Linux fat/bloated

[Robert Brockway]

On Wed, 5 Apr 2006, Lennart Sorensen wrote:

> Actually I think you are entirely wrong.  Linux is so efficient at the
> use of memory for shared objects that it only loads one copy no matter
> how many programs and users are using it.

Precisely.

(I've been tempted to make several follow-ups to Lennart in this thread 
saying "me too" :)

The argument that "we should cut down diversity" has been applied to the 
GUIs on X as well in recent years.

Not only won't this work (in open source we have no way of enforcing any 
sort of computer use) there is simply no need for it.  Many seem to forget 
that the desktop/window manager can be set on a per user basis.  I use 
fvwm2 everywhere.  In doing so I am not placing any restrictions on other 
people who are using the box at the same time as I am.

The idea that all computers should use the same GUI so that users can 
understand the environment when they sit down is specious to me.  We 
should be encouraging everyone to use their environment on whatever box 
they happen to be on.  Then their _exact_ environment will be available to 
them.  We should be discouraging people just "sitting down" at an open 
terminal (logged in as someone else) in the first place.  This especially 
applies to the work place where too often accounts are left open for 
others to use.  If no one users others accounts then understanding how the 
account is setup becomes irrelevant.

I took this topic from scripting languages to GUIs but I think the point 
is made: diversity is not a bad thing[1].  Trying to stiffle diversity in 
any manner, even if it's just the scripting language I can use to solve a 
problem, scares me a lot.

As Len mentions, copy-on-write paging (allowing apps to reuse memory even 
among different users) is a powerful thing in the OS.  It really comes 
into its own on multi-user boxes.  The amount of memory that gets reused 
is often amazing.

[1] I happen to think diversity is a good thing in the non-computer world 
too :)  My wife and I come from different cultures and we've adopted 
aspects of other cultures in to our daily life.  Eg, we eat kimchi several 
times per week despite the fact neither of us has any Korean heritage. 
The modern world offers the ability to pick and choose the parts of other 
cultures that you like and just adopt them.  Ok, I've digressed enough :)

Rob

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