Kernel space: The enterprise real-time feud

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More than almost any other area of kernel development, the realtime code has been the subject of recurring debates over who deserves the credit for the work. See this LWN article from 2005 for an example. This time around, Red Hat would appear to be claiming ownership of the realtime work. In fact, much of this work, including the crucial low-level preemption work which got the current realtime effort going, was done at Red Hat. But other components have come from companies like MontaVista, Linutronix, TimeSys, and, yes, Novell (and others, of course). For these two companies to be arguing about credit is a little silly; both are clearly significant contributors to the kernel (and beyond).

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We may see more of this kind of talk, though. This market looks like it could be big, so the companies working in that area are going to make a serious effort to be successful there. The result may well be that Linux ends up as the dominant system in the fast-moving, agent-driven world where much of corporate operations appears to be heading. That cause will be helped, though, if the relevant managers and spokespeople take a clue from the developers who are making all of this work actually happen. We are all building this system together; pointless mud slinging can only get in the way.