Linux is not just code. It's a brand, a community, whatever. As people on HN should very well know, success is mostly about execution and luck - lot of people have very good ideas. The reason behind Linux being so successful is only partly attributable to it's technical merit (well, from the technical standpoint it didn't have anything too exciting when it started to have traction). It had to have all luck, good moments, industrial/social situation what eventually made it successful.