Is source code available?

1) Don't attempt to babysit them or micro-manage them.

2) Ask them for what they prefer to deal with specifically with in projects and attempt to assign them tasks within those areas first.

3) Have them give you a weekly status report on progress made and status of projects.

4) Let them do what they're good at without interference.

Don't make assumptions about their knowledge of business just because they choose to stick to programming. Experience and time in business is worth every bit as much as management experience, and some people just don't want to manage others period no matter what their level of business understanding is.

... it depends heavily on what the goal is. If the goal is to overtake windows on the desktop, then largely, yes, I agree. However, linux is in good shape on the server, actually far better shape than Windows 2003 Server in reality. It's easier to manage, it's more reliable, it's cheaper, and harder to exploit. However, if linux is going to make a serious attempt at taking over desktop market share from Windows then there are two things that must be done-- simplistic flawless working audio. simplistic flawless working video. It takes many times more effort in linux to get audio and video working cleanly than it does in windows and until that changes there is no hope of linux gaining serious market share in the destop environment. (on the other side of that coin, once it's working in linux it never breaks unlike windows.. and you can simply copy your old configs over your new when you reinstall and everything works again.)

Absolutely you can get a job and work in IT without a degree. However, that being said, it depends on the state of the economy where you live and who is doing the hiring how difficult it is compared to having a degree. In all likelihood without a degree you will have to start at a lower rung and work up till you have some experience doing what you want to do.

... but one that saves time and prevents mistakes.

mkdir -p /usr/local/src/{archive,test,whatever}

will create all directories necessary that don't exist and then expand the stuff in brackets and create them also.

Habitually backing up files before editing them will save you a lot of heartache in the long run too. It's easier if you make an alias to replace your common editor command to automatically back up the file.

There are many interesting things in store for the future for cell technology and Linux. It'll be interesting to see how Fixstar's approach to cell in the long run differs from that of YDL.