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The Linux kernel took off after Linus receive the MINIX book, a.k.a Operating System Design and Implementation by Tanenbaum, which include the source code of MINIX. Until the arrival of the book Linus was playing "Prince Of Persia" on his new 386AT desktop.

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If only if Linus actually listened to Tanenbaum.

We could have a nice microkernel, multiserver design, instead of what we have.

And we wouldn't have to deprecate Linux (soon now) to replace it with something better architected.

Are you still using Linux? Most of us moved to Hurd for exactly this reason already.

I mostly use Linux, yes.

As for HURD, I consider it a dead end, as it seems to have no direction and appears to have failed to move away from Mach.

There were several microkernel-based research/hobby/free kernels in early 1990s, like L4, VSTa, or even HURD. Perhaps the reason why Linux succeeded as a general purpose OS (and not one of these) is because of its conservative design.

Let's suppose it ended up like that.

It would mean one of the BSDs would have become popular instead. And we'd be better for it.

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