IBM developerWorks looks back on 10 years of Linux
On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, IBM's developerWorks site for software developers and IT professionals has compiled a list of the top ten developments in the Linux world. The list leaves out several things that Linux enthusiasts might be inclined to include: no Debian, no KDE or GNOME, no Android, Moblin or other embedded system, no exciting advancements in the Linux kernel – IBM's perspective on Linux is a little different.
The list is topped by the Linux Professional Institute: The demand for Linux certifications, like those developed by the LPI, is apparently one of many signs indicating that Linux has arrived in the corporate world. Samba earns second place, according to the list authors, because it's proof of the interoperability of Linux – and because it helped get the free operating system out of the network infrastructure corner.
It comes as no surprise that IBM counts Linux on S/390 (now System z) among the most important developments. Reportedly it was the first technology that enabled multiple instances of Linux to operate on the same hardware. SELinux is included because it introduced totally new security mechanisms – and because the makers of DeveloperWorks consider it "sort of cool" that the American National Security Agency (NSA) released one of its own technologies.
