--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Linux has never been about quality. There…" description: "\"Linux has never been about quality. There are so many parts of the system that are just these cheap little hacks, and it happens to run.\" — Theo de Raadt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/theo-de-raadt-33767_happens_linux-has-never-been-about-quality-there_362488.png" --- # Linux has never been about quality. There are so many… ![“Linux has never been about quality. There are so many parts of the system that are just these cheap little hacks, and it happens to run.” quote by Theo de Raadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/theo-de-raadt-33767_happens_linux-has-never-been-about-quality-there_362488.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/theo-de-raadt-33767_happens_linux-has-never-been-about-quality-there_362488.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/423/theo-de-raadt-33767_happens_linux-has-never-been-about-quality-there_362488.png) > “Linux has never been about quality. There are so many parts of the system that are just these cheap little hacks, and it happens to run.” [Theo de Raadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-de-raadt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Linux’s success stems from many low‑quality hacks that somehow work together. **In simple terms:** Linux works despite many cheap hacks. Key Takeaway Value pragmatic solutions over perfect design. Themes engineering open source pragmatism quality Mood pragmatic critical Type technical philosophical When to use this quote - building servers - maintaining infrastructure - debugging complex systems Key Concepts software development systems architecture Questions to Reflect On - Can you improve quality without losing flexibility? - What trade‑offs are acceptable in open source? A Different Perspective Reliance on hacks may hinder long‑term reliability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Linux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/linux/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [Linux people do what they do because they hate Microsoft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-de-raadt/linux-people-do-what-they-do-because-they-hate-microsoft/) [Theo de Raadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-de-raadt/) > [“A lot of the machines that Google is built on—commodity is the polite word for them—they're regular PCs and so they're not always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-livingston/a-lot-of-the-machines-that-google-is-built-on-commodity-is-the-polite/) [Jessica Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-livingston/) > [IBM has taken our valuable trade secrets and given them away to Linux.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darl-mcbride/ibm-has-taken-our-valuable-trade-secrets-and-given-them-away-to-linux/) [Darl McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darl-mcbride/) > [Obviously Linux owes its heritage to UNIX, but not its code. We would not, nor will not, make such a claim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darl-mcbride/obviously-linux-owes-its-heritage-to-unix-but-not-its-code-we-would/) [Darl McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darl-mcbride/) > [That's what makes Linux so good: you put in something, and that effort multiplies. 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