3 ms·

I think there are many reasons for Linux 'winning', and it's not easy to attribute weights to each one. GPL is probably one, Linux having a better development m

• cesarb 5y ago
  > Linux having a better development model more open to outsiders is another, arguably more important, one. Not to mention being easier to try out (the path to becoming a developer starts with trying it out). Back when Linux was growing, it was very easy to install, to the point of not even needing to repartition the disk; through the magic of UMSDOS and LOADLIN, you could install it to your DOS partition and treat it as if it were a DOS program (with the only difference being that you couldn't "exit" Linux back to DOS without rebooting). From what I've heard, not only was that not possible with the BSD distributions, but also they were more picky about the hardware. That was the path I took: when I wanted a true Unix-like (instead of just playing with DJGPP), I did some research, and concluded Slackware was the best option, mainly because it had UMSDOS and so if it didn't work out, I would just have to remove its directory (of course, once I noticed I wasn't even using DOS anymore, I dedicated a full partition formatted as ext2 to Linux, and later started installing Linux exclusively).
  • pjmlp 5y ago
    Walnut Creek CD-ROMs also provided a way, including live CDs.