If there is any one big problem with kernel development and Linux it is the complete disconnection of the development process from normal users. You know, the ones who constitute 99.9% of the Linux user base.
An interesting interview and some views on the priorities of the linux development community and the history of the personal computer that I generally agree with. Con’s quoted statement sadly rings true for Open Source development in general. After years of development, the Linux Desktop, the applications, the libraries, the documentation seem incomplete, archaic, chaotic and riddled with critical, esoteric issues that the ‘fix it yourself’ mentality of the stereotypical linux hacker is not going to remedy; that — if anything — is what keeps the wonderful idea of FLOSS from attaining the position it deserves.