Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Everyone should read the Linux kernel source to see how aggressively up a painful local maximum you can get in the name of simplicity.


What do you mean?


Just a guess, but perhaps things like the process model. PID 1, fork, exec and so forth. Or argv, or environment variables, or “everything is a file”, or having just three streams (stdin, stdout, stderr).

In isolation, all beautifully simple concepts, but there has been an awful lot built on top over several decades, stretching and outgrowing the simplicity. The complexity of modern technology has to live somewhere, though.




Consider applying for YC's Winter 2027 batch! Applications are open till November 2.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: