A consumer doesn't take anything away: he doesn't actually consume anything. Giving the same thing to a thousand consumers is not really any more expensive than giving it to just one.
Linus Torvalds

Any program is only as good as it is useful.
Linus Torvalds

Artists usually don't make all that much money, and they often keep their artistic hobby despite the money rather than due to it.
Linus Torvalds

Before the commercial ventures, Linux tended to be rather hard to set up, because most of the developers were motivated mainly by their own interests.
Linus Torvalds

Finnish companies tend to be very traditional, not taking many risks. Silicon Valley is completely different: people here really live on the edge.
Linus Torvalds

Helsinki isn't all that bad. It's a very nice city, and it's cold really only in wintertime.
Linus Torvalds

Helsinki may not be as cold as you make it out to be, but California is still a lot nicer. I don't remember the last time I couldn't walk around in shorts all day.
Linus Torvalds

I do get my pizzas paid for by Linux indirectly.
Linus Torvalds

I don't expect to go hungry if I decide to leave the University. Resume: Linux looks pretty good in many places.
Linus Torvalds

I don't try to be a threat to MicroSoft, mainly because I don't really see MS as competition. Especially not Windows-the goals of Linux and Windows are simply so different.
Linus Torvalds


I like to think that I've been a good manager. That fact has been very instrumental in making Linux a successful product.
Linus Torvalds

I never felt that the naming issue was all that important, but I was obviously wrong, judging by how many people felt. I tell people to call it just plain Linux and nothing more.
Linus Torvalds

I try to avoid long-range plans and visions - that way I can more easily deal with anything new that comes up.
Linus Torvalds

I used to be interested in Windows NT, but the more I see it, the more it looks like traditional Windows with a stabler kernel. I don't find anything technically interesting there.
Linus Torvalds

I very seldom worry about other systems. I concentrate pretty fully on just making Linux the best I can.
Linus Torvalds

I'm generally a very pragmatic person: that which works, works.
Linus Torvalds

I've been employed by the University of Helsinki, and they've been perfectly happy to keep me employed and doing Linux.
Linus Torvalds

I've been very happy with the commercial Linux CD-ROM vendors linux Red Hat.
Linus Torvalds

I've never regretted not making Linux shareware: I really don't like the pay for use binary shareware programs.
Linus Torvalds

If Microsoft ever does applications for Linux it means I've won.
Linus Torvalds