Who Is Writing Linux?

[Turk]

By Stephen Cass 30 Jan 2014 19:04 GMT
Corporations are paying for the world's most famous free operating system

Illustration: MCKIBILLO
About once a year, the Linux Foundation analyzes the online repository that holds the source codeof the kernel, or core, of the Linux operating system. As well as tracking the increasing complexity of the ever-evolving kernel over a series of releases from versions 3.0 to 3.10, the report also reveals who is contributing code, and the dominant role corporations now play in what began as an all-volunteer project in 1991.

Who’s Paying the Bills?

While volunteer contributors still represent a plurality among developers, over 80 percent of code is contributed by people who are paid for their work. The Linux Foundation notes that contributions have been increasing from companies that make mobile and embedded systems, such as Linaro, Samsung, and Texas Instruments.

The Gatekeepers

Contributions from individual developers must have sign-offs before being incorporated into the official kernel code. Here corporate employees truly dominate, with just over 5 percent of approvals by volunteers.

The Authors

These are the programmers who have contributed the most code updates to versions 3.2 through 3.10.

The Growing Kernel

Source: “Linux Kernel Development: How Fast It Is Going, Who Is Doing It, What They Are Doing, and Who Is Sponsoring It,” Linux Foundation, 2013.
Source

[pintas]

Very nice. I had no idea about most of this data. Intel? Wow. Kudos to them. :)

[baso]

Linux :wub:

[Turk]

I believe Linux will surpass OSX within a couple of years and may be rival to M$. I wish I could be confident to use it, as of now, it is not supporting some of vital software progs and too complicated for an Average Joe (me :)