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diff --git a/faq/0-how_many_developers.mdwn b/faq/0-how_many_developers.mdwn deleted file mode 100644 index a96e0576..00000000 --- a/faq/0-how_many_developers.mdwn +++ /dev/null @@ -1,63 +0,0 @@ -[[!meta copyright="Copyright © 2010, 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc."]] - -[[!meta license="""[[!toggle id="license" text="GFDL 1.2+"]][[!toggleable -id="license" text="Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this -document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or -any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant -Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license -is included in the section entitled [[GNU Free Documentation -License|/fdl]]."]]"""]] - -[[!meta title="How many developers are working on the GNU Hurd, and why so -few?"]] - - -# How Many Developers? - -One handful works on the core of the system in their free time, and another -handful helps with [[Debian GNU/Hurd|hurd/running/debian]] and -[[hurd/running/Arch_Hurd]] packaging. Also, an additional handful of former -developers are still available for answering technical questions, but are not -participating in the current development anymore. - -In the past (that is, a lot of years ago), the FSF did pay a few developers for -working full time on the GNU Hurd. But that was for a limited amount of time -only, and evidently, it was too little for getting the system into a -competitive state. Nowadays, it's only unpaid (apart from some -[[bounties|tag/bounty]]) and free-time volunteers' work. - -In contrast to the Linux kernel, there is no industry involvement in -development. For one, this is a good thing: independency; no conflicts of -interests. For another, it is also a bad thing: no dedicated full-time -manpower -- which matters a lot. - - -# Why So Few? - -We can only speculate. One major problem might be that the [[architectural -benefits|advantages]] are generally perceived as very abstract, with little -practical benefit. We currently don't have many tools that are actually making -use of all the possibilities. - -Another reason is that it's been taking too long. Today, most people don't -believe it will ever be ready for production use, and thus would consider -involvement a waste of time. This latter point is invalid, of course, as -learning can never be a waste of time. The same holds for the [[challenges]] -raised by the GNU Hurd -- we can only learn and improve upon working on them. - -For likely the same reasons there is no industry interest in the GNU Hurd: its -advantages are too abstract and incomplete for being of interest there. - -As for the scientific sector, the GNU Hurd projects was rather about *using* a -[[microkernel]] intead of doing research on them, for example. But, there have -been some projects and theses done, and some scientific papers published on GNU -Hurd topics, and we're generally very interested in further such projects. - - -# Attracting New Faces - -We're an open project: any interested party (*you*!) are very welcome to start -[[contributing]]. Mentoring is possible, too, to help you get started. - -Likewise, for reaching out to new developers, we're participating in [[Google's -Summer of Code program|community/gsoc]]. |