World Without Linux Would be 'Terrible'

27 Oct 2011

Jim Zemlin, the executive director of the Linux Foundation believes that the world would be a "terrible place" without Linux. He argues that the software Linux provides is fundamental to technology firms and key IT systems across the world.

Zemlin specifically highlighted stock trading and train network systems as vital services that would grind to a halt without Linux. Special effects in movies would also reduce significantly in quality. Services such as Google, Amazon and Facebook also all rely on Linux to work

Zemlin was speaking at the annual LinuxCon event taking place in Prague.

"If we didn't have Linux then everything would be in black and white. The world without Linux would be an absolutely terrible place," he said.

Zemlin did concede that not all uses of Linux had been such a success. He mocked his own claim from 2007 that "this is the year of the Linux desktop", as he has done every year since.

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