this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2026
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Ive kind of noticed how we essentially use fancy tech to solve problems we already have solutions for.
What I find interesting about the framing of this, aswell as how docker is framed as a whole, is that its essentially just the argument for static linking (So some extent also deterministic builds). You can get alot of the benefits of "shipping your computer" without needing an OS that supports cgroups and all this other stuff. Containers existed for a long time until docker was able to essentially push it as a packaging format. Now yes containers ARE useful but I think what we were really doing was trying to get rid of distro dependency management, but we could only do it through the lens of a fancy new technology.
Yeah the technology existed forever but it wasn’t until a developer didn’t have to target the floppy disk or cd rom or even really pay for hosting at all in most cases that it took off.
Actually to expand on this, you can kind of do the opposite, for example you can launder federated social media if that federated social also contains something people actually want. Then relying on network effect/cultural inertia to keep you relevant