The Man Behind Linux

"Seemingly overnight, this first name has become nearly as well-known as the moniker of that other technology celebrity. But Bill Gates, despite all his billions, will never be Linus Torvalds. The 29-year-old Finnish creator of the simple yet powerful Linux operating system exceeds the Gates of myth. Legend may have it that Gates was a brilliant programmer, but Torvalds is the real thing, having spun out a tightly written operating system while still in college. And while a young Gates labeled fellow programmers "thieves" for copying his mediocre code, the generous Torvalds freely shared his epiphany with the world. Which man and movement wins may decide technology's future."

Read the article.