experience with the Linux kernel.

In segment 01 (Tape 155~003-004), Bill talks about some of the kinds of things that real-time Linux can do, or will be called upon to do once it has achieved the goals that he is setting for it. Some of the uses for it are military robot control; TiVo-style remote control; professional audio applications; voice over Internet protocol, and other applicatons. It's an abscure topic. He thinks that large computing needs have dominated Linux thus far (2004) and not so much for tiny devices like cell phones. A lot of consumer applications need real-time capabilities, as do military applications, such as missile guidance. He became involved because he thought that it was low-hanging fruit, and it would also allow him to advance his career. General purpose operating systems have very coarse control for real time controls. Real time Linux can also be used to prevent DDOS attacks (Deliberate Denial of Service).

In segment 02 (Tape 155~005), Bill talks about why it is that Free Open Source Software creates such good code. It's because it is a meritocracy. For the most part, only the best code gets incorporated into projects. In corporations, there are other forces that are going to affect what goes into the code, but in Free Open Source Software, the emphasis is on quality first. He says that problems with Brooks Law don't apply as much to Free Open Source Software projects because of the openness of the communications in the group. (Brooks Law says that if a software project is late, adding more software developers will only make it more delayed, as software developers come in and try to figure out what is going on, and more needless communication happens). Brooks Law is avoided because the movement will tend to attract quality leaders like Linus Torvalds, who rise to the top based on their skills and their ability to elicit trust from others. He thinks that Linux has done better than the BSD projects because the BSD projects have better leadership. Some of the people involved with the BSD projects are immature. [His opinion, not that of the DTP]. [continued in next segment].

This footage is our raw rough-cut footage. It lacks transitions, music, special effectsor finish rendering. It is our "source code". Please feel free to rip, mix and burn this footage consistent with our Creative Commons license as disclosed on this page.

All of the segments of Bill Huey's interview can be found here:

http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv155_sf_03_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_003_004.ogg (segment 01)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv155_sf_03_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_005.ogg (segment 02)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv155_sf_03_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_006.ogg (segment 03)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv155_sf_03_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_007.ogg (segment 04)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv155_sf_03_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_008.ogg (segment 05)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv155_sf_03_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_009.ogg (segment 06)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv156_sf_02_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_001.ogg (segment 07)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv156_sf_02_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_002.ogg (segment 08)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv156_sf_02_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_003.ogg (segment 09)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv156_sf_02_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_004.ogg (segment 10)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv156_sf_02_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_005.ogg (segment 11)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv156_sf_02_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_006.ogg (segment 12)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv156_sf_02_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_007.ogg (segment 13)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv156_sf_02_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_008.ogg (segment 14)
http://www.archive.org/details/e-dv156_sf_02_bill_huey_linux_realtime_architecture_009.ogg (segment 15)

If you like this segment, please consider typing up a summary for it and emailing that summary to Christian Einfeldt at einfeldt@gmail.com. Your work will be credited and posted on this page.

The DTP will be many, many films created by the global open source video community about how open source is changing their lives. We, the DTP crew, are submitting this footage for anyone to rip, mix, and burn under the Creative Commons Attribute - ShareAlike license. We welcome edits, transcriptions, graphics, music, and animation contributions to the film. Please send a link for any contributions to Christian Einfeldt at einfeldt@gmail.com.

Or, if you would like to contribute by directly transcribing this particular video segment, you can do so by going here:

http://digitaltippingpoint.com/wiki/index.php/Tape_155

and typing the audio as you hear it into the wiki. Please be sure to add the transcription for this segment under: Segment 004, Bill Huey
You can find other ways to contribute by going to our wiki front page here:

http://digitaltippingpoint.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

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