The Linux kernel and the core utilities needed for an user-friendly OS add up to a mind-boggling amount of code, written by thousands of hobbyists over the cour

The Linux kernel and the core utilities needed for an user-friendly OS add up to a mind-boggling amount of code, written by thousands of hobbyists over the course of decades. That code base has the benefit of actually existing, being familiar to a lot of people, and (mostly) behaving in predictable ways that are consistent from one un*x-like system to another. So in that sense, it's somewhat counterproductive to just say "somebody oughta rewrite this stuff", unless (like RMS) you're willing to dedicate a good chunk of your life to that mission - or think that your post will inspire somebody else to do the same.